Iranian ballistic missiles struck Israel overnight in a major escalation, causing damage on a scale not seen since the war began and wounding scores of people, CBS News correspondents report.
The southern city of Arad was among the hardest hit. Emergency teams found apartment walls torn away, bedrooms with shattered windows, and a bus on the sidewalk mangled by blast damage. One missile left a large crater in a residential area; officials said it was fortunate the warhead did not strike directly on top of apartment blocks. Nearly 200 people were reported injured in Arad; one person was injured in nearby Dimona. Residents who had sheltered said the strikes sounded different and called it a miracle so many survived.
The strikes came as Israel continued operations across Lebanon and Gaza. Israeli forces said they destroyed a key bridge in southern Lebanon while battling Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia; more than a million people in Lebanon have fled the fighting. The Pentagon described daily U.S. and allied airstrikes as growing in scale; U.S. officials say American aircraft have flown about 8,000 combat missions striking roughly 7,800 targets since the conflict began more than three weeks ago.
Iran’s barrage included a long-range strike on the U.S.-UK base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean — roughly 2,000 miles away — a move analysts said underscored Tehran’s expanded reach. The attacks followed escalating threats between the U.S. and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz: President Trump warned Iran that if it did not fully open the strait, the U.S. would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants; Iran replied it would shut the waterway indefinitely if that were attempted.
CBS correspondents noted the broader regional risks as Iran and Iran-backed groups respond to Israel’s campaign and as civilians on all sides continue to be displaced and wounded. Charlie D’Agata reported from Tel Aviv; Jericka Duncan contributed.