Iranian Missile Strikes Tel Aviv, Multiple Casualties Reported
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Tel Aviv, March 24 (NationPress) An Iranian missile impacted Tel Aviv on Tuesday, leading to injuries among individuals and damage to structures and vehicles, as reported by Israeli officials.
Residents across the city experienced loud detonations, with onlookers noting significant smoke plumes emerging from both the northern and southern regions of the nation's commercial center.
According to Israel's Army Radio, referencing security personnel, the missile was likely a cluster type, equipped with multiple bomblets, each weighing approximately 100 kg. Fragments from the bomblets struck various locations, as per reports from Xinhua news agency.
At one site in northern Tel Aviv, a missile landed between buildings, resulting in a considerable blast wave that severely damaged three structures, stated Miki David, the Tel Aviv district commander of the Home Front Command, during an interview with journalists on-site. He confirmed that the shelters within the buildings remained unscathed and the occupants were safe.
Social media images highlighted a crater left by the impact.
The Israeli military announced that search and rescue operations were underway at multiple locations in central Israel following the reported impacts.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service reported six individuals sustained minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.
Overnight into Tuesday morning, air raid sirens were activated seven times across Israel amidst ongoing missile attacks from Iran. The last attack triggered alarms in southern Israel, including Dimona, home to Israel's nuclear facility.
This strike occurred as the regional conflict reached its 25th day, with tensions still high despite US President Donald Trump's assertion of active negotiations, which Iran labeled as 'fake news.'
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing senior defense officials, that the Pentagon is considering the potential deployment of airborne troops to bolster military initiatives in Iran.
The forces in question would be drawn from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division's 'Immediate Response Force,' comprising around 3,000 soldiers capable of rapid deployment worldwide within 18 hours. It was noted that no orders have yet been issued by the Pentagon or US Central Command.
These troops could be utilized to seize Kharg Island, Iran's principal oil export facility, according to the report.
Another potential strategy, should President Trump authorize the operation, involves an assault by approximately 2,500 troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently heading to the Middle East, as indicated by anonymous officials.
The 'Immediate Response Force' has previously been deployed on short notice multiple times in recent years.
On Monday, US Central Command disclosed that the US military has conducted over 9,000 strikes in Iran, including damaging or sinking more than 140 Iranian naval vessels since joint military operations with Israel began on February 28. This has disrupted global shipping, propelled oil prices upward, and unsettled the global economy.