The conflict between Israel and Iran continued into the fifth day as residents of flashpoint areas bear the brunt of the violence.

About 224 people have been killed in Iran and 24 in Israel since the war began. Several top Iranian security chiefs are among the dead, and more than 1,400 people have been injured.

Israel has issued an evacuation warning to the 330,000 residents in a part of central Tehran, where the country’s state television station, the national police headquarters, and three major hospitals, one of which is operated by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, is located.

Tehran, one of the largest cities in the region, is home to approximately 9.5 million people.

On Monday, Israel attacked Iran’s state-run television, which was forced to abruptly stop a live broadcast after the Tehran-based station was hit. At least two people were killed in that attack, which has been condemned by global journalism groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The war broke out on Friday after Israel launched an attack on Iran, describing it as a pre-emptive strike to stop the Islamic Republic from developing nuclear weapons.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the strike came just two days before Iran was expected to resume nuclear talks with the United States. Iran has since withdrawn from the negotiations.

In response to the Israeli air raids, Iran fired back with a wave of drones and ballistic missiles. Since then, both countries have continued trading attacks, despite mounting international pressure to de-escalate the conflict.

More details later…