Iran says US strikes on five provinces kill 14, injure dozens

Iran's Ministry of Health reported that United States airstrikes over two days targeted five Iranian provinces, resulting in 14 deaths and 78 injuries, with dozens of patients still hospitalized. The attacks, according to Iranian officials, hit more than 170 military sites, including air defenses, surveillance assets, missile infrastructure and Revolutionary Guard facilities.

Analysts note that the heightened tension coincides with Israel's continued operations in southern Lebanon, which Iran views as a strategic pillar of its asymmetric defence doctrine. Tehran argues that Israeli actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon breach a truce agreement and threaten Iranian security interests, underscoring the broader regional rivalry involving the United States, Israel and Iran.