Iran Fires Hypersonic Missile At Israel As Trump Mulls Joining Strikes; Explosions Rock Tel Aviv, Tehran

The military confrontation between Israel and Iran escalated further on Wednesday, marking the sixth straight day of conflict as both nations continued to exchange fresh missile strikes.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had fired a Fattah-1 hypersonic missile at Israel - the first reported use of this weapon in the current hostilities, according to the BBC.

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

Explosions were reported over Tel Aviv following early morning missile salvos from Iran, while Israeli air raids persisted around Tehran, targeting suspected military installations.

Meanwhile, US media reported that President Donald Trump is weighing the possibility of joining Israel's ongoing attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.

Speculation regarding American involvement has intensified following Trump's abrupt departure from the G7 Summit, accompanied by a series of ominous warnings on social media.

Amid rising tensions, Trump also held a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, as reported by Axios. At the same time, US officials confirmed that additional American fighter jets are being dispatched to the Middle East.

Key developments in Israel-Iran conflict

* The IRGC announced that it had launched a Fattah-1 missile towards Israel on Wednesday, as per the BBC. This marked the missile's first reported deployment in the current round of fighting, though Iran had previously used multiple Fattah-1s in its 1 October 2024 strike on Israel. Initially unveiled in 2023, Iranian officials have referred to the missile as the "Israel-striker".

• A banner displayed during its unveiling proclaimed: "400 seconds to Tel Aviv" - a reference to the missile's purported speed.

• Earlier today, Iran launched two waves of missile attacks on Israel, leading to explosions across Tel Aviv. In retaliation, Israeli airstrikes were carried out near Tehran. Residents in Tehran's District 18 were reportedly instructed to evacuate ahead of the bombings. Iranian media confirmed that blasts had occurred in both Tehran and Karaj.

• Trump issued a flurry of hostile messages on Truth Social, warning Iran's leadership. He claimed that the United States knows the whereabouts of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but added: "We are not going to take him out (kill!) - at least not for now." He further warned, "Our patience is wearing thin", and soon after demanded Iran's
  "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"

• Amid growing concerns of further escalation, the United States has deployed more fighter jets to the region. Some ongoing missions have been extended as a precaution.

• A White House official confirmed that Trump chaired a 90-minute meeting with the National Security Council on Tuesday to examine potential strategies. For the moment, US forces remain in a defensive stance.

• Ayatollah Khamenei issued his first public remarks following Trump's ultimatum, pledging vengeance. In a post translated by Iran International, he wrote: "The battle begins. Ali returns to Khaybar." He later declared: "We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy."
• Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's last Shah and an exiled opposition figure, called for the regime's overthrow amid the ongoing conflict. He claimed that Khamenei had "gone into hiding underground" and that the Islamic Republic was collapsing.

"Like a frightened rat, he has lost control of the situation," Pahlavi said in a statement.