An Iranian government-affiliated body said on Thursday that at least 1,230 Iranians have been killed since the US and Israel began bombing Iran on Saturday, as the war continues to escalate.
The Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said that most of the dead were civilians, and non-Iranian government sources are also reporting major civilian casualties.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, or HRANA, a US-based and US-funded NGO, said on Wednesday night that at least 1,114 civilians, including 183 children, had been killed by the US-Israeli strikes in the first five days of the war.
The HRANA said that over the previous 24-hour period, it recorded attacks on several military bases, a medical center, a blood transfusion center, and several residential areas. On Thursday, Iranian media reported that US-Israeli strikes hit two schools in Parand, a town southwest of Tehran.
The head of the Iranian Red Crescent said that at least 3,090 homes, 528 commercial centres, 13 medical facilities, and nine Red Crescent centers have been struck in the bombing campaign. A strike also hit the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, Iran’s largest sports complex.
Amid the heavy bombing campaign, the US’s message is that the attacks will escalate. “We have only just begun to fight,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Thursday. “If you think you’ve seen something, just wait.”
