Key facts
- Explosions were heard in central Tehran following airstrikes exchanged between Israel and Iran.
- The exchange of airstrikes between Israel and Iran disrupts a U.S.-backed ceasefire in place since April.
- Iran's ballistic missile launches are seen as a demonstration of regional power projection and strike capabilities.
- Tehran residents expressed anxiety and uncertainty about the potential resumption of full-scale war.
Explosions were reported in central Tehran following an exchange of airstrikes between Israel and Iran. This development signifies a notable escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two Middle Eastern nations and disrupts a U.S.-backed ceasefire that had been in effect since April. Iran's ballistic missile launches targeting Israel demonstrate its regional power projection and strike capabilities, serving to place Washington on the defensive. Residents of Tehran awoke on Monday anxious and drained by the prospect of full-scale war resuming, with one resident describing a pervasive "sense of uncertainty and confusion."