US-Iran War Escalates as Bombardment Intensifies and Mediation Efforts Begin

Intense air attacks have pounded Tehran and other Iranian cities on the seventh day of the US-Israeli war on the country, amid warnings from United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the bombardment was “about to surge dramatically.” Israel’s military said on Friday morning it had begun a new wave of strikes on Tehran, targeting “regime infrastructure” in a “new phase” of the war, although the US said its B-2 bombers had dropped dozens of “penetrator” bombs on deeply buried ballistic missile launchers inside the country.

Intensified Attacks and Civilian Impact

Huge explosions have rocked locations in the Iranian capital, including targets linked to the country’s military and political establishment, as well as residential areas and the vicinity of Tehran University, according to news reports. Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera reported hearing loud explosions in the latest wave of attacks. Residential buildings in Tehran were reportedly hit and an Iranian military academy was struck while a journalist from Iran’s state broadcaster was reporting live nearby.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated on X that an elementary school in Tehran’s Niloufar Square had been hit, posting footage of destroyed classrooms. Several schools have been hit in Iran since the conflict began, including one in Minab in the south on the first day of the war, which killed at least 165 schoolgirls and staff. UNICEF reported on Friday that of the more than 1,300 people killed in the strikes on Iran so far, at least 181 are children.

Military Developments and US Strategy

The US military stated on X that Iranian targets were “being decimated by US forces, paving the way for continued delivery of overwhelming American military firepower.” Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said that US B-2 stealth bombers dropped dozens of 2,000lb “penetrator” bombs on deeply buried ballistic missile launchers inside Iran. He also stated that US forces struck Iran’s equivalent of Space Command, degrading its ability to threaten Americans.

Defense Secretary Hegseth described an upcoming surge in the bombardment, stating, “It’s more fighter squadrons, it’s more capabilities, it’s more defensive capabilities… And it’s more bomber pulses, more frequently.”

Iranian Response and Regional Tensions

Iran’s military said on Friday it would expand its attacks in the coming days, prior to announcing that they had attacked a “US-owned” oil tanker off the coast of Kuwait. The vessel was hit and is on fire, according to state radio. Top Iranian officials had previously warned that a US ground invasion would be a “big disaster” for Washington, a claim dismissed by US President Donald Trump as a “waste of time,” stating, “They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose.”

Mediation Efforts and Azerbaijani Concerns

On Friday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said mediation efforts should be directed at the US and Israel, stating on X, “Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity & sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.”

Azerbaijan lodged a “strong protest” after claiming two Iranian drones hit its territory, injuring two civilians. Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry stated that one drone crashed into and damaged the terminal at Nakhchivan Airport and another crashed near a school in the village of Shekarabad. They are demanding an explanation and reserving “the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures.”