Israel claims to eliminate Iran’s wartime chief of staff; Iran also launches new wave of missiles –

Iran and Israel are exchanging strikes for a fifth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. Explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as the Israeli military said Iran had launched a new wave of missiles. . Israel’s military claimed that it had eliminated Ali Shadmani, Iran’s wartime chief of staff and a close aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an overnight strike.
 Iran launched two waves of missiles in response to the Israeli attacks, setting off air raid alerts in parts of central and northern Israel in the early hours. Iranian media reported that preparations are underway for what they call the largest and most intense missile attack on Israeli soil.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it successfully struck Israeli intelligence facilities in Tel Aviv, including a Mossad operational center. The IRGC reported hitting two high-level intelligence facilities during a wave of ballistic missile strikes on central Israel, with explosions confirmed in Herzliya, Ramat HaSharon, and Ra’anana. Israeli media confirmed at least five missiles struck targets across the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, with images suggesting damage to a large command center or warehouse facility.
In a related development, US President Donald Trump said that he is looking for something better than a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Mr. Trump added that he wants a real end to the conflict. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of additional defensive capabilities to the Middle East.
However, China today accused U.S. President Donald Trump of fanning the flames of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel with his remarks. Earlier, Trump warned residents of the Iranian capital, Tehran, to immediately evacuate in a posting on his Truth Social platform.