By Middle East Correspondent

LONDON, (The Muslim News): US and Israeli illegal attacks hit multiple civilian sites across Iran on Tuesday, including a strike on a religious complex in Zanjan province that killed three civilians and injured 12, according to local officials. The Iranian Red Crescent said more than 113,000 civilian sites have been damaged in the attacks, including over 90,000 homes, 21,000 commercial properties and hundreds of schools, along with damage to its own facilities. Israel also continues its invasion of Lebanon targeting civilians killing 21 people, injuring 70 in the past 24 hours. Israel killed 3 Palestinians, injured 13 in Gaza.

The early morning strike targeted the administrative building of the Hosseinieh Azam Zanjan Complex, where rescue teams later pulled three bodies from the rubble. Ali Sadeghi, deputy governor for political, security and social affairs, said emergency crews transferred the wounded to medical centres as search operations continued.

The attack caused widespread damage across the complex, including the administrative offices, guesthouse, library and a charitable loan fund, as well as nearby shops. Rescue efforts involving the Red Crescent, firefighters and municipal teams were ongoing.

Later in the day, attention turned to Iran’s industrial sector as US and Israeli warplanes struck major steel facilities, including the Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan and the Khuzestan Steel Company in Ahvaz.

Iranian media said the strikes occurred at around 1930 GMT, describing them as aerial attacks on two of the country’s most strategic steel producers. A second strike was reported at the Mobarakeh facility later the same day, marking another hit on the site after previous attacks in recent days.

Emergency units were dispatched to both locations, though there was no immediate confirmation of casualties or the extent of the damage. In an earlier strike on the Mobarakeh plant, one person was killed and 15 others injured, according to Iran’s state broadcaster.

The latest attacks come as the conflict continues to escalate. Israel’s Health Ministry said 6,239 people have been injured in Iranian attacks since the war began last month, including 108 in the past 12 hours.

According to the ministry, 118 people remain hospitalised, including one in critical condition, 13 seriously injured and 22 in moderate condition. While no official death toll has been released, Israeli media reports suggest at least 24 people have been killed.

The US and Israel have maintained an air offensive on Iran since February 28, with more than 1,340 people reported killed. Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and regional locations, including Jordan, Iraq and Gulf states hosting US military assets.

Amid the intensifying conflict, the Israeli military warned it is facing a growing manpower shortage. Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said the situation had become “unbearable”, citing a gap of between 12,000 and 15,000 troops.

He called for legislation to expand recruitment, including among ultra-Orthodox Jews, many of whom are exempt from military service. The issue has become politically sensitive, with religious parties pushing to preserve exemptions while opposition figures demand broader conscription.

More than 100,000 reservists are currently deployed across multiple fronts, but the army says it still needs up to 15,000 additional troops, including thousands of combat soldiers.

Elsewhere, Poland rejected a reported US request to deploy Patriot air defence systems to the Middle East. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the systems would remain in Poland to protect national territory and NATO’s eastern flank.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that any external “intervention” in the conflict would have “serious consequences”, as he criticised European responses to the strikes.

In a call with European Council President Antonio Costa, he said Iran remained committed to defending itself and pointed to continued tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran has tightened control over energy shipping routes.

The Iranian Red Crescent said more than 113,000 civilian sites have been damaged in the attacks, including over 90,000 homes, 21,000 commercial properties and hundreds of schools, along with damage to its own facilities.

Fighting also intensified in Lebanon, where the Islamic Resistance said it targeted Israeli soldiers sheltering inside a house in the southern town of Ainata with a precision missile.

Israeli forces responded by dispatching evacuation teams and helicopters, with media describing the incident as “very difficult and complex”. Initial reports indicated multiple casualties, including at least two soldiers killed and others seriously injured, though details remain limited.

Israel continues its invasion of Lebanon targeting residential areas

Israeli airstrikes also hit residential areas in Lebanon, including a ground-floor apartment in Mansourieh near Beirut — the first such strike on the largely Christian area since early March.

Another strike targeted a building in Ghobeiry in Beirut’s southern suburbs after evacuation warnings were issued, with the Israeli military alleging the presence of a Hezbollah facility.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 21 people were killed and 70 injured in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since March 2 to 1,268. More than 3,700 people have been injured, while over 136,000 have been displaced.

Israel attacks Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire killing 3 Palestinians

In Gaza, Israeli strikes continued despite a ceasefire in place since October 2025. Three Palestinians were killed and 13 injured on Tuesday in attacks across the territory, including drone strikes on civilian gatherings in Khan Younis, Gaza City and areas near Rafah.

Medical sources said nine people were injured in one strike in the Mawasi area, with one in critical condition, while additional casualties were reported in northern Gaza.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 709 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 2,000 injured in ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement.

The ceasefire had been intended to end a two-year conflict that killed more than 72,000 people and devastated much of Gaza’s infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated at around $70 billion.

[Photo: Relatives of Palestinians mourn for their relatives who were killed by the Israeli attack on the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip, Palestine on April 01, 2026. The bodies of those killed were brought to Nasser Hospital in the city for funeral procedures. Photojournalist: Abed Rahim Khatib/AA]