ANKARA

Twelve people were killed in US-Israeli strikes targeting civilian areas in northwestern and western Iran on Monday, according to Iranian media.

The semi-official Fars news agency, citing a statement from East Azerbaijan province, said four people were killed and six others wounded in a strike on a civilian building in the Nasr area of Tabriz.

Two more people were killed in a separate strike on the Rabi Rashidi area northeast of the city, according to the report.

In western Iran, six people were killed and 43 others wounded in strikes on residential neighborhoods in Lorestan province, according to a statement from provincial authorities.

The attacks caused damage to multiple homes in northern Khorramabad, and completely destroyed four buildings, the statement added.

Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul