ISTANBUL

The Israeli army launched new airstrikes in western and southern Iran on Tuesday as the escalation continued to widen between the two regional arch-foes.

A military statement said that fighter jets struck a number of sites and dozens of surface-to-surface missile launchers during the attacks.

“Since the morning, the IAF (air force) conducted intelligence-based strikes on surface-to-air missile launch sites and radars embedded in western Iran,” it added.

Iranian media confirmed that air defense has been activated in the western cities of Shiraz and Nahavand.

Iran’s Mehr news agency said that multiple explosions were also heard in eastern and northern Isfahan in southern Iran.

The Iranian state television reported that an Israeli Harop suicide drone had been downed in Malayer in western Iran before reaching its intended target.

Regional tensions have escalated since Friday, when Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said that at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since Friday.

Iran, for its part, said that at least 224 people have been killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault.