TEHRAN - Israel and the United States continued their aggressive strikes against Iran on Tuesday, as the civilian death toll from the ongoing attacks steadily rises.

Several blasts were reported in Iran’s capital, Tehran, following overnight strikes that killed at least 15 people across the country. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for a strike on an Iranian petrochemical compound in Shiraz.

Meanwhile, the governor of Mashhad, in the northeast of Iran, ordered the immediate suspension of all rail services departing from the city’s central railway station. According to the Mehr News Agency, the suspension of all scheduled trains is a precautionary measure that will remain in effect “until further notice.”

Mehr News Agency also reported that an Israeli strike hit the Yahya Abad railway bridge in the central city of Kashan. The agency quoted the Deputy Governor of Isfahan as saying that the strike killed two people. The attack came after the Israeli military issued a warning advising Iranians not to use trains.
In Alborz province, Iranian state media reported that US-Israeli air attacks on residential areas killed 18 people, including two children. The deputy governor of Alborz province confirmed the fatalities, adding that 24 others were wounded.

The human cost of the aggression is also reflected in Iran’s education sector. Minister of Education Alireza Kazemi reported during a televised interview that 310 students and teachers have been killed, while more than 210 were wounded. Over 750 schools have sustained damage since the US-Israeli coalition launched its war against Iran in late February. The aggression has so far claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people. 

The ongoing war has also caused widespread destruction to Iran’s cultural heritage, scientific institutions, and research centers. While the United States and Israel claim to be targeting military facilities, Iranian government data tells a different story: at least 56 heritage sites, 30 universities, and 55 libraries have been damaged.

The US and Israel began their military campaign on Iran on February 28 with the assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and top military commanders, in a bid to dismantle Iran’s political and military leadership. Yet Iran’s continued retaliatory attacks on Israel and US bases in the Persian Gulf, coupled with growing pro-government demonstrations across the country, indicate that the plans formulated by Tel Aviv and Washington have failed.

Despite the ongoing aggression, Iran remains steadfast in defending its sovereignty, people, and cultural heritage, standing resilient against the foreign invasion.