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Photos of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict as attacks continue

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Photos of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict as attacks continue
News

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Photos of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict as attacks continue

2025-06-17 23:15 Last Updated At:23:21

Iran launched a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early Monday as both countries continue to exchange strikes.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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Relatives attend the funeral of four members of the Khatib family, Palestinian citizens of Israel killed in an Iranian missile strike on Tamra, Israel, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Relatives attend the funeral of four members of the Khatib family, Palestinian citizens of Israel killed in an Iranian missile strike on Tamra, Israel, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Israelis take shelter during air raid sirens warning of incoming strikes by Iran, in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israelis take shelter during air raid sirens warning of incoming strikes by Iran, in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Damaged cars are seen at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Damaged cars are seen at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Huge smoke rises up from an oil facility facility after it appeared to have been hit by an Israeli strike Saturday, in southern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo)

Huge smoke rises up from an oil facility facility after it appeared to have been hit by an Israeli strike Saturday, in southern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo)

Mourners touch the flag-draped shrouded body of Asghar Pourakbari who was reportedly killed during Israeli strikes in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

Mourners touch the flag-draped shrouded body of Asghar Pourakbari who was reportedly killed during Israeli strikes in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

A damaged apartment is seen near the site where an Iranian missile struck in Haifa, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A damaged apartment is seen near the site where an Iranian missile struck in Haifa, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Smoke billows after an Iranian missile struck an oil refinery in Haifa, northern Israel, early Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Smoke billows after an Iranian missile struck an oil refinery in Haifa, northern Israel, early Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Women mourn over the body of Mohammadi Javad Naseri, who was reportedly killed in Israeli strikes in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

Women mourn over the body of Mohammadi Javad Naseri, who was reportedly killed in Israeli strikes in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

A man inspect the damage to a residential building hit by a missile launched from Iran, in Petah Tikva, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A man inspect the damage to a residential building hit by a missile launched from Iran, in Petah Tikva, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A woman mourns over the flag-draped shrouded body of a loved one who was killed in the Israeli strikes in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

A woman mourns over the flag-draped shrouded body of a loved one who was killed in the Israeli strikes in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

Rescue workers, police and military inspect the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Rescue workers, police and military inspect the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Few pedestrians walk along the historic Grand Bazaar as most shops remain shuttered, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Few pedestrians walk along the historic Grand Bazaar as most shops remain shuttered, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Smoke rises from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Smoke rises from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Neighbors look on as rescue workers operate at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Neighbors look on as rescue workers operate at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A man inspects a damaged shop after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A man inspects a damaged shop after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Home Front Command unit soldiers arrive at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Home Front Command unit soldiers arrive at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israelis stay in a shelter of a residential area that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in the central Israeli city of Bat Yam, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israelis stay in a shelter of a residential area that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in the central Israeli city of Bat Yam, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A man looks at flames rising from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A man looks at flames rising from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Demonstrators carry posters of top Iranian commanders killed in Friday's Israeli strikes on Tehran, during the Muslim Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir, which commemorates the Prophet Muhammad naming Ali, revered as the first Shiite imam, as his successor, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Demonstrators carry posters of top Iranian commanders killed in Friday's Israeli strikes on Tehran, during the Muslim Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir, which commemorates the Prophet Muhammad naming Ali, revered as the first Shiite imam, as his successor, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Israeli security forces inspect destroyed buildings that were hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli security forces inspect destroyed buildings that were hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli security forces inspect a destroyed building that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli security forces inspect a destroyed building that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israelis take shelter in a basement as a siren sounds a warning following missile launches from Iran, in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israelis take shelter in a basement as a siren sounds a warning following missile launches from Iran, in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Maryn Mahtiov gathers her belongings from her apartment in Bat Yam, central Israel, after it was struck by an Iranian missile on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Maryn Mahtiov gathers her belongings from her apartment in Bat Yam, central Israel, after it was struck by an Iranian missile on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli soldiers search through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli soldiers search through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli soldiers search for survivors amid the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israeli soldiers search for survivors amid the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)"

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)"

An injured man is assisted in the street after an explosion in downtown Tehran, amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Amir Kholousi/ISNA)

An injured man is assisted in the street after an explosion in downtown Tehran, amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Amir Kholousi/ISNA)

A woman holds her baby as residents evacuate the area after a missile launched from Iran struck in downtown Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A woman holds her baby as residents evacuate the area after a missile launched from Iran struck in downtown Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli rescue team evacuate a wounded woman from a site struck by a missile fired from Iran, in Haifa, northern Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rami Shlush)

Israeli rescue team evacuate a wounded woman from a site struck by a missile fired from Iran, in Haifa, northern Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rami Shlush)

An explosion is seen during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

An explosion is seen during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A man carries a wounded girl after an explosion in downtown Tehran amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Morteza Zangene/ISNA)

A man carries a wounded girl after an explosion in downtown Tehran amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Morteza Zangene/ISNA)

CORRECTS BYLINE.- An injured man is helped to leave the scene after an explosion in downtown Tehran, amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Majid Khahi/ISNA)

CORRECTS BYLINE.- An injured man is helped to leave the scene after an explosion in downtown Tehran, amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Majid Khahi/ISNA)

People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

The trail of a projectile is seen through the clouds following a missile alert after launches from Iran, in Jerusalem, early Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The trail of a projectile is seen through the clouds following a missile alert after launches from Iran, in Jerusalem, early Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Relatives attend the funeral of four members of the Khatib family, Palestinian citizens of Israel killed in an Iranian missile strike on Tamra, Israel, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Relatives attend the funeral of four members of the Khatib family, Palestinian citizens of Israel killed in an Iranian missile strike on Tamra, Israel, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Israelis take shelter during air raid sirens warning of incoming strikes by Iran, in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Israelis take shelter during air raid sirens warning of incoming strikes by Iran, in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Damaged cars are seen at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Damaged cars are seen at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Huge smoke rises up from an oil facility facility after it appeared to have been hit by an Israeli strike Saturday, in southern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo)

Huge smoke rises up from an oil facility facility after it appeared to have been hit by an Israeli strike Saturday, in southern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo)

Mourners touch the flag-draped shrouded body of Asghar Pourakbari who was reportedly killed during Israeli strikes in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

Mourners touch the flag-draped shrouded body of Asghar Pourakbari who was reportedly killed during Israeli strikes in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

A damaged apartment is seen near the site where an Iranian missile struck in Haifa, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A damaged apartment is seen near the site where an Iranian missile struck in Haifa, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Smoke billows after an Iranian missile struck an oil refinery in Haifa, northern Israel, early Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Smoke billows after an Iranian missile struck an oil refinery in Haifa, northern Israel, early Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Women mourn over the body of Mohammadi Javad Naseri, who was reportedly killed in Israeli strikes in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

Women mourn over the body of Mohammadi Javad Naseri, who was reportedly killed in Israeli strikes in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

A man inspect the damage to a residential building hit by a missile launched from Iran, in Petah Tikva, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A man inspect the damage to a residential building hit by a missile launched from Iran, in Petah Tikva, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A woman mourns over the flag-draped shrouded body of a loved one who was killed in the Israeli strikes in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

A woman mourns over the flag-draped shrouded body of a loved one who was killed in the Israeli strikes in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

Rescue workers, police and military inspect the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Rescue workers, police and military inspect the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Few pedestrians walk along the historic Grand Bazaar as most shops remain shuttered, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Few pedestrians walk along the historic Grand Bazaar as most shops remain shuttered, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Smoke rises from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Smoke rises from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Neighbors look on as rescue workers operate at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Neighbors look on as rescue workers operate at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A man inspects a damaged shop after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A man inspects a damaged shop after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Home Front Command unit soldiers arrive at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Home Front Command unit soldiers arrive at the site where an Iranian missile struck in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israelis stay in a shelter of a residential area that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in the central Israeli city of Bat Yam, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israelis stay in a shelter of a residential area that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in the central Israeli city of Bat Yam, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A man looks at flames rising from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A man looks at flames rising from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Demonstrators carry posters of top Iranian commanders killed in Friday's Israeli strikes on Tehran, during the Muslim Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir, which commemorates the Prophet Muhammad naming Ali, revered as the first Shiite imam, as his successor, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Demonstrators carry posters of top Iranian commanders killed in Friday's Israeli strikes on Tehran, during the Muslim Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir, which commemorates the Prophet Muhammad naming Ali, revered as the first Shiite imam, as his successor, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Israeli security forces inspect destroyed buildings that were hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli security forces inspect destroyed buildings that were hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli security forces inspect a destroyed building that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli security forces inspect a destroyed building that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israelis take shelter in a basement as a siren sounds a warning following missile launches from Iran, in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israelis take shelter in a basement as a siren sounds a warning following missile launches from Iran, in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Maryn Mahtiov gathers her belongings from her apartment in Bat Yam, central Israel, after it was struck by an Iranian missile on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Maryn Mahtiov gathers her belongings from her apartment in Bat Yam, central Israel, after it was struck by an Iranian missile on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli soldiers search through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli soldiers search through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli soldiers search for survivors amid the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israeli soldiers search for survivors amid the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)"

Israelis take shelter in a parking garage during a missile alert from Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)"

An injured man is assisted in the street after an explosion in downtown Tehran, amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Amir Kholousi/ISNA)

An injured man is assisted in the street after an explosion in downtown Tehran, amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Amir Kholousi/ISNA)

A woman holds her baby as residents evacuate the area after a missile launched from Iran struck in downtown Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A woman holds her baby as residents evacuate the area after a missile launched from Iran struck in downtown Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Israeli rescue team evacuate a wounded woman from a site struck by a missile fired from Iran, in Haifa, northern Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rami Shlush)

Israeli rescue team evacuate a wounded woman from a site struck by a missile fired from Iran, in Haifa, northern Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rami Shlush)

An explosion is seen during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

An explosion is seen during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A man carries a wounded girl after an explosion in downtown Tehran amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Morteza Zangene/ISNA)

A man carries a wounded girl after an explosion in downtown Tehran amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Morteza Zangene/ISNA)

CORRECTS BYLINE.- An injured man is helped to leave the scene after an explosion in downtown Tehran, amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Majid Khahi/ISNA)

CORRECTS BYLINE.- An injured man is helped to leave the scene after an explosion in downtown Tehran, amid Israel's three-day campaign of strikes against Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Majid Khahi/ISNA)

People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

The trail of a projectile is seen through the clouds following a missile alert after launches from Iran, in Jerusalem, early Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The trail of a projectile is seen through the clouds following a missile alert after launches from Iran, in Jerusalem, early Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

LOS LLANITOS, México (AP) — On a dirt field on Mexico’s Pacific coast, five cousins between the ages of 8 and 13 strip down and kick off their shoes. Nearby, adults help them fasten the pre-Hispanic-style “fajado,” securing loincloths and leather belts that wrap around their hips.

The Osuna children grab the rubber ball, all 3.2 kilograms of it — around 7 pounds or seven times heavier than a soccer ball — and begin playing. Only the hips may touch it, forcing players to leap through the air or dive low when it skims the ground.

As Mexico prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the nation is looking back 3,400 years to one of the oldest team sports: the ancient ballgame known as ulama, a ritual practice nearly erased during the Spanish conquest that survived only in the remote pockets of northwestern Mexico before its late 20th-century rebirth. Today, authorities and its modern players are leveraging the momentum of international soccer to shine a spotlight on the ancient sport once again.

While players acknowledge that tourism fueled the sport’s revival, many worry that projecting an “exotic” image undermines a tradition central to their identity.

“We must rid the game of the notion that it is a living fossil,” said Emilie Carreón, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, and director of a project aimed at studying and practicing the sport.

That's exactly what the Osuna family is trying to do. After ulama player Aurelio Osuna died, his widow, María Herrera, 53, continued his legacy, teaching the ballgame to their grandchildren in their small village in Sinaloa, 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) northwest of Mexico City.

“This seed will bear fruit someday,” she said.

According to the Popol Vuh, the sacred Mayan book, the world was created from a ballgame, where light and darkness clashed to balance life and death and set the universe in motion.

Long before the Maya, the Olmecs — the earliest known Mesoamerican civilization — practiced the sport; the recreation of this clash of opposing forces was common in various pre-Hispanic cultures. The evidence is in millennial rubber balls unearthed in Mexico and in nearly 2,000 ball courts found from Nicaragua to Arizona.

The game, depicted in codices, stone carvings and sculptures, had many variations and meanings, from fertility or war ceremonies, to political acts and even sacrifices.

While some players were beheaded — possibly the losers — Guatemalan archaeologist and anthropologist Carlos Navarrete explained this occurred only during specific periods and in certain regions. The physically demanding game was primarily a big social event, drawing crowds for fun and betting.

Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés was impressed by the spectacle presented by the Aztec emperor Moctezuma but the Spanish ultimately banned ulama and ordered the destruction of its courts, likely viewing the tradition as a form of resistance to Christianity. For the Catholic Church “the ball was the living devil,” Carreón said.

The game — played by hitting the ball with the hip, the forearm or a mallet — survived only on the Mexican northern Pacific coast, where the colonial process led by Jesuit priests was less aggressive and ulama was accepted in Catholic festivities, said Manuel Aguilar Moreno, a professor of art history at California State University.

On the opening day of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, spectators watched as burly men contorted their bodies in unexpected ways to keep the rubber ball moving for as long as possible. The exhibition sparked studies about the ballgame and how to preserve it in the following decades.

Luis Aurelio Osuna, 30, Herrera’s eldest son, began playing hip ulama after school, just as his father did decades ago in Los Llanitos, a ranch next to the port city of Mazatlán. Now his three children also play.

Osuna and his mother teach the children how to hit the ball and guide them through the complicated rules, which include a scoring system with points that are won and lost.

They do it out of passion, but also out of pragmatism in a state where organized crime is pervasive.

“We need to find a way to keep them entertained with good things,” said Osuna.

Hip ulama teams have up to six players and the Osuna family sometimes participates in tournaments or exhibitions.

Decades ago, matches were big events tied to religious feasts, sometimes stretching on for an entire week. But those days are gone, as interest waned and rubber balls became hard to get.

In the 1980s, filmmaker Roberto Rochín documented the work of perhaps the last rubber ball-maker in the mountains of Sinaloa. The artisan made them similar to the Olmecs, who discovered that mixing hot rubber sap with a plant created a strong, elastic and durable material. This civilization made some of the oldest balls of the world.

During the 1990s, staff from a resort in the Mexican Caribbean traveled across the country in search of Sinaloan families who could represent the ballgame as a tourist attraction in the Riviera Maya, where no one played it anymore.

“It’s pure spectacle: they paint their faces and put on feathered costumes,” Herrera said. Yet, she acknowledges the value. “That’s where the revival began.”

The ballgame began to spread and to be known outside Mexico. Osuna, with the family team his father had formed, ended up playing hip ulama in a Roman amphitheater in Italy. It attracted so much attention that they were hired for a deodorant commercial, he said.

As the World Cup approaches, authorities and corporations are launching exhibitions in Mexico City and Guadalajara, and featuring ulama players in ad campaigns highlighting Mexican heritage — a move that has sparked mixed feelings.

“We’re not circus monkeys,” says Ángel Ortega, a 21-year-old ulama player from Mexico City who recently participated in a TV commercial alongside football players.

Ilse Sil, a player and member of the UNAM project led by Carreón, believes that institutional support will help to preserve ulama but officials need to promote the game in communities and schools to recruit more young players, as it remains a marginal sport with approximately 1,000 players mainly in México and Guatemala.

In Los Llanitos, Herrera’s grandchildren love playing. They don't care where — in the dirt field, in a court or even in the house corridor — but always with the precious inheritance: a handmade decades-old rubber ball from the mountains of Sinaloa. They say it cushions the blows better.

Eight-year-old Kiki is the most enthusiastic. He says he is determined to keep practicing until he fulfills the dream of leading a team of his own.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Juan Osuna plays ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Juan Osuna plays ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

The Osuna family poses for a photo before a match of ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, that they organized in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

The Osuna family poses for a photo before a match of ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, that they organized in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Iker Salgueido plays ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Iker Salgueido plays ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Iker Salgueiro stands still as an adult fastens a pre-Hispanic-style “fajado,” or leather belt, in preparation for ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Iker Salgueiro stands still as an adult fastens a pre-Hispanic-style “fajado,” or leather belt, in preparation for ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Youth play ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Youth play ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ballgame dating to pre-Hispanic times, in Los Llanitos on the outskirts of Mazatlan, Mexico, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

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