Photos from inside Iran as strikes boom across the capital, Tehran, for a third day

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The explosion was so loud and strong, the elderly resident of northern Tehran said she felt it in her heart, describing the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that boomed across the Iranian capital and raised columns of smoke.

Streets were largely empty in Tehran on Monday, the third day of the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign. It was a strong contrast to the previous day when Tehran’s many highways were jammed with traffic as some left the city, and others rushed to stock up on groceries, fearing a long war.

The resident of north Tehran spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, as did another woman in the capital reached by The Associated Press from outside the country.

“Almost every five hours, large explosions are heard in Tehran and sometimes the building shakes,” the woman said. “There are huge plumes of smoke everywhere in Tehran.”

On Monday, those who remained in the city largely appeared to stay in their homes. Members of the Revolutionary Guard and the paramilitary Basij had checkpoints on many streets, checking vehicles, as well as gathering in some squares, playing mourning music and nationalist songs, said the woman.

Strikes on Sunday night hit a state TV building, causing heavy damage to the Gandhi Hospital across the street, forcing its evacuation. The façade of the hospital was shattered, and rubble from the walls spilled over hospital beds.

On Sunday, authorities organized mass gatherings in a main Tehran square and elsewhere to mourn Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed early in the U.S.-Israeli strikes.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Associated Press reporters Amir-Hussein Radjy and Lee Keath in Cairo and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.

A government supporter holds a picture of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Government supporters mourn during a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown in the poster, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A government supporter chants slogan as she holds an Iranian flag while attending a mourning ceremony after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Government supporters gather in mourning after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under a billboard with graphic showing a U.S aircraft carrier with damaged fighter jets on its deck, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Clerics and other government supporters mourn in a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Demonstrators wave Iranian flags in a demonstration in support of the government and against U.S. and Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An explosion is seen in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Government supporters mourn in a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as one of them wears an Iranian flag, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A group of men beat their chests as a sign of grief and mourning near the residency of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in the aftermath of his confirmed death in U.S. and Israeli strikes. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A man wearing a hat bearing a picture of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei marches with a group of government supporters toward Khamenei's residency in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026, following the confirmed death of Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli strikes. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Two men on a motorcycle decorated with a picture of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ride ahead a group of government supporters near Khamenei's residency in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in the aftermath of his confirmed death in U.S. and Israeli strikes. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Government supporters gather in mourning after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A destroyed police station is seen after it was struck amid the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Plumes of smoke from two simultaneous strikes rise over Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohsen Ganji)

Debris is seen in a room of Gandhi Hospital, which was damaged when a strike hit a state TV communications tower and nearby buildings across the street during the ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

AA man carrying groceries walks by a picture of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hanging on a black sheet along the side of a mosque in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(AP Photo)

Government supporters chant slogans as they gather in mourning after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown in the poster, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A man holds an Iranian flag as he looks at the damaged façade of Gandhi Hospital, which was hit Sunday when a strike also struck a state TV communications tower and nearby buildings across the street during the ongoing joint U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A man shouts slogans as he walks ahead of a group of government supporters marching in support of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in the aftermath of his confirmed death in U.S. and Israeli strikes. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A picture of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hangs on a black sheet along the side of a mosque in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(AP Photo)

People watch from a rooftop as a plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A motorcycle drives past a picture of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along an empty street in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026, following the confirmed death of Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli strikes. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A bird flies by a plume of smoke rising after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A poster of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign, and the late Iranian Revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, right, lays on a motorcycle amid debris left by a strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

As the war in the Middle East intensifies, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the U.S. has “the capability to go far longer" than its projected four-to-five-week time frame for its military operations against Iran.

Across Tehran, the sound of explosions rang out through the night and into the early morning hours Tuesday, as the U.S. and Israel have continued to pound Iran since killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

Tehran and its allies have hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.

The intensity of the attacks and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Israel and the U.S. have given conflicting answers about what exactly the war’s objectives are or what the endgame might be.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Monday defended the decision to go to war, contending in an interview on Fox News Channel’s "Hannity" that Iran was rebuilding “new sites, new places” that would make “their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months,” without providing evidence.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed limited activity at two nuclear sites in Iran before the war, with analysts saying it was likely Tehran was trying to assess damage from American strikes in June and possibly salvage what remained there.

Here is the latest:

The Israeli military says one of its divisions is operating inside southern Lebnaon and took positions on several strategic points close to the border.

The Arabic language spokesperson of the Israeli military posted on X that the troops’ move inside Lebanon is part of its efforts to bolster the forward defense system and create an addition layer of security.

The military said that at the same time the air force is conducting strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the area to thwart threats and prevent infiltration attempts into Israel.

The Israeli operations inside Lebanon came after a long night of airstrikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Israeli military says there are no immediate plans to deploy ground troops in Iran.

Asked about the possibility of sending in ground forces, spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters it is “not very likely.”

Thailand is intensifying security around the U.S., Israeli and Iranian embassies as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies.

Public broadcaster Thai PBS quoted the head of the National Security Council, Chatchai Bangchua, describing the additional measures as he said authorities would also monitor sites linked to the countries.

Thailand depends heavily on tourism and is one of Asia’s most-visited countries, attracting more than 32 million foreigners last year. It is a popular destination for Americans, Israelis and citizens of Gulf countries and before recent airspace closures received dozens of direct flights from the Middle East each week.

The Israeli military says soldiers are “operating in southern Lebanon’ as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.

In a statement, it said the troops are positioned at a several points near the border in what it described as a “forward defense posture” as it battles Hezbollah militants.

It says the deployment is part of a broader effort to increase security for residents in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon. It has also beefed up troops and air defenses in the area.

The army says there are no plans to evacuate Israeli residents of border areas.

Israel has been occupying five positions in southern Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani says the new deployment is in addition to those five positions, with the aim of preventing attacks on Israeli border towns.

The U.S. State Department added Kuwait and Qatar to the evacuation list from its Mideast diplomatic outposts.

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is shutting down as the Middle East is grabbed in a widening war.

The embassy said in a social media post Tuesday that it is closing “until further notice” due to the war.

Iran on Tuesday held a mass funeral ceremony for 165 people killed in what it described as an attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.

Iranian state television showed thousands of people filling a public square. Men waved the Islamic Republic flag while largely standing apart from women draped in black chadors.

From the stage, a women who said she was the mother of “Atena” held up a printed image of portraits that she called “a document of American crimes.” She added, “They died in the way of God.”

The crowd erupted into chants of “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and “No surrender.”

U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said he was aware of reports that a girls’ school was struck and officials were looking into them.

An Israeli military spokesperson said Sunday he was not aware of any Israeli or U.S. strikes in the area.

Qatar Airways said it would remain grounded Tuesday over the war.

Amazon said Monday that two of its data centers in United Arab Emirates were hit by drones, while a drone strike near one of its facilities in Bahrain “caused physical impacts to our infrastructure.”

The tech giant said on its website that the strikes have caused structural damage and gotten in the way of power getting to infrastructure. The company did not say who was responsible for the strikes.

“We are working to restore full service availability as quickly as possible, though we expect recovery to be prolonged given the nature of the physical damage involved,” Amazon said.

Iran is continuing to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Perisan Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes.

Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, issued the threat on Iranian state television on Monday.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Anyone who wants to pass, our devotee heroes in the IRGC navy and the army will set those ships on fire,” he said. “Don’t come to this region.”

The Israeli military said Tuesday it was conducting “simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut,” without elaborating.

The U.S. State Department said it added Iraq to the evacuation list from its Mideast diplomatic outposts.

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Bahrain and Jordan.

The State Department announcement online said the decision came “due to safety risks.” The department has urged Americans across the Mideast to leave over the ongoing war with Iran.

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia acknowledged coming under attack from Iranian drones Tuesday and urged Americans to avoid the diplomatic post for the time being.

The Saudi Defense Ministry earlier Tuesday said the embassy was attacked by two drones.

Across Iran’s capital, the sound of explosions rang out throughout the night into the early morning hours.

Witnesses described hearing aircraft overhead as well.

It wasn’t immediately clear what had been hit.

Iranian state television early Tuesday read a statement from the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, saying that it launched a missile and drone attack targeting an air base in Bahrain.

Israeli airstrikes hit the Lebanese capital Tuesday morning.

The Israeli military said it was targeting “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut.”

Hezbollah also said it launched drones targeting an Israeli air base.

The Israeli military said it downed two drones.

Tokyo has told Japanese shipowners to have their ships stay away from the Persian Gulf to ensure the safety of their crew members.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters Tuesday that the Transport Ministry has notified the Japanese Shipowners’ Association to do the utmost to protect crews on board the ships in the region.

Kihara said those already in the Gulf are urged to lie at anchor where it is safe to do so.

On Monday, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat and conveyed Japan’s consistent stance that Iran must stop attacks on neighboring countries and other actions destabilizing the region.

Motegi also noted the importance of ensuring safety in the Strait of Hormuz, which is key to Japan’s energy security.

Iran’s top diplomat early Tuesday sought to turn the tables on the United States, describing it as entering “a war of choice on behalf of Israel.”

After Trump urged Iranians to take over their government, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the same call to Americans.

“Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters,” Araghchi wrote on X. “American people deserve better and should take back their country.”

This partially redacted image from video provided by U.S. Central Command shows a complex of structures in Iran being struck by missiles fired by U.S. forces on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (U.S. Central Command via AP)

President Donald Trump walks past Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as he exist the East Room of the White House following the Medal of Honor ceremony, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Rescue workers carry a dead body in a plastic bag from a building that was hit by Israeli strike, in Jnah neighborhood, south of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A poster of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign, and the late Iranian Revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, right, lays on a motorcycle amid debris left by a strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Plumes of smoke from two simultaneous strikes rise over Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohsen Ganji)