The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Friday that it struck multiple missile production and storage sites across Iran from Thursday night into early Friday morning.
According to the IDF, its strikes hit facilities producing ballistic missiles and other weapons in the Iranian capital Tehran, as well as missile launchers and storage facilities in western Iran.
The IDF also said that it struck Iran's primary military naval site for the production of missiles and sea mines in central Iran.
The site, located in the city of Yazd and targeted by the Israeli Air Force, was used for the planning, development, assembly and storage of advanced missiles intended for launch from surface vessels, submarines and helicopters against both mobile and stationary maritime targets, the IDF said in a statement.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said on social media on Friday that a residential area in Tehran was hit by airstrikes. Search and rescue operations are underway.
Also on Friday, a security official in the central province of Qom said that the U.S. and Israeli attacks in the Pardisan area in the early hours of the day have resulted in 15 deaths and 10 injuries.
The death toll could rise further as the search and rescue operations are still underway, said the official.
Israel claims strikes on Iran's missile production, storage sites while Iran reports more casualties
Demonstrators rallied in the Venezuelan capital Caracas and other cities across the country on Thursday to voice support for President Nicolas Maduro, condemning the U.S. forcible seizure of the leader and his wife Cilia Flores, and refuting relevant U.S. charges.
The rallies took place on the same day when Maduro made his second appearance in a New York court. During his first arraignment on Jan 5, Maduro pleaded not guilty to all U.S. charges against him, including drug trafficking, and told the court that he was "kidnapped" from his Caracas residence and he remains president of Venezuela.
On Thursday, Maduro's lawyer continued pushing the judge to throw out the charges in court and argued that the United States is violating Maduro's constitutional rights by blocking Venezuelan government funds from paying for his legal fees.
Though doubting Washington's justification for barring Maduro from using Venezuela's funds to cover his legal defense, the judge denied the dismissal of the case.
"They knew 10 days ago that they had no evidence. No matter how much time passes, they have no evidence to charge Maduro and Flores, who have committed no crime," said Iris Varela, a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela.
On Jan 3, U.S. military forces launched a large-scale strike against Venezuela and forcibly seized Maduro and his wife before transporting them to New York. The U.S. attacks have shocked the international community, triggering a stream of condemnation and serious concerns worldwide.
Ramona Palma, the mother of a Venezuelan soldier killed in the U.S. attack on Jan 3, participated in the rally, demanding Maduro's release and condemning the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.
"I lost my son. He sacrificed his life while defending our country. In his military boots, he fought for his motherland and devoted himself to the country that had witnessed his growth," said Palma.
According to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, 47 soldiers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces were killed in the U.S. assault.
Venezuelans rally to voice support for Maduro
Venezuelans rally to voice support for Maduro
