A large explosion struck central Tehran on Friday near a mass rally organized by Iran to express support for Palestinians and opposition to Israel, highlighting the escalating tensions nearly two weeks into the ongoing war.
The blast occurred near Ferdowsi Square, where thousands had gathered for the annual Quds Day demonstration. Participants at the state-organized event chanted slogans against Israel and the United States. Israeli officials had warned earlier that the area could become a target.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. However, the decision to hold the rally despite the warning illustrated the determination of both sides as the conflict continues to escalate and rattle global markets.
Iran has continued launching missile and drone strikes against Israel and targets across the Gulf region while effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed in a written statement Thursday to continue attacks and keep the strait closed. He assumed leadership after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening day of the war. Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly since taking power.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Khamenei may have been wounded during the early stages of the conflict, though he provided no evidence to support the claim.
Global markets remain on edge as the fighting continues. Prices for Brent crude oil have remained above $100 per barrel and briefly surged to around $120, roughly 40 percent higher than before the war began on February 28.
The explosion in Tehran occurred during the Quds Day rally, with footage showing crowds chanting religious slogans as smoke rose from the area. Shortly before the blast, Israel issued a warning in Farsi on social media urging civilians to leave the area, though many Iranians likely did not see the message due to widespread internet restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities since the war began.
Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei was reportedly present at the rally when the blast occurred. Surrounded by bodyguards, he raised his fist and declared that Iran would not retreat “under this rain of missiles.”
Senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani, who also attended the event, described the suspected Israeli strike as a sign of desperation.
Israel said its military had struck more than 200 targets in Iran during the previous 24 hours, including missile launchers, air-defense systems and weapons production sites. U.S. officials say more than 15,000 targets have been hit in Iran since the war began.
In a social media post earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran’s military had been “decimated” and warned that further strikes were coming.
Iran has responded with attacks across the region. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting nearly 50 Iranian drones in multiple waves, while in Oman two people were killed after drones crashed in an industrial area in Sohar.
In Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, debris from intercepted projectiles sparked fires and damaged buildings in the Dubai International Financial Centre, a major regional financial hub.
Fighting has also intensified between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Nearly 60 people were wounded in northern Israel after Hezbollah fired rocket salvos toward Israeli territory.
Lebanese officials said Israeli strikes killed one person in Beirut and hit residential buildings in other areas of the capital.
The conflict has caused heavy casualties across the region. Lebanese authorities report more than 600 deaths since the fighting began, while nearly 800,000 people have been displaced, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Iran says more than 1,300 people have been killed there, while Israel reports 12 deaths. The United States has confirmed at least 11 soldiers killed and several more severely injured.
Elsewhere, the U.S. military said four crew members of a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker that crashed in Iraq have been found dead, with search operations continuing for two others. The United States Central Command said the crash was not caused by hostile fire.
In a separate development, Emmanuel Macron confirmed that a French soldier was killed in a missile attack targeting Erbil in northern Iraq, where French troops are stationed as part of a multinational mission supporting Iraqi forces against the Islamic State.
