Kamal Kharazi gravely wounded in Tehran home strike as war grinds into fifth week
kamal kharazi, Iran’s former foreign minister, was seriously wounded after an air strike hit his home in Tehran, in what was described as an apparent assassination attempt. Iranian media said the strike happened Wednesday and was reported publicly on Thursday, as United States-Israeli strikes continued for a fifth week. His wife was killed in the attack, and he was hospitalised with serious injuries, raising new alarm in Tehran as the conflict intensifies (all timings referenced to Thursday ET).
Tehran strike hits home of Kamal Kharazi; wife killed, injuries described as severe
Iranian media on Thursday said the home of Kamal Kharazi in Tehran was targeted the previous day in an air strike. Newspapers Shargh, Etemad and Ham Mihan said the former official was hospitalised with serious injuries.
From Tehran, journalist Mohamed Vall said there appeared to have been an assassination attempt and noted the motive was not known. “We don’t know why he’s been targeted. He has been gravely wounded, and his wife was killed, ” Vall said.
Wider strikes reported across Iran; Pasteur Institute of Iran says facility severely damaged
Air strikes were reported on Thursday across Iran, including in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. Separately, four people were reported killed in Larestan in southern Iran.
Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said an attack targeted the Pasteur Institute of Iran, describing it as a medical research centre founded in 1920, and said it was severely damaged. In a post on X, Kermanpour called the strike on the “century-old pillar of global health” in Tehran a “direct assault on international health security. ”
Iran’s military command signals escalation; Foreign Ministry rejects cycle of war and talks
Iran’s armed forces leadership also issued new messaging on Thursday. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson of the Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, said US and Israeli assessments of Iran’s military capabilities were “incomplete, ” adding that Tehran would step up its military actions, with “more crushing, broader and more destructive” attacks in store for its adversaries.
In parallel, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran “will not tolerate this vicious cycle of war, negotiations, ceasefire, and then repeating the same pattern. ” Baghaei added: “This is an unjust war that has been imposed on the Iranian people. We have no choice but to fight back strongly. ”
Quick context: casualties and cross-border fire as warnings sound
More than 2, 000 people have been killed in Iran since the US and Israel launched joint air strikes on February 28. At least 24 people have been killed in Israel, as well as 13 US soldiers in the region.
Late Wednesday, at least four Israelis were injured in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, after an Iranian missile attack. On Thursday, Israel’s Home Front Command issued several warnings of incoming rocket fire, advising the public to take shelter.
What’s next: scrutiny over motive and fallout as fighting continues
The reason kamal kharazi was targeted remains unclear, and the situation around his condition and the broader strikes is still developing. What is clear from Thursday’s statements is that Iranian officials are framing the moment as one of escalation rather than de-escalation, while damage reports now include a major medical research institution in Tehran.
In the hours ahead, attention will focus on any official updates about the investigation into the Tehran home strike and the extent of damage to the Pasteur Institute of Iran, as both sides continue to trade attacks and public warnings (ET).
