The anti-aircraft defense system has been activated in Tehran. Image: KEYSTONE
For the first time since the beginning of the recent escalation in the Iran War, anti-aircraft defenses have been activated in the capital Tehran.
Jul 22, 2026, 2:27 amJuly 22, 2026, 02:54
In the northeast of the metropolis, dull detonations could be heard during the night, as a dpa reporter reported. Iranian state media also reported anti-aircraft fire in various districts of the city, which is home to around 15 million people. Shortly afterwards there was calm again.
In parallel with the explosions in Tehran, the US military announced a new wave of attacks on military targets in Iran. This was intended to weaken the country’s ability to attack merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for the oil trade, the US command Centcom, which is responsible for the region, announced on the X platform. It is the eleventh night in a row that the US has attacked the Islamic Republic. Centcom did not disclose the exact targets of the new attacks.
Is a new phase of escalation beginning?
The night’s events in Tehran could indicate that the escalation of the conflict is entering a new phase. The last attacks on the metropolis so far occurred at the beginning of June, more than a month ago. At that time, the Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the city in response to Iranian missile attacks.
The conflict flared up again at the beginning of July after Iran’s armed forces fired on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The USA then carried out hundreds of air strikes on targets on the southern coast of Iran. US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire agreed at the beginning of April – and already broken several times – as well as the framework agreement negotiated in mid-June to be over. Tehran also no longer feels bound by the preliminary declaration of intent.
At the end of February, Israel and the USA began their war against Iran and attacked the country from the air for almost 40 days. Numerous influential generals and top politicians were deliberately killed, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei on the first day of the war. Iranian forces responded with massive missile attacks on US targets in the Gulf region. (sda/dpa)