US Military Denies Strike on Iran Sports Hall

Middle Eastern outlets focus on the human and political cost of the US air war in Iran, questioning US denials over strikes on civilian sites such as a sports hall and a school. They stress that CENTCOM’s own figures of more than 12,000 targets hit show the scale of the campaign and raise doubts about how civilian areas can be kept safe. Coverage also points to Iran’s vow of “crushing” retaliation and preparation for long resistance as signs that the conflict could widen and draw in more regional actors.

• •CENTCOM’s release of strike videos confirms a sustained US bombing campaign in Iran entering its fifth week.
• •The scale of more than 12,300 targets hit in Iran makes civilian casualties and damage to non-military sites highly likely.
• •US denials of responsibility for the sports hall and Lamerd school strikes conflict with local reports of damage in those areas.
• •Iranian leaders present their promised “crushing” response as justified by repeated US attacks on Iranian territory.
• •Regional governments fear that continued US-Iran clashes could spill over into neighboring countries and disrupt trade routes.