Iran has fired revenge missiles at central Israel, killing two civilians in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv. The strikes follow Israeli actions against senior Iranian figures and the South Pars gas field raid, escalating the regional war.
Iranian Missile Strike Hits Central Israel-First Civilian Deaths:
Iran has escalated its war with Israel to a dangerous new level, firing a barrage of ballistic missiles directly into central Israel. At least two Israeli civilians are dead and several others injured after strikes hit residential neighbourhoods in Ramat Gan, just east of Tel Aviv, late on March 18, 2026.
The attack is Tehran’s declared response to the assassination of senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani and Israel’s earlier strike on the South Pars gas field. Explosions rocked the area near a train station and apartment blocks, with some missiles reported to carry cluster munitions. This is the first time Iranian missiles have caused confirmed fatalities on Israeli soil in the current conflict.
From South Pars Strike to Deadly Hits on Ramat Gan:
The 24-hour cascade of violence began with Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field earlier on March 18. Iran responded first by targeting Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG hub and Saudi energy infrastructure. Then, in a second wave, it turned its missiles toward Israel itself.
Residents of Ramat Gan described hearing multiple explosions shortly after 10 pm local time. One apartment block was heavily damaged, a car was crushed under rubble, and a crater opened in a street. Emergency services pulled the bodies of the elderly couple from their home. Several others were treated for shrapnel wounds and shock.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility in a statement broadcast on state television, saying the strikes were “precise revenge” for the “martyrdom” of Ali Larijani-a former parliament speaker and senior security figure reportedly killed in recent Israeli operations-and for the damage to South Pars.
Iran’s Escalation Hits New Deadly Heights:
This is not the first Iranian missile attack on Israel. In April 2024, Tehran launched over 300 projectiles in response to an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus; almost all were intercepted and no fatalities occurred. Today’s assault is far more serious; confirmed deaths on Israeli soil and an explicit link to both the gas-field strike and the killing of a high-ranking Iranian official.
The conflict has now spread from Iranian territory to Gulf energy giants and straight into Israel’s population heartland. South Pars-the world’s largest gas field, shared with Qatar-sits at the centre of the storm. Trump’s warning of “massive” US destruction of the entire field if Qatar is hit again has only raised the stakes.
Decades of shadow war have turned into open confrontation. Proxy battles in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza have given way to direct missile exchanges that now threaten global energy supplies and the lives of ordinary civilians on both sides.