• Source:JND
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A shocking video has emerged online featuring a vehicle in Israel's Ashdod city narrowly escaping an Iranian missile strike amid heightened Middle East tensions. Dashcam video, currently going viral on social media, caught the moment a missile struck a highway just meters away from a moving car, with debris and dust flying over the vehicle. The occupants of the car, shaken visibly, are heard crying out in shock as rocks and shrapnel pour down upon them. Despite the proximity of the explosion, the car is seen continuing to move, suggesting that those inside survived the near-death encounter unharmed.

The attack was part of Iran's massive wave of missiles and drones fired on Monday in what Iran described as the third wave of its retaliatory campaign, "Operation True Promise 3" against major Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Ashdod. The escalation follows a day after the United States conducted what is unfolding as the biggest military action against Iran since 1979. American forces deployed more than 75 precision-guided weapons, including 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, on Iran's underground nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Iran retaliated by warning the United States that its military now has a "free hand" to strike against American assets in the region. Iranian state media quoted that the missile launches were a direct retaliation against Washington's "violation of red lines."

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Israeli officials claimed air defense systems were on alert throughout the country, particularly in northern and central parts. People were advised to go underground as several incoming attacks were confirmed. Although Iranian media reported that Tel Aviv and Haifa were struck, Israeli officials reported no serious casualties or extensive infrastructure damage through Monday afternoon. The fresh hostilities have caused concern in all corners of global diplomatic circles.

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The European Union has called upon all to be restrained and go back to the negotiating table. "The risks of retaliation and this conflict spiraling out of control are enormous," EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said before a ministerial gathering in Brussels. She also cautioned against the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint for world oil supply, which Iran has threatened to close before.