‘Glass everywhere, whole building started to fall apart’: Tel Aviv residents recall devastating aftermath of Iran's retaliatory strikes

Devastating scenes unfolded in Tel Aviv as residents grappled with the aftermath of Iran's retaliatory strikes, which pummeled the city on Friday (June 14). Residents described the scene as ‘horrific — shattered glass, and darkness everywhere’.

Two residents of a Tel Aviv apartment building hit by Iran's strikes shared their firsthand accounts of the devastating aftermath.

A resident said, “We came home. We saw glass everywhere. We saw the apartment completely fried. The whole building is starting to fall apart. There’s no electricity in the building. There’s still people stuck in their apartments, he was quoted saying to American media outlet CNN.

The resident further said that he remains uncertain about the building's situation, while another resident, his cousin, said he will look for a family to stay with for the night along with their dog.

‘Life will become bitter’: Iranian supreme leader's warning

Following retaliatory strikes against Israel, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed severe consequences for Israel, saying that, “The Zionist regime will not escape safely from the heinous crime they’ve committed. Life will definitely become bitter for the Zionists. The Zionist regime has made a big mistake, a grave error, and committed a reckless act. By God’s grace, the consequences of this will bring that regime to ruin.”

Israelis running to shelter

Notably, loud explosions rocked Tel Aviv on Saturday morning (June 14) as Israel confirmed that multiple missiles had been launched from Iran towards its territory. Huge plumes of smoke were seen rising above the city skyline, but it remains unclear whether the smoke was caused by direct hits or from Israeli interceptions.

“All of Israel is under fire,” said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a statement. The military added that its air defence systems were active and working to intercept incoming threats.

People across Israel were urged to seek shelter. “Enter a protected space and remain there until further notice,” the IDF warned, citing ongoing risks.

In another statement posted on X, IDF said, “We would rather not be tweeting the same thing many times in a day, but millions of Israelis keep running to shelter as Iran keeps shooting more ballistic missiles at Israel.”

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) also confirmed the missile threat on X, “A short time ago, alerts were activated in several areas across the country following the detection of missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory. At this time, the Air Force is operating to intercept and strike wherever necessary to neutralise the threat.”

The statement added that the defence system “is not hermetic,” and stressed the importance of following safety instructions issued by the Home Front Command.

The escalation comes after Israel launched a major military operation in Iran. On Friday, Israeli jets carried out widespread airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. The strikes were part of what Israel called a “preemptive” campaign.

According to Israeli officials, the strikes resulted in the deaths of top Iranian figures, including Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards head Hossein Salami, and Supreme Leader adviser Ali Shamkhani.

Iran confirmed the deaths and called the strikes a “declaration of war.” The Iranian government has urged the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action in response.