Day after pledging 'no more strikes', Israel pounds Tehran with airstrikes as Iranians observe Nowruz

Iranians prepare for Nowruz celebrations in Tehran under shadow of US-Israeli attacks. (Credit: Al Jazeera)

As the US-Israel war with Iran completed three weeks, Israel pounded Tehran with airstrikes on Friday as Iranians marked Nowruz, or the Persian New Year.

Activists reported hearing strikes around Iran's capital. In a post on X, the Israel Defence Force confirmed the attacks. "The IDF has now begun a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran," it said.

Iran observes Nowruz as its most significant national holiday. Despite being a pre-Islamic tradition, it remains a core part of Iranian identity and is celebrated nationwide. Falling on the spring equinox, it is a celebration of a “new day” for millions in Iran.

According to CNN, Tehran continued to prepare for the Nowruz celebrations despite the war with the markets lined up with goods and hyacinths, a traditional Nowruz flower. The Iranian New Year coincides with the close of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr.

The attack comes a day after Israel pledged to refrain from more strikes on a key Iranian gas field.   While addressing a press conference on Thursday, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed that Israel carried out the attacks on the Iranian gas field alone and that there was no US intervention.

"Israel acted alone against the Asaluyeh gas compound... President Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks and we're holding out," he said.

Israel's attack on the Iranian gas field sparked a chain of reactions from Tehran on the oil and energy infrastructure in the Gulf states.

In Qatar, Iranian strikes targeted as Ras Laffan Industrial City, which is the world’s largest LNG hub. Iran also attacked a refinery linked to Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia, besides carrying out attacks at oil refinery sites in Kuwait and gas facilities in UAE.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi said Tehran’s response to US‑Israeli strikes used only a “fraction” of its firepower and warned of “zero restraint” if its energy infrastructure is hit again.

While Netanyahu did assure to scale down the attacks after targeting the Iranian gas field, the Israeli Prime Minister did admit that the war with Iran will continue till its nuclear facilities and ballistic missiles are completely decimated.

Listing the three goals that US  and Israel want to achieve through the war with Iran, Netanyahu said, "One, removing the nuclear threat. Second, removing the ballistic missile threat, and third, creating the conditions for the Iranian people to grasp their freedom, to control their destiny."

"Those are goals that are achievable, but I’m not going to put a schedule or a stopwatch on it. I think we have goals that have to be achieved, and we’re not counting the days," said the Israeli Prime Minister.