By The South Asia Times

TEHRAN - The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced what it described as the 78th wave of its ongoing retaliatory campaign, “Operation True Promise 4,” targeting key Israeli locations and US military bases across the region, according to Iran’s state-affiliated Press TV.

In a statement released Tuesday, the IRGC said the latest phase involved missile and drone strikes on what it called “highly sensitive” targets, including areas in Tel Aviv, the southern port city of Eilat, and Dimona, widely known for its proximity to Israel’s nuclear infrastructure.

The Corps claimed the operation marked a “distinct record in the timeline of the war,” highlighting the use of advanced missile systems such as Emad and multi-warhead Qadr, alongside attack drones. It also said the strikes were accompanied by mass domestic rallies in Iran, portraying widespread public support for the military campaign.

According to the statement, this was the second strike on Dimona in recent days, following an earlier attack that reportedly caused significant casualties in the area and nearby Arad.

The escalation comes despite a surprise diplomatic development a day earlier, when US President Donald Trump announced a five-day pause in planned American strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Writing on the Truth Social platform, Trump cited “very good and productive conversations” with Iran aimed at resolving hostilities.

However, continued exchanges of fire suggest the pause has yet to translate into a broader ceasefire on the ground, with both sides pressing ahead with military operations.

Meanwhile, the independent monitoring group HRANA reported a sharp spike in violence over the past 24 hours, documenting at least 379 attacks across 206 incidents in 20 Iranian provinces. The group said at least 175 people were killed or injured during that period, with more than half of the attacks concentrated in Tehran.

HRANA reported that at least 36 civilians were killed and 138 were injured in a single day, underscoring the heavy toll on non-combatants. Since the conflict began on February 28, the group estimates total fatalities at over 3,200, including 1,443 civilians — among them at least 217 children, and 1,167 military personnel.

Official figures released by Iranian authorities indicate even higher impact in some areas. Tehran’s provincial emergency services reported more than 6,800 injuries and over 600 deaths in the capital alone since the start of what officials describe as a “war imposed” by the United States and Israel.