Tehran: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for firing more than 40 missiles in the 17th wave of its retaliatory strikes against United States and Israeli military targets, heightening tensions in the ongoing Middle East war that has now entered its fifth day.

In a statement on Wednesday, the IRGC said the missile salvo was part of its Operation True Promise 4, a campaign it says targets US and Israeli forces following extensive air strikes on Iranian territory. The announcement underscored Tehran’s vow to continue its offensive even as US and Israeli forces intensify their own military operations against Iranian targets.

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The missile barrage comes amid a backdrop of dramatic escalation between Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv. The United States and Israel launched a coordinated campaign of air and missile strikes against Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior figures.

Meanwhile, explosions sounded in Tehran on Wednesday as Iran's war with the U.S. and Israel entered a fifth day following earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic across the Gulf region.

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The explosions around Tehran came at dawn, according to Iran's state television, while Israel’s military said its air defences had been activated to intercept incoming Iranian missiles, and explosions were heard around Jerusalem.

Five days into a war that US President Donald Trump suggested could last a month or longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some whom Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country.

Explosions also hit Lebanon, where Israel said it is retaliating against Hezbollah militants. Lebanon’s state-run media reported that at least four people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a residential complex in the city of Baalbeck.