Washington, July 8 -- The United States has launched massive military strikes against Iranian targets, with an American official describing the operation to Axios as "four or five times bigger in scope and power" than the previous assaults launched ten days ago.

The official further warned that the ongoing operation could persist for several more hours, noting that these actions represent the most intense American attacks on Iran since the April ceasefire.

Underscoring the severity of the military action, a separate US official told CNN that the operation was intended as "punishment, not proportional" and indicated that the conclusion of the strikes was not imminent. The official remarked to the news network, "This is punishment. It won...