Al Jazeera’s interactive map catalogued these impact zones in detail. The press described entire neighbourhoods as “devastated,” thousands displaced, infrastructure crippled, and the state teetering on the edge. Pundits and media outlets hyped Iran’s supposed “surgical decimation” of Israeli defence infrastructure—including dramatic claims about the Al-Jalil base and missile precision that left air defence systems “humiliated.” Theatrics aside, most of the footage showed empty lots, abandoned buildings, and areas that were already vacated. The coverage framed it as a major strategic event, but many of the “targets” were already marked for demolition or no longer in use.