Iran starts striking Israel in retaliation of Israel's strikes
Iran continues striking various targets across Israel
Casualties
Per Israel: 24 killed[b] 1 missing[6] 592 injured[7] Per Iran: 150 military and intelligence sites damaged or destroyed[8] Per Jordanian sources: 5 Jordanian civilians injured[9] Per Syrian sources: 1 Syrian civilian killed[10]
On the evening of 13 June 2025, Iran launched a large-scale retaliatory attack against Israel, firing over 150ballistic missiles and more than 100drones,[11] in response to Israeli airstrikes earlier that day on Iranian nuclear facilities and senior military officials. The Iranian attack targeted military sites, intelligence sites, and residential areas[12][13][3] which caused civilian casualties, including women and children.[14] Iran's codename for the attack was Operation True PromiseIII (Persian: عملیات وعده صادق ٣).[15]
On 16 June 2025, the Israel Defense Forces reported intercepting 80–90% of Iranian ballistic missiles, with only a small number striking residential areas. Around 350 missiles had been launched to date, resulting in 24 civilian deaths. Iran's strikes have primarily targeted cities in central Israel (including Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Petah Tikva, and Rishon LeZion) as well as Haifa and Beersheba.[16]
The attacks marked a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel, pushing their relationship into a state of direct confrontation. The strikes triggered wide-ranging regional and international consequences, including a sharp rise in oil prices, disruptions to global shipping routes, and the suspension of air traffic. The events also prompted widespread international reactions, with repeated calls for restraint issued by the United Nations amid growing concerns about the potential for a broader conflict in the Middle East.
Between 1949 and 1979, Iran and Israel enjoyed close relations until the former's Western-oriented monarchy was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution.[17][18] Since the revolution the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in antisemitic rhetoric and called for Israel's destruction using statements such as "wipe Israel off the map."[19][20][18][21] Iran regards Israel as an imperialist entity.[22] The longstanding tensions between Iran and Israel are part of a broader regional conflict characterized for decades by covert operations and proxy wars in countries such as Syria and Lebanon, rather than direct military confrontation between the two states. The two nations hold fundamentally opposing positions on issues including the Iranian nuclear program, with Iran viewing the nuclear program as its right while Israel believes it poses an existential threat.[23][24]The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran was violating it nuclear nonproliferation obligations in June 2025.[25] The presence of Iran-backed forces and militias in Syria, Lebanon, the Gaza strip and Yemen, dubbed the axis of resistance by Iran[26] as well as the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[citation needed]
This "shadow war" has included Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets and more frequent on Iran-affiliated targets in Syria, along with assassinations of senior Iranian expatriate figures. However, the Israeli airstrikes on Iran on 13 June 2025 marked a turning point, serving as the immediate catalyst for Iran's retaliatory response. The strikes reportedly resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including IRGC commander Hossein Salami, Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri,[27] his deputy Gholam Ali Rashid, senior advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Shamkhani, and Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani.[27] Iranian reports also confirmed the assassination of six nuclear scientists, including Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.[27]
Targets of the strikes included the Natanz nuclear facility, where the pilot fuel enrichment plant—housing advanced centrifuges capable of enriching uranium up to 60%—was reportedly destroyed. Additional damage occurred to electrical infrastructure and support buildings. The Isfahan Nuclear Technology/Research Center was also hit, damaging uranium metal production facilities and the infrastructure for reconversion of enriched uranium.[28] Other targets included IRGC military bases and command centers across various regions.
Around 200 Israeli fighter jets participated in the operation, striking approximately 100 targets across Iran.[29] The attack was described by multiple sources as "unprecedented".[30]
Explosions were heard in Tehran and near military installations as well as residential areas housing senior officials. Fires were reported in several civilian neighborhoods. While Israeli authorities described the assault as a "preventive" or "preemptive" measure intended to neutralize what it considered a growing nuclear threat, Iran condemned the attacks as a blatant violation of its sovereignty and a direct assault on its national security. Tehran labeled the operation a "declaration of war",[31] vowing a direct and public response to preserve national credibility and territorial integrity.[31]
Although Israel had previously targeted Iranian operatives in Syria, this direct strike on Iranian soil represented a significant escalation. U.S. officials confirmed Israel's responsibility for the attack but stated that the United States was not involved and had merely been informed in advance.[29]
Operation name
Iran named the strikes "Operation True Promise 3" (Persian: عملیات وعده صادق ٣), continuing a series of operations bearing the same name: the original "Operation Truthful Promise" was conducted in July 2006 by Hezbollah, and the name was also used for the Iranian strikes on Israel in April 2024 and October 2024, referred to as "Operation True Promise 2".[32][bettersourceneeded]
On 13 June, following the Israeli attacks, Iran promised a "harsh response" against Israel. It said that they are going to attack Israeli and US forces stationed in military bases across the Middle East. The US later evacuated some of its soldiers in Iraq and also authorized the evacuation of family members of US soldiers across the region.[11][33] According to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Brigadier General Effie Defrin, Iran launched more than 100 Shahed drones towards Israel in the morning in its initial retaliation.[34][35] Sirens were activated in Amman, Jordan's capital.[36] Some of the drones were intercepted by the Royal Jordanian Air Force over Jordanian air space and some by the Israeli Air Force over Saudi Arabia and Syria.[37] Later, various Israeli sources said that an order for Israeli civilians to seek shelter was lifted, suggesting that a majority or all of the drones were destroyed.[11] The Houthis also fired a ballistic missile from Yemen targeting Jerusalem,[38] landing in Hebron, West Bank, injuring five Palestinians.[39]
Civil defense siren and missile explosions sounds, recorded in Central Israel, 13 June 2025 at 21:15
At around 9:00p.m. local time—ten minutes before Iran launched dozens of missiles at Israel—Israeli citizens were given phone alerts warning about an incoming attack. The IDF estimated that less than 100 ballistic missiles were launched during the attack, although Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that hundreds of missiles were launched. Citizens were authorized to leave their shelters at around 10:10.[3] Several impacts were reported in central Israel, including on buildings in Tel Aviv, with video footage showing an apparent direct hit on The Kirya military headquarters near Begin Road.[40] A fragment from an intercepted missile also caused damage in northern Israel.[3]Magen David Adom (MDA) reported that at least 63 Israelis were injured—one critically, one seriously, eight mildly, and the rest lightly.[41] A civilian woman critically injured later succumbed to her wounds.[42] Seven soldiers were among the injured, receiving light wounds.[43] The Israel Fire and Rescue Services rescued two people from a building struck in Tel Aviv,[44] while the IDF's Home Front Command rescued another civilian from a building in the city.[3]
14 June
On 14 June, at around 1a.m.,[3] Iran launched another barrage consisting of dozens of missiles, most of which were intercepted, according to an IDF spokesperson.[45] Seven people were injured in the attack, one mildly.[46] Two MDA ambulance workers were lightly hurt by broken glass after shrapnel hit their intensive care unit.[47]
Iran launched three other barrages, the first sounding sirens in northern Israel and the second two nationwide. During the later barrages, a building in Rishon LeZion was directly struck by a missile, wounding 19 people, including two who later died.[3] A 3-month-old baby, who was lightly injured, was rescued from the debris.[48] The IDF later announced that Iran had fired 200 ballistic missiles since the night of 13 June, with around 25% of them hitting open areas. It asserted that a "small number" of missiles evaded air defenses and struck residential areas in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Rishon LeZion, causing casualties.[49]
In the night, Iran fired another barrage of missiles targeting northern Israel, killing five people and injuring at least 23 others. The Home Front Command put out phone alerts at 11p.m., and citizens were cleared to leave shelters at 11:45.[50] A ballistic missile hit a two-story house in Tamra, killing a woman and wounding 14 others.[13] Four members of a family, including a woman and her two daughters, were killed in a separate missile strike.[51] A fire also broke out near the BAZAN oil refinery in Haifa, where pipes and transmission lines were damaged. Three people were killed, having suffocated from the fire smoke caused by the missile strike.[52][53][54]
15 June
Aftermath of the Iranian attacks in Bat Yam
On the morning of 15 June, Iran and the Houthis in Yemen launched ballistic missiles simultaneously, which led to impacts on buildings in Bat Yam and Rehovot, a mall in Kiryat Ekron, and in Tel Aviv.[55] The strike in Bat Yam killed nine people, including three aged 8, 10, and 18 and one missing. According to mayor Tzvika Brot, 61 buildings were damaged.[56] Around 200 people were injured, according to the MDA, several seriously.[57][58] Five of the civilians killed in Bat Yam were Ukrainian nationals.[59]
The Weizmann Institute of Science, a postdoc scientific research center in Rehovot, was hit by Iran, it was reported that a building containing laboratories was damaged.[60][61] The Israeli Defense Ministry reported that central Israel was attacked by missiles coming from Yemen, which was later confirmed by the Houthis, stating that they used a number of Palestine 2 ballistic missiles in coordination with the Iranian military.[62]
Debris from Iranian missiles also hit two sites in the West Bank. At around 11:20a.m., a rooftop fire was caused by a Shahab-class missile in al-Bireh, a few meters from the home of Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority. Three children were wounded by broken glass after debris from a missile intercepted over central Israel landed outside Sa'ir around 90 minutes later.[63]
Later in the day, Iran fired a barrage consisting of several ballistic missiles at Israel,[64] but no impacts or casualties were reported.[65]
In the evening, Iran fired several barrages of missiles at Israel, injuring seven people in Haifa and one in Kiryat Gat, while also causing fires and property damage. An additional nine people were treated for panic attacks.[66]
16 June
White and gray smoke trails after a missile interception
On 16 June, Iran launched another barrage of missiles against Israel. Missile fragments were reported to have caused damage to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.[67][68][69] A school in Tel Aviv as well as residential buildings in Bnei Brak, Haifa and Petah Tikva were also damaged during the attack. Five civilians were killed and over 90 were injured, including a 10-year-old boy, in central Israel. Injuries were also reported in Haifa.[70][71][72] Israel reported 287 people were hospitalized overnight.[72] An elderly person was found dead beneath debris in Bat Yam.[73]
A drone fired toward the US consulate in Erbil, Iraq was intercepted.[74] According to the semi-governmental Fars News Agency, Iran executed an Iranian suspected of espionage.[75]
CNN reported Iran said it will not negotiate with the United States until it finishes its retaliation against Israel.[76]
The IRGC issued an evacuation order for civilians residing in Bnei Brak area of Tel Aviv.[77]
Involved parties
Axios reported on 13 June, citing a senior US official, that the United States is helping Israel intercept Iranian missiles.[78] Reuters reported that Iran warned the U.S, the U.K., and France that if they assist in halting Tehran's attacks on Israel, their bases and ships in the region will be targeted.[79] According to two Israeli officials, Israel has asked the Trump administration to join the war with Iran to destroy its nuclear program.[80]
Casualties
Human losses
On 14 June, Channel 12 reported, citing Magen David Adom, that 63 people were injured in the Iranian ballistic missile strike –one in critical condition, another in serious condition, and eight with moderate injuries, while the rest suffered minor wounds. One fatality was confirmed. In Tel Aviv, rescue teams pulled two individuals alive from a collapsed building.[81] Later in the day Walla News reported the death of three Israelis and 172 injured.[82] Three Jordanian civilians were injured.[83]
On 14 June, five Israelis were reported killed across northern Israel by Iranian missiles.[51]
On 15 June, it was reported that nine Israeli civilians were killed, nearly 200 were wounded and one remained missing after a missile strike in central Bat Yam. An attack on Rehovot left 42 wounded.[56]
On 16 June 2025, following Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Haifa and Tel Aviv, the death toll was reported to be eight, with approximately 100 individuals injured.[84]
Material damage
A modern residential building in central Tel Aviv sustained serious damage. Fires broke out in multiple apartments, and smoke was seen rising from the structure. An adjacent building suffered major external damage, including shattered windows and twisted metal hanging from the facade. In Ramat Gan, several cars were found burned and three homes visibly damaged.[85] In Tel Aviv the Israeli defence ministry complex was damaged due to the impact of an Iranian missile.[86]
According to municipal authorities, nine buildings were completely destroyed in Ramat Gan, while hundreds of others sustained varying levels of damage. Approximately 100 residents were displaced from their homes due to the missile barrage.[85] The Israeli military stated that a limited number of buildings were damaged by shrapnel resulting from missile interception efforts.
Aftermath
Following the Israeli strikes on Iran, Israel declared a state of maximum alert, with the IDF urging civilians to remain in shelters in anticipation of further attacks.[87] Public gatherings were prohibited, schools were closed, and flights at Israel's main airport were canceled as precautionary measures.[88][89]
Iran has threatened to target American, British, and French bases and vessels in the region if they assist Israel in countering its strikes.[90]
Reactions
International organizations
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged both parties to exercise the "utmost restraint" and condemned any military escalation in the region.[91]
Foreign nations
Argentina: President Javier Milei condemned the Iranian counter-attack on Israel, expressing support for Israel's previous military actions and saying that "[We] are fighting against evil."[92]
Australia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that although he is aware of the "threat that Iran becoming a nuclear state would represent to peace and security in the region", he cautioned against greater escalation, where he called for US-led dialogue to discontinue further destabilization in the region.[93]
Canada: Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed "Israel's right to defend itself" and called for restraint.[91]
Russia: President Vladimir Putin held talks with both Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemning the Israeli strikes and offering mediation between the two countries.[91]
United Kingdom: Finance minister Rachel Reeves is said to have suggested that the UK will assist in Israel's protection.[94] On 15 June, the UK began advising against all travel to Israel.[95]
United States: President Donald Trump publicly declared that "Iran must make a deal before there is nothing left." Trump expressed support for the Israeli campaign, pledged to continue supplying military equipment, and authorized US forces to assist in intercepting the initial Iranian missile barrage. The US warned Iran against attacking American interests or personnel, emphasizing it would respond militarily if such attacks occurred.[96]
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