As Israel’s military campaign against the Islamic Republic continued on June 14, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said that 70 Israeli aircraft had targeted 40 Islamic Republic positions in Tehran in the past 24 hours. Defrin stated that the IDF had destroyed dozens of missile launch pads across Iran and achieved “freedom of operation” in Tehran’s airspace.
Iran retaliated late Friday and early Saturday, launching “three major barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel.” While the majority of the projectiles were intercepted, several missiles landed in central Israel, and the attacks killed three people and injured more than 80. Anonymous Israeli officials told Israel’s Channel 12 and Iran International on June 13 that should the regime’s ballistic missile assaults against civilians persist, Jerusalem will target Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Unconfirmed reports from inside Iran suggest this already might be taking place. Videos show air strikes in the vicinities of the Mahidasht electricity power plant in Kermanshah Province and the Tabriz oil refinery in East Azerbaijan Province. However, Majid Boujarzadeh, the public relations director general of Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum, denied the reports and claimed that the Tabriz refinery is still operational.
State media reported on June 14 that Phase 14 of the South Pars gas field in Iran’s Bushehr Province was struck in an Israeli attack. Parts of the facility caught fire, and firefighting units are currently working to extinguish the blaze. Local sources and eyewitnesses stated that the attack was carried out by what appeared to be a drone.
An unconfirmed video circulating on social media appears to show the air defense system of the Tondgouyan Petrochemical Complex, located in the Bandar Imam Khomeini Special Petrochemical Zone, being targeted in an Israeli airstrike.
Reuters reported on June 14 that the extent and nature of Israel’s military and intelligence campaign against the Islamic Republic suggests that Jerusalem is seeking to push the regime toward collapse. Iran is already struggling with chronic power outages, and targeting the country’s energy infrastructure will exacerbate this issue.
Israel has intensified its messaging campaign aimed at the Iranian public. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasized that the military operation targets the regime, not the people, and he declared that Israel is “also clearing the path for [Iranians] to achieve [their] freedom.” Netanyahu also claimed that senior leaders of the Islamic Republic are fleeing the country. Meanwhile, the IDF’s Persian-language platforms have been actively publishing updates on the strikes, reinforcing messages of solidarity with the Iranian people.
The latest Iranian military casualties
East Azerbaijan Provincial Governor Bahram Sarmast said on June 14 that at least 30 military figures have been killed since the air raids began.
State media reported on the death of Gholamreza Mehrabi, deputy of intelligence of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and Mehdi Rabbani, the deputy of operations of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
The Provincial IRGC division of Markazi Province, the Rouhollah Corps, issued a statement on June 14 claiming that two IRGC members of the Zarandiyeh Basij unit were targeted by Israel.
The Ansar al Mahdi Corps of Zanjan Province, the provincial IRGC division, announced in a statement that three of its members were killed in a drone strike carried out by Israel. Amirkhani, Hamid Tomari, and Akbar Azizi were eliminated on June 13.
The latest Iranian military successions
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has appointed the following individuals to staff key military posts after the deaths of their predecessors:
- Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces chief of staff position, which coordinates between the two main military pillars of the IRGC and Iran’s conventional army (Artesh), has historically been occupied by IRGC generals. Unlike his predecessor, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Mousavi has an Artesh background, suggesting that the regime is increasingly merging the two entities.
- Major General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- Major General Ali Shademani, IRGC Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters (KCHQ) commander.
- Brigadier General Seyed Majid Mousavi, IRGC Aerospace Force commander.
Iranian nuclear scientist casualties
Regime media confirmed the deaths of three additional nuclear scientists on June 14: Ali Bekaei Karimi, Mansour Asgari, and Saeed Barji.
Both Iranian and Israeli sources have confirmed the deaths of nine nuclear scientists in total:
- Fereydoon Abbasi, a leading figure in nuclear engineering and former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.
- Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a prominent physicist and former university chancellor.
- Akbar Motalebi Zadeh, a specialist in chemical engineering with extensive experience in nuclear applications.
- Saeed Barji, a materials engineer involved in advanced metallurgical research.
- Amir Hassan Fakhahi, a physicist with expertise in nuclear modeling.
- Abd al Hamid Minoushehr, a reactor physicist with a background in power plant design.
- Mansour Asgari, a senior physics expert with ties to Iran’s nuclear research institutions.
- Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari Daryani, a nuclear engineer engaged in enrichment and fuel cycle work.
- Ali Bakhouei Katirimi, a mechanical engineer known for his role in centrifuge design and maintenance.
Mossad operations
Iranian regime media published a video showing a modified truck, its rear converted into a launch grid from which a significant number of Israeli drones were deployed. This phase of the Israeli attacks—reportedly directed by the Mossad—not only targeted segments of Iran’s radar systems, air defenses, and missile launchers, but also drew a heavy response from Iranian air defense units. The footage shows the truck used in the operation.
In response, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement warning the public that Israelis may use light transport vehicles—such as pickup trucks or small cargo lorries—to move equipment, personnel, or suspicious items. The ministry urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any unusual movement of such vehicles, particularly during odd hours or near sensitive sites.
Mossad agents had established a covert drone launch site near Tehran, activating the drones overnight to strike surface-to-surface missile launchers aimed at Israel. Simultaneously, Israel smuggled weapon systems into Iran that neutralized key air defenses to secure air superiority for Israeli aircraft. In a third operation, Mossad commandos deployed precision-guided missiles near anti-aircraft positions in central Iran.
These highly coordinated efforts involved advanced technologies and special forces operating deep inside Iran, undetected by local intelligence.
Regime intensifies crackdowns amid fears of a domestic backlash
Iranian regime security forces have launched a sweeping crackdown on individuals accused of posting content deemed “supportive of Israel.” On June 13, the Hormozgan Provincial Police Command announced the arrest of 14 citizens, stating that, following the Israeli strikes, “the deceived individuals who had attempted to disturb public opinion and spread rumors in cyberspace were identified through technical and intelligence measures.”
A day later, on June 14, the Public Relations Office of the Yazd Province Judiciary issued a similar statement, reporting the arrest of five individuals allegedly attempting to “disturb public opinion in cyberspace and take pictures of classified places.”
Both statements reiterated that “Publishing any content in cyberspace in support of the Zionist terrorist regime is punishable by Article 8 of the Law on Countering Hostile Measures of the Regime, which carries a sentence of 2 to 5 years in prison.”
At least 10 Iranians are currently being held in regime custody on espionage charges linked to Israel, a label frequently used to suppress dissent. In recent weeks, authorities have executed two men under the same pretext.
Following Israel’s initial strike wave on June 12, the regime moved swiftly to throttle internet access, a familiar tactic used to disrupt communication and prevent protest mobilization. However, Elon Musk claimed that his satellite internet service, Starlink, is now operational in Iran.
Tehran escalates threats against the United States
On June 14, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, attributed the recent Israeli attacks to “direct support from Washington” in a conversation with Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and stressed that any negotiations are now meaningless.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry had previously declared that it holds the United States responsible for the Israeli strikes.
Fars News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, quoted an unnamed official warning that the Islamic Republic would expand the current military conflict to all areas under Israeli control as well as “U.S. bases in the region.” The Iranian official added, “Senior military commanders have made clear that this confrontation will not end with last night’s limited actions. Further strikes will follow, and the consequences for the aggressors will be painful and deeply regrettable.”
Mohammad Reza Bahonar, a member of the Expediency Council, stated on June 14 that US positions in the region should be targeted, arguing that America’s conduct is deceitful and that it must reconsider its support for Israel. On June 13, the head of the Islamic Consultative Assembly’s Councils Committee declared, “The Zionist regime and the United States should know that they will receive a swift, decisive, and shattering response.”
