Israel launched extensive airstrikes on June 18 that targeted multiple Iranian military and security sites, including the Law Enforcement Force headquarters in Tehran, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) weapons facilities in Tehran’s District 3, missile bases near Karaj, and key installations in Kermanshah and Lorestan. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) destroyed over 70 Iranian air defense systems and targeted missile launch and storage sites on June 16.
Simultaneously, Israel hacked Iran’s state television broadcast and urged the population to rise against the regime, a security breach later confirmed by Iranian authorities. In response, the Iranian regime imposed a temporary internet shutdown, citing national security concerns.
The IRGC issued threats to destroy any regional bases used against Iran and warned host countries of severe consequences should they provide access to such facilities.
The latest kinetic operations
Reports from inside Iran claimed that the headquarters of the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic were struck on June 18, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirming that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) had “destroyed the Iranian regime’s Internal Security Headquarters — the Iranian dictator’s central repressive arm.”
In line with prior warnings, Israeli fighter jets hit IRGC and military weapons facilities in Tehran’s District 3, including sites in the Lavizan and Aghdasiyeh neighborhoods.
Videos posted on social media from Iran show heavy strikes in the vicinity of Parchin, southeast of Tehran. The Parchin site is known as a key Iranian military complex suspected of housing nuclear weapons-related research, including high-explosive testing and missile development.
An unconfirmed report claimed that the IAF struck the IRGC Aerospace Force’s Fath airbase in Karaj, west of Tehran, with another account naming the nearby Meisami military complex as a separate target. Regime media confirmed attacks on the Payam airbase, also in Karaj.
Israel reportedly struck the Imam Hassan Mojtaba base in Kermanshah’s Mahidasht region—one of Iran’s key military installations in the country’s west. Additional strikes targeted a military factory in Borujerd and other locations across Lorestan Province.
The IAF also confirmed the bombing of three Iranian AH-1 helicopters at a military base in Kermanshah in western Iran. Another video shows attacks close to the Defense Ministry in Tehran.
The IDF stated that it carried out the following operations on June 16 and 17:
- Struck a centrifuge production site and multiple weapons manufacturing facilities belonging to the Iranian regime on the night of June 17.
- Issued an emergency evacuation warning for personnel and all individuals present in Tehran’s District 18 and at Mehrabad International Airport.
- Concluded a wave of strikes targeting missile launch and storage sites deep inside Iran.
- Destroyed more than 70 Iranian air defense systems.
- Completed a separate wave of airstrikes on surface-to-surface missile sites.
- Israeli Navy missile ships continued intercepting drones launched from Iran toward Israeli territory.
- On June 16, an Israeli Air Force drone operating in Iranian airspace identified and struck an anti-aircraft missile team that had fired on it, destroying both the launcher and the crew.
Israel hacks a live TV broadcast
Israel hacked the live broadcast of Iran’s state-run television channel, airing videos of different Iranian protest waves and called on the people “to rise up” while adding that “the regime has failed you.” Authorities later confirmed the hack, claiming it occurred on a satellite signal and was carried out by Israel. A newsroom of Iran’s official broadcaster was struck on June 16.
Israeli Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel posted a video expressing a similar sentiment to the hacked broadcast, claiming that the “revolution will happen soon.”
Internet shutdown
The Iranian regime shut down the internet, citing “enemy forces exploiting the country’s communication network for military purposes and threatening the safety and property of the people.” According to the Ministry of Communications, authorized officials have temporarily imposed restrictions on users’ internet access. Access to public communication services and domestic platforms, however, remains operational.
Iranian state media claims police foiled an Israeli plot
Regime media reported that Tehran police, responding to public reports of suspicious activity, uncovered 127 kilograms of explosive materials—including sulfur, potassium nitrate, phosphorus, and three liters of explosive liquids—after intelligence forces raided a site. The police stated that a suspect recently resided in Tehran but is not a local resident.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s latest status
Khamenei’s recent video, marked by poor audio quality, background noise, and a tightly confined frame, appears to have been recorded in an unprepared, likely underground location. Its raw, unedited sound and unclear setting suggest an urgent situation—making it the most unusual and technically flawed video released from the supreme leader to date. Khamenei has reportedly delegated significant powers to the Supreme IRGC Council since President Donald Trump threatened to eliminate him.
IRGC threatens the US
The IRGC threatened that if the United States or its Western allies were to use regional bases against Iran, those installations would be “leveled” across the Middle East. It also declared that any host nation permitting such attacks would be held accountable for the consequences.
