Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Caribbean-Latin America

Argentina: Judge OKs Putting Former Iranian Officials on Trial for Terrorism

2025-06-29

[Breitbart] A judge in Argentina ruled on Thursday that the country could place ten Iranian and Lebanese citizens — including the recently appointed head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — on trial in absentia for their suspected roles in the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA).

Known locally as the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, a very fancy name for the Buenos Aires Jewish community center, the Jewish version of the YMCA.

The AMIA bombing killed 85 people and left hundreds injured; it was the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the Western Hemisphere at the time and retained the title until September 11, 2001. The individuals approved for an in-absentia trial on Thursday are Iranian current and former officials and suspected members of the Iranian proxy terrorist organization Hezbollah — all Iranian and Lebanese citizens.

Argentine authorities identified these individuals decades ago — and some others who have since died — as the masterminds and executers of the attack as well as the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, which killed another 29 people. Iran has adamantly rejected any evidence linking it to the attack, condemned Argentine officials for seeking justice in the case, and have been otherwise uncooperative with the investigation. The significant evidence against the individuals in question led Interpol to issue red notices, requests for arrest, in 2006 for several senior Iranian officials.

Argentina has traditionally not permitted in-absentia trials. Under current President Javier Milei — who recently declared Iran an “enemy of Argentina” following a visit to Israel — the Argentine Senate passed a law in February that legalized in-absentia trials. The AMIA case is the first and most high-profile attempt to implement the law since it passed.

Judge Daniel Rafecas approved such trials for ten fugitives. The most prominent name on the list is the commander of the IRGC, General Ahmad Vahidi, who received the title this month after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) eliminated his predecessor, Major General Hossein Salami, in an airstrike on June 13. Israeli launched a military operation that day to contain Iran’s threats of attack after the United Nations declared Iran in breach of international legal obligations regarding nuclear non-proliferation. The IRGC is a win of the Iranian armed forces and a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

Others approved for in-absentia trials include two current members of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, a top government body, Ali Akbar Velayati and Mohsen Rezai. Rezai is also a senior IRGC officer. Rafecas approved trials for cleric Mohsen Rabbani, Iranian official Ali Fallahijan, and several Lebanese accused Hezbollah members.

The individuals in question have never presented themselves before the Argentine legal system despite being wanted for decades. The attorneys tasked with their defense at the court argued that in-absentia trials were unconstitutional in the country, but failed. Judge Rafecas did assert, however, that in-absentia trials should be limited to special cases in which no other viable option exists and the absence of such a legal process would actively deprive the victims of a grievous crime of justice.

“Especially in grave international crimes (genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity), the accused are military or political leaders with resources to hide or flee countries without extradition,” the judge wrote in his ruling, according to the Argentine newspaper Clarín. Without such a trial, the individuals “may remain indefinitely fugitives and the cases could remain paralyzed… and depriving victims of justice.”

Rafecas also warned that, “in situations of war crimes or terrorism, not judging the accused could weaken the [public] trust in the justice system.”

Argentina’s road to justice for the AMIA victims has been a long and dangerous one, impeded for years by leftist governments seeking to improve diplomatic ties with the Iranian regime. While years of research led to the Interpol red notices in 2006, no significant action to enforce those notices was taken for nearly a decade. In a breakthrough for the case, the prosecutor tasked with it, Alberto Nisman, had prepared an extensive case to present before Congress in 2015 accusing then-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of conspiring with Tehran to protect the accused perpetrators of the bombing in exchange for favorable trade deals.

The day before Nisman was to present his case before Congress — on January 15, 2015 — he was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in his apartment. A draft arrest warrant for Fernández was found in his trash bin. His death was ruled a suicide.

Former President Mauricio Macri, who succeeded Fernández de Kirchner, rescinded her memorandum of understanding with Iran, but the case did not move forward in any other major way during his term. Fernández de Kirchner returned to power as vice president under former President Alberto Fernández (no relation) in 2019; only following the election of current President Javier Milei, who took office in 2023, did legal processes in the AMIA case accelerate.

In addition to the in-absentia trial law, the Milei administration expedited a case in the country’s Federal Criminal Cassation Court against the Iranian government and Hezbollah as organizations, finding them both responsible in April 2024 for the AMIA attack 30 years prior.

In April, prosecutor Sebastián Basso, who succeeded Alberto Nisman, requested an arrest warrant for Iranian “supreme leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Wikipedia on the attack:

On 18 July 1994, a suicide bomber drove a Renault Trafic van bomb loaded with about 275 kilograms (600 lb) of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and fuel oil explosive mixture,[21][22] into the Jewish Community Center building located in a densely constructed commercial area of Buenos Aires. The explosive is thought to have been arranged to focus the blast on the building 3 to 5 metres (10 to 16 ft) away, exhibiting a shaped charge or explosively formed penetrator effect.[citation needed] The exterior walls of this five-story building were of brick masonry construction, which supported the floor slabs. The air blast from the bomb totally destroyed the exposed load-bearing walls which, in turn, led to progressive failure of the floor slabs and virtually total collapse of the building

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Orientalist Dolgov: Iran has set US plans for regime change back a long way

2025-06-27

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The statement by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei about the victory over the United States currently reflects reality, since neither the Americans nor the Israelis have achieved their main goals, Boris Dolgov, a leading researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted in a conversation with Regnum News Agency. At the same time, the expert believes that the conflict is certainly not over, but at the moment both Washington and Tehran are interested in dialogue.

Iran's Supreme Leader, in an address to the nation on June 26, declared the Islamic Republic's victory over the United States. According to the Ayatollah, the United States entered into direct conflict only because it understood that otherwise "Israel will be completely destroyed." At the same time, Khamenei emphasized, Washington achieved nothing - only received a "harsh slap in the face" from Tehran.

Dolgov also notes: the ultimate goals of Israel and the United States have not been achieved.

"Their minimum goal was to bleed Iran dry, that is, to completely destroy its nuclear program, and their main goal, at most, was to achieve a regime change in the Islamic Republic. Israel, I believe, would generally like to disintegrate the country, that is, destroy it as a state. The current ceasefire has at least postponed these plans. The positions of Russia, China, and Pakistan, of course, played their role. But Iran was able to respond to the attacks with dignity," the agency's interlocutor emphasized.

At the same time, he clarifies: the above-mentioned long-term plans of the US and Israel have not gone anywhere.

“Their goals are identical, we need to speak about this directly, it is unclear how long the ceasefire will last, but all the words of American President Donald Trump about his alleged desire to find a compromise are just camouflage,” the expert said.

Tehran and Washington will continue to exchange statements about one's victory over the other. But for Iran they play a much bigger role than for the United States.

"Of course, this is an element of propaganda, and it is of great importance in this confrontation and primarily affects the mood of Iranian citizens. It is clear that the statements are aimed at a domestic audience in order to support anti-American sentiments, which were already quite strong," the orientalist recalled.

As for the negotiation process between Washington and Tehran, Dolgov is sure that both sides need it. Therefore, rhetoric will not influence it.

"There are enough protest sentiments in the US, there were even demonstrations, and part of American society is against war with Iran, although, naturally, pro-Israeli positions are also strong. I am not even talking about the fact that Trump's opponents will take advantage of any of his mistakes: in the event of any losses of military personnel, shelling of ships, etc. Iran needs stable conditions to restore its infrastructure," Dolgov summed up.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Putting Egypt and Turkey on notice

2025-06-26

[IsraelNationalNews] Turkey has been a dominant and strategic partner to Hamas and its leadership, Egypt was the conduit through which arms flowed into Gaza. Beware of consequences.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, published, back in 2011, his book entitled "Palestine." In explicit detail, the leader of Iran laid out his vision of how to destroy the "Zionist entity" phase by phase:

Make life in Israel miserable and unbearable with daily terror from the Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria, from Hamas in Gaza, and from Hezbollah in Lebanon creating a never ending instability - militarily, politically, economically, and culturally - thereby threatening the national cohesion of the State of Israel.

The final goal in his book ends with the dispersion of the Jews to their previous countries, those from which they fled or immigrated. It was no surprise that when lethal Iranian ballistic missiles were launched on Israel twelve days ago, Palestinian Arabs everywhere celebrated and danced in the streets and on their rooftops, handed out sweets to passersby, and cheered on the destruction and havoc caused by these bus size ballistic missiles carrying 1.5 ton warheads.

Yet despite this apocalyptic Islamist fantasy, and as the temporary ceasefire brokered by President Trump between Iran and Israel went into effect, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is holed up in some descript bunker in the north of Iran with his immediate family, cut off from the world, exhausted and consumed with his hatred of the Jews and the State of Israel, wondering about the moment Israel decides to finish him off.

The current Iranian regime’s stated goal from its inception has been the total annihilation of the State of Israel. This is not a slogan, but a cornerstone of Iranian religious, political, and military doctrine. Iran and its current leadership are indeed an "existential threat" to the State of Israel, but had their nuclear arsenal and capabilities destroyed by Israel literally at the last moment.

The Iranian plan was to surround the State of Israel and coordinate an attack with its terror proxies; Hamas terror organization in Gaza, Palestinian Arab terrorists in Judea and Samaria, Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon, the Houthis terror organization from Yemen, the Syrian Army, beginning with the barbaric and savage attack on Israel on October 7th, with thousands sadistically murdered, wounded, and taken hostage.

Yet, from that dark day, from the depths of unfathomable suffering when Israel was caught unprepared for the murderous onslaught, we have arisen and can proudly raise our heads. We succeeded in destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities that endangered the continuing existence of the State of Israel, destroying the Hamas terror organization, destroying the Hezbollah terror organization, destroying the Syrian Army.

To my uneducated eye, the Assad Syrian army appeared to have pretty much evaporated over the past decade-plus, while Hayat Tahrir al Sham hard boys appear no better than their ISIS competition — fine for conquering terrified civilians and corrupt Arab “professional” armies, but no match for modern Western combined arms. What say you, dear Reader?

The political and military leadership of all these enemies has been eliminated one by one and at times in clusters.

In the aftermath of the ten day war between Israel and Iran, Israel’s decision makers must calibrate their thinking about how to deter future adversaries who despite being perceived as deterred, were able to coordinate an offensive initiative, rooted in the element of surprise, and inflict death and destruction on a local level, severely weakening Israel’s strategic capabilities and dominance in the Middle East. Israel launched Operation Rising Lion to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival, but no less to send a very specific lesson to future adversaries such as the nations of Egypt and Turkey. Both of these nations have quietly abetted and provided political and strategic support to the very same terror proxies trained and funded by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Egypt and Israel signed an historic peace agreement in March 1979 to end hostilities and normalize relations. It marked the first treaty of its kind between an Arab country and Israel. The peace agreement between Egypt and Israel was viewed at the time as having reshaped the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict for the better.

Egypt’s claim to de-escalate and bring an end to the conflict between Israel and her neighbors would be much more credible had they neutralized and prevented the construction of hundreds of underground tunnels between the Gaza Strip and the adjacent Sinai Peninsula, the eastern border of Egypt for the past two decades, These tunnels, some large enough to allow motor vehicles to pass through, enabled Hamas to import arsenals of weapons and unlimited materials that came through the tunnels that went from Egypt to enable the construction of an underground military capacity that threatened the State of Israel.

And reportedly President al Sisi’s nephew took a cut for every every shipment, or close enough. Had President Hosni Mubarak (1981-2011), or perhaps his sons, done the same?

Although Egypt is a poor country, with a low GNP per capita rating, with tens of millions of Egyptians forced to live in cemeteries or boxes as a substitute for a home, Egypt has built up the strongest army among the Arab nations of the Middle East with over: 5,000 tanks, hundreds of advanced fighter warplanes and helicopters, over 100 naval vessels and submarines, and an estimated one million soldiers in uniform.

That’s a lot of cannon fodder, if only they could be trusted to stand their ground. They didn’t in 1973…

A study by the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies reported that Egypt's air force has undergone the most significant modernization of any military in the Arab world. "From the point of view of weapon systems," the author concluded, "the military-technological gap between the Egyptian and Israeli Air Forces is gradually narrowing." In addition, the "Egyptian Air Force’s increasing confidence is reflected in its acquisition of aircraft for deep-penetration strikes into enemy territory."

Egypt now has some of the most sophisticated U.S.-made weapons, including Abrams tanks, F-16 fighter planes, and Apache attack helicopters. Western intelligence agencies are aware of and have leaked that Israel - the country Egypt signed a peace treaty with - is the "enemy" in all of Egypt's war games.
The thing about Arabs is that they think they're smartest - fooling all their enemies (i.e., the rest of humanity). Actually, it's easier for Israel to deal with an enemy armed with American weapons - which all came with backdoors in their extensive electronics.

Tricky, complex American technology meets inshallah maintenance — how well do they do when held together by duct tape?

Turkey is one of the few countries in the world that most Americans do not visit, probably in response to the 1978 movie "Midnight Express", portraying Turkey for what it is, a backward, sadistic, and corrupt nation.

Despite its 85 million citizens, Turkey has failed to position itself as an influential regional power. The current Islamist government’s new policy, which is premised on Neo-Ottomanization (a return to the Ottoman Empire’s glory days,) registered a series of stinging diplomatic failures in recent years. Yet Prime Minister Erodgan and his party have reinforced their political status within Turkey through the daily scapegoating of Israel in the "best" of Islamic tradition.

Only recently Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador,

…again…

suspended defense contracts with Jerusalem,

…again…

announced legal action against senior Israeli figures in European courts, threatened to bring the dispute before the international court and "take measures for freedom of maritime movement in the Mediterranean" including positioning her Navy so as to interfere with the free movement of Israeli shipping and mining expeditions in the Mediterranean Sea.

Turkey has also been a dominant and strategic partner to Hamas and its leadership, enabling terror leaders to operate, coordinate, fund, and train terrorists in Turkey.

…again.

The epilogue to the current period ends with the total humiliation of Iran; militarily, technologically, and politically, while exposing Iran as nothing more than a "paper tiger", and nothing close to the regional superpowerhood the Iranians have falsely claimed. The lesson should not be lost on the nations of Egypt and Turkey. Both nations have large populations of poor and uneducated citizens, allowing them to become just another Islamic nation that can be overthrown at any time.

Mic drop.

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The Grand Turk

Erdogan at a crossroads: not ready to quarrel with Trump, but Iran's collapse is dangerous

2025-06-23

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Kamran Gasanov

[REGNUM] The Middle East conflict has emerged on three levels: Israel's attacks on Iranian proxies, its strikes on Iran itself, and, finally, the United States' strikes on the Islamic Republic.

And Turkey has its position at every level. At the first level, its position is crystal clear. One of Iran's proxies, Hamas, is also an ally of Turkey. That is why Ankara is most active when rockets fall on the Gaza Strip. Here, Netanyahu is accused of both genocide and fascism.

Lebanon's Hezbollah is not a friend of Turkey, to put it mildly: they were at odds during the civil war in Syria. But the violation of Lebanon's sovereignty as such is also unacceptable for Ankara.

The change of power in Syria has opened another front in the confrontation with Tel Aviv: it has set its sights on the Turkish bases being built in Syria.

At the second level, it would seem that Turkey's position should sound less definite. After all, Iran is its historical rival and competitor in the Middle East and, at the present stage, in the South Caucasus. But nevertheless, since the instigator of the war is Israel, here too Erdogan takes the side of the Muslim neighbor.
Well, that's a load of bullshit
The topics of Iran and Gaza are closely linked for the Turkish president. As Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Israel's attacks on Iran are attempts to "distract attention from the genocide in Gaza." The more Iran weakens, the stronger Israel becomes, and its journalists are planning to outplay Turkey itself in the future.

But everything becomes much more complicated when the United States comes out against the same Iran. Here it is not only the fact that Türkiye is a member of NATO: this factor has never stopped the two countries from mutual reproaches and pressure.

Washington has tried to overthrow Erdogan several times, put a spoke in his wheel in Syria and supported the “Kurdistan” project. The US has tried to limit the multi-vector foreign policy of the Turks by imposing sanctions for parallel trade and the deal to supply S-400 systems to Russia.

At the same time, when relations between Turkey and Russia worsened in November 2015 due to the downing of a Russian Su-24, NATO, led by the United States, disowned Turkey, and in October 2023, shot down a Turkish drone in Syria.

Trump, who came to the White House, was not considered a true friend of Turkey. In his last term, he caused considerable damage to its economy when, in the wake of the arrest of American pastor Andrew Brunson and Erdogan’s operations against Kurdish separatists in Syria, he announced new tariffs on steel and aluminum, threatening to collapse the Turkish economy.

This time there were no illusions about him either. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in his assessments allowed for the possibility of reaching an agreement with Trump on Syria, but was not entirely confident in the possibility of concluding a profitable deal.

But Trump 2.0 proved more accommodating. He began showering Erdogan with compliments, calling him smart and noting Turkey’s strength in “taking over Syria.”

In Ankara, they couldn’t get enough of such compliments: Erdogan values personal “chemistry.” But at the same time, he can’t help but understand that the sympathy across the ocean was far from altruistic.

The American leader respects power, and Turkey has much more of it. Ankara did not become the hegemon of the Middle East, but after the change of power in Damascus, it made both America and Europe respect it.

The existence of American bases in Kurdish territories now largely depends on the goodwill of the "Turkish Sultan." And having sensed the breath of Trump's isolationism in Ukraine, Europeans have begun to treat Ankara more warmly, seeing it as an integral part of the new security architecture of the Old World.

Trump's current sympathy for Turkey is felt in two key areas of world politics at once. Thanks to Erdogan's mediation and call, the occupant of the Oval Office took an unprecedented step - he met with the new Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, for whose head the US had previously promised $10 million.

The US also partially lifted sanctions on Syria and restored the ability of its banks to use the SWIFT system. However, Turkey is outraged that for some reason the restrictions on the supply of the latest American fighters have not been lifted.

In parallel with organizing negotiations with Syria, Trump asked Erdogan to host a meeting between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.

Moreover, Erdogan's weight increased even more when Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be more reasonable and not to conflict with Turkey in Syria. And Israel went to de-escalation talks in Baku.

Trump's close relationship with Erdogan should have influenced Turkey's response to the American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on the night of June 21-22. And in fact, it did.

Unlike the bombing of Gaza and the Israeli strikes on Iran, Türkiye has refrained from making aggressive and emotional statements in response to the American strikes.

The country's Foreign Ministry is merely "deeply concerned about the possible consequences of a US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities." Turkish diplomacy is trying to shift the blame to Israel as the main instigator of the war.

"We always pay attention to the risk of the conflict in the region, which began with Israeli aggression, spreading and destabilizing the security situation. Today's US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has raised this risk to the highest level," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on June 22.

Erdogan does not want to break ties with Trump. After all, if confrontation is allowed even at the rhetorical level, the unpredictable and emotional Trump may escalate the situation with Turkey.

In a situation of financial and economic volatility, new US sanctions would be tangible and would become an additional motivation for the revival of barely subsided protests due to the arrest of Erdogan's political opponent, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

In such a conflict, it would be dangerous for the Turks to count on the hypocritical European leaders: neither the EU nor Britain will cover them. London itself is determined to overthrow the Iranian regime, Germany has fallen under Trump, and Erdogan has his own scores to settle with Macron.

One explanation for Turkey’s flexibility is its attempts to act as a peacemaker. Before the American strikes, Erdogan received Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and said he was making diplomatic efforts to end the fighting and return to dialogue.

Axios reported that Erdogan offered Trump to organize a meeting of Iranian and American representatives in Istanbul. The Turkish president contacted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Araghchi, but the latter allegedly failed to contact Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In addition, Erdogan is trying to present himself as the leader of the Islamic world. During the attacks on Gaza, he proposed that fellow Muslim countries form an Islamic coalition against Israel.

On June 21-22, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was held in Istanbul. Erdogan organized exactly the same summit when Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israeli. So the demands on Ankara as the leader of the Muslim world are considerable, and this puts a lot of pressure on the Turkish president.

The only problem is that, despite the verbal condemnation, few Arab and, more broadly, Islamic countries are ready to seriously oppose Trump.

As long as military actions in Iran do not go beyond strikes on nuclear facilities, Turkey, like a number of countries in the region that have multi-billion dollar businesses with the US, military cooperation and warm personal relations with Trump, will be able to maneuver.

Ankara will bet on peacekeeping, hoping to pull the negotiations from Oman and Rome to Istanbul.

At the same time, increasing the degree of escalation will put Turkey in a very uncomfortable position. Of course, one can try to remove the geopolitical competitor with Trump's hands, but the price of a potential war could be very high for Turkey.

The country is already suffering from millions of Syrian refugees. Destabilization of the region threatens oil and gas supplies from the Persian Gulf, rising energy prices and many other things - man-made disasters, increased terrorist activity and other troubles.

And in domestic affairs, US support will not add points to Erdogan - the Turkish population, like the population of Arab countries, has become more anti-American in recent years.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran's parliment votes to mine the Strait of Hormuz

2025-06-23

[MSN -Newsweek] ...on Saturday, the Iranian Parliament has voted in support of closing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints, according to media reports.

Any final decision on retaliation, however, will rest with the country's Supreme National Security Council and leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The parliament vote merely advises him of the option to pursue.

-----------------------
The IDF could probably sink every Iranian surface naval vessel (bigger than a kayak) in the Persian Gulf in 12 hours. The ports themselves would also be destroyed quickly if the IDF wanted to do that also.

Link

Terror Networks

Thousands protest in Tehran and the region against Israel’s war on Iran

2025-06-21

Merely thousands? Historically they got tens or hundreds of thousands — huge crowds competing to see who could shout their devotion to their overlords and hatred of Israel and America the loudest.

[IsraelTimesDemonstrators chant ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel,’ burn the two nations’ flags, as Iran proxies and other Shiite Muslims rally after noon prayers in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen

Thousands of people rallied in Tehran, Baghdad and Beirut on Friday after weekly prayers to protest Israel’s strikes on Iran, chanting slogans against Israel and its main backer, the United States.

Images on Iran’s state television showed protesters in Tehran holding up pictures of commanders killed since the start of the war last week. Other protesters waved the flags of Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah. Protesters could be heard chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” in footage from the protests.

“This is the Friday of the Iranian nation’s solidarity and resistance across the country,” the news anchor said.

“I will sacrifice my life for my leader,” read a protester’s banner, referring to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to state television, protests took place in other cities around the country, including in Tabriz in northwestern Iran and Shiraz in the south.

Last Friday, the IDF launched a sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program. Israel says the operation is necessary to prevent the Islamic Republic from realizing its avowed plan to destroy the Jewish state.

Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari, the Imam leading Tehran’s prayers, told worshippers that Israel had attacked Iran out of “despair,” the official IRNA news agency reported.

He accused Israel of launching a “psychological war” to “pit the people of the country against the government.”

Israel launched a real war, buddy. The psychology follows instead of replacing it.

“Their plans were precise, but their calculations were laughable,” the imam said.

Iran has retaliated to the IDF strikes by launching over 470 ballistic missiles and around 1,000 drones at Israel.

So far, Iran’s missile attacks have killed 24 people and wounded thousands in Israel, according to health officials and hospitals. Some of the missiles have hit apartment buildings, causing heavy damage.

With warnings of all-out regional war intensifying, fears are growing over an intervention by Iran-backed Iraqi factions, who have threatened Washington’s interests in the region if it were to join Israel in its war against Iran.

‘NO RIGHT’
In Iraq, thousands of supporters of powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr rallied after Friday prayers in Baghdad and other cities, AFP correspondents said.

Again, only thousands?

Sadr, who has previously criticized Tehran-backed Iraqi armed factions, retains a devoted following of millions among Iraq’s majority community of Shiite Muslims.

“No to Israel! No to America!” chanted demonstrators gathered in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, the cleric’s stronghold in the capital.

“It is an unjust war… Israel has no right” to hit Iran, said protester Abu Hussein.

“Israel is not in it for the [Iranian] nuclear [program]. What Israel and the Americans want is to dominate the Middle East,” added the 54-year-old taxi driver.

In the city of Kufa, protesters set fire to Israeli and American flags.

Iraq is both a significant ally of Iran and a strategic partner of the United States.

In Lebanon, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters took to the streets in the group’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

To be fair, most of Hezbollah is dead, which interferes with marching and screaming.

Men, women, and children waved the flags of Iran, Hezbollah, and Lebanon, with some holding pictures of Khamenei.

“It is my duty to stand with [Iran] against the Zionist Israeli enemy,” said Adnan Zaytoun, 60.

To supporters like Zaytoun, “if anyone attacks us, we will defend ourselves, but we do not support war.”

Hezbollah has not expressed any intention to intervene militarily on Iran’s side against Israel.

They are fanatics, not stupid…

The terror group emerged severely weakened from a nearly 15-month war it launched against Israel on October 8, 2023, a day after fellow Iran-backed group Hamas invaded Israel and sparked the war in Gaza.

“We are here to show the American and Israeli enemies that we are resilient and will not be defeated… even if they destroy our homes over our heads,” said Fadel Saad, an 18-year-old student.

In Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and other areas, tens of thousands of people gathered for protests organized by the Houthi authorities, according to their official media outlets.

They haven’t anything better to do in Yemen except protest and chew khat.

The Iran-backed rebels — whose banner includes the words “death to America, death to Israel, a curse on the Jews” — have launched ballistic missiles and drone attacks on Israel, and attacked Red Sea shipping, since November 2023, a month after the Hamas onslaught.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iranian - Israeli War News roundup for June 18th,2025

2025-06-19

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Iran Claims Israeli F-35 Fighter Jet Destroyed
[Regnum] Iranian military shot down an Israeli F-35 fighter jet near Tehran, IRNA reported, citing Varamin County authorities.

"The army's air defense forces hit and destroyed an enemy Israeli F-35 fighter jet in the Javadabad area of Varamin," the agency quoted the head of Varamin district as saying on his Telegram channel.

Security forces and military officials investigating the details will provide more information later, the statement said.

On the evening of June 16, Tasnim reported the destruction of an F-35 near the city of Tabriz in northwestern Iran. It was noted that this was the fourth such aircraft shot down by Iranian air defense forces.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on the night of June 13, Israel began to strike Iran as part of a large-scale military operation, "Rising Lion," under the pretext of eliminating the threat of nuclear weapons. Tehran responded by launching Operation True Promise 3 and began to strike Israeli military and military-industrial facilities.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, Iran's elite military force) said Iran had gained full control of Israeli airspace during the attack on the night of June 18.

IDF reports that in first, Israeli drone shot down over Iran
[IsraelTimes] Military says surface-to-air missile took down Hermes UAV, air force is constantly working to maintain air superiority

In an apparent first, an Israeli Air Force drone was shot down over the Isfahan area in central Iran
Iran

...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
overnight, the Israeli military and Iranian media said. Footage broadcast by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB on Wednesday morning showed what appeared to be a crashed Israeli Air Force Hermes 900.

"During operational activity, a surface-to-air missile was launched at an air force unmanned aerial vehicle," the Israel Defense Forces said later, confirming the drone crashed in Iran.

The IDF said that "there is no fear of information leaking."

The IAF has been operating over Iran, at a distance of more than 1,500 kilometers from Israel, since early Friday. The military says it has air supremacy over western Iran and Tehran, and is working to extend it to other parts of the country, to thwart Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel. More than 70 Iranian air defense batteries have been destroyed in strikes so far, according to the IDF.

"Achieving air superiority involves initiative and offensive actions, which come with costs that were accounted for in the plan. We are constantly engaged in the struggle to maintain air superiority," the military said.

The IDF said the incident over Isfahan was being investigated further.

The military has denied previous Iranian claims of shooting down Israeli aircraft, which were not backed by any evidence.

Several Hermes drones were downed during the war with Iran’s proxy Hezbollah terror group.

Now in its sixth day, the Israeli operation in Iran was launched Friday with the objective of removing the "existential threat" of the Iranian nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities. Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program is necessary to prevent the Islamic Theocratic Republic from realizing its avowed plan to destroy the Jewish state.

Iran has retaliated by launching more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 maimed.

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 224 people, according to Iranian officials.

More from regnum.ru
Khamenei says Iran has no intention of surrendering
Iran intends to “stand firm” and will not give up, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in an address to the nation on June 18.

The Iranian people never surrender, the ayatollah said. Tehran will respond to any possible US military intervention and will cause irreparable damage to Washington, Khamenei also stressed.

“The Americans should know that any military intervention will certainly result in irreparable damage for them,” he noted.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump demanded Tehran's unconditional surrender. American media reported that Trump was considering the possibility of the US entering the war, including striking Iran's nuclear facilities. According to journalists, US troops in the Middle East have been put on high alert.

Even more from regnum.ru and the noted military defense experts at the Washington Post
Israel's air defense will collapse in 10 days without US help - American media
Without help from the United States, Israel's air defense systems will fall under Iranian strikes in 10 days due to a shortage of ammunition. This is reported by the American newspaper The Washington Post (WP), citing an informed source.

"Without resupply from the United States or greater U.S. military involvement, Israel could maintain its missile defenses for another 10 to 12 days if Iran maintains a steady pace of attacks," the report said.

According to the source, by the end of this week Israel will be able to intercept only a small part of the missiles launched by Iran. The publication also specified that air defense costs Israel $285 million per day.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on the night of June 13, Israel began to strike Iran as part of a large-scale military operation, "Rising Lion," under the pretext of eliminating the threat of nuclear weapons. Tehran responded by launching Operation True Promise 3 and began to strike Israeli military and military-industrial facilities.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, Iran's elite military force) said Iran had gained full control of Israeli airspace during the attack on the night of June 18.

Yet, more from regnum.ru
Iran Launches Missile Attack on Israel, Media Writes
Iran has launched a new missile attack on Israel, the IRNA agency reported on June 18 on its Telegram channel.

“Iranian missiles headed towards the occupied territories (Israeli territory. — Ed.),” the publication says.

The Israeli army said that they had already detected the missiles and were intercepting the shells. Residents of the country were urged to remain in shelters.

Shortly before this, the Iranian authorities called for the evacuation of the population of one of the districts of the Israeli city of Haifa. Similar statements had been published before, in particular, before the strikes on Tel Aviv.

On the night of June 18, the Israeli army recorded two rocket attacks from Iran within an hour. The population was called to take shelter in shelters and remain there until further notice.

Later, a source in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, the elite units of the Iranian Armed Forces) said: Tehran was able to secure full control over Israeli airspace during the night attack. The IRGC noted that the Israelis were defenseless against Iranian missile attacks. According to this information, dominance was achieved through the use of Fateh missiles.

Again, more from regnum.ru
IRGC: Iran used super-heavy ballistic missile Sajjil for the first time
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, elite forces of the Iranian Armed Forces) said that it used super-heavy ballistic missiles "Sajil" for the first time in an attack on Israel. This was reported on June 18 by the Tasnim agency.

“During the twelfth wave of Operation Sadeq’s Promise, the IRGC fired three Sajjil missiles,” follows from a publication on the publication’s Telegram channel.

According to these reports, Iran has struck Israeli Mossad headquarters, military intelligence and Israeli air bases. The IRGC also said that missile attacks from Tehran would be "effective and continuous."

Open sources indicate that the range of the Sajjil is 2,000 km. The surface-to-surface missile was first tested in November 2008. The Sajjil differs from the basic version in its increased accuracy and increased speed at the initial stage of flight. The length of the missile is 17.5 m, and its weight can reach 500 to 1,500 kg.

Earlier on June 18, the IRNA news agency reported that Iran had launched a new missile attack on Israel. Shortly before this, Iranian authorities called for the evacuation of the population of one of the areas of the Israeli city of Haifa. Similar statements had been published before, in particular, before the strikes on Tel Aviv.

On the night of June 18, the Israeli army recorded two rocket attacks from Iran within an hour. Later, a source in the IRGC said: Tehran was able to secure full control over Israeli airspace during the night attack. According to this information, dominance was achieved through the use of Fateh missiles.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

DM liveblog: Iran marshals Islamic Army for all-out war as Israel makes desperate plea to Trump

2025-06-16

Update at 2:20 p.m. EDT:

Here are the main updates you need to know:

Iran's state broadcaster has been bombed live on air in an attack by Israel aimed at wiping out what it described as a 'propaganda megaphone'The attack happened as Israel urged all civilians in an area of northern Tehran to evacuate as it carries out further attacks on military infrastructure

Israel's defence minister warned television and radio are 'about to disappear' shortly before the blast

Iran's Revolutionary Guards responded by urging all residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate as soon as possible

It comes as Iran's leadership is reportedly showing the first signs of backing down after apparently signalling it is open to negotiations to end the hostilities with the US and Israel

Further reports claim Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire

Earlier on Monday, Israeli authorities said 24 people have been killed as a result of Iranian missiles including 11 since midnight after attacks in the cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva. Iran says Israeli strikes have killed 224 people

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed the US Embassy suffered 'minor damage' amid the barrage of missiles which rained down on Israel Monday morning

The Israeli Air Force has claimed it has established full control of the skies above Tehran and has destroyed a third of Iran's ballistic missile launchers

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has vowed 'we will hold our ground' as he urged people in the country to unite against Israel

Videos circulating online appear to show some Iranians in Tehran and Karaj chanting slogans against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic

Iran is preparing to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), an international pact aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons

US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is heading west towards the Middle East after leaving the South China Sea this morning

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

In first, Israel reportedly strikes Iran's critical infrastructure, hitting major gas field

2025-06-14

[YNet] Iranian media reports South Pars gas field and Asaluyeh oil refinery in Bushehr province come under attack; separate explosion reported at port of Kangan; 'Our objective is not to topple the regime, but that could change quickly,' official says
"Shit happens, ya know?"
Iran accused Israel on Saturday of expanding the scope of its military campaign, with state-affiliated media reporting airstrikes on critical energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and gas fields, for the first time since hostilities escalated.

According to Fars News, a media outlet linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Israeli jets targeted the South Pars gas field and the Asaluyeh oil refinery in Bushehr province, along Iran’s Persian Gulf coast. Fires reportedly broke out at the gas field, and emergency crews were dispatched to the site. A separate explosion was reported at the port of Kangan, also in Bushehr.

Israeli officials claimed Iran deliberately targeted civilian areas in its latest ballistic missile salvo, possibly on orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The officials warned that any escalation aimed at civilians would be met with a forceful response. “Our objective is not to topple the regime,” one official said, “but that could change quickly.”

Israeli officials claimed Iran deliberately targeted civilian areas in its latest ballistic missile salvo, possibly on orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The officials warned that any escalation aimed at civilians would be met with a forceful response. “Our objective is not to topple the regime,” one official said, “but that could change quickly.”

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

DM liveblog: Iranian missile strikes IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv as Israel braced for another round of attacks

2025-06-14

[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Iran has struck Israeli military sites, including the IDF headquarters, as Tel Aviv braces for another round of attacks.

At least three people have been killed and dozens more have been wounded in the Iranian strikes on Israel as 'painful revenge' for a series of IDF attacks on the heart of Iran’s nuclear program and its armed forces.

Social media video show interceptor missiles blasting off before a flash, a boom and an explosion of a warhead incoming.

One missile breached the Jewish state's air defenses is seen hitting an area where several IDF facilities are located, including its main command center, their equivalent to the Pentagon.

The Israeli military said it is operating to intercept the threat and warned its entire population to remain close to 'protected spaces' like bomb shelters.

Air sirens are sounding and loud blasts have been heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, according to local media.

An Israeli military official said: 'Dozens of Iranian ballistic missiles are en route to Israel.

'The people of Israel have been instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice.'

The Israel Defence Forces had warned its attack on Tehran could last up to two weeks as Iranian military commanders and top officials were blown up in their headquarters and homes in a coordinated strike last night.

Operation Rising Lion targeted military sites in Iran as well as nuclear facilities in a devastating wave of air strikes - escalating fears the Middle East is on the brink of all-out war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the sophisticated operation targeted an Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz as well as the country's ballistic missile program.

Iran vowed to enact 'painful revenge' after the strikes, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning Israel will face 'severe punishment'.

Washington distanced itself from the strikes and warned Iran not to attack US bases in the region in retaliation, while Tehran warned that the US would pay 'a heavy price' along with Israel.

Follow along for updates.

Israel under fire - Fox News liveblogs events: Iran retaliates with missile barrage as US forces join defense
Israel attacks Iran

Israel Defense Forces launched a sweeping strike on Iran following months of attempted, and seemingly failed, nuclear negotiations.

Israel carried out strikes in Iran, adding that explosions were heard in the capital of Tehran.

Israel said it launched “Operation Rising Lion” to target Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.

Iran launched a retaliatory large-scale ballistic missile attack on Israeli cities hours later.

Commander-in Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, was killed during Israel’s airstrikes on Iran.

The strikes came after Israel first threatened to go after Iran’s nuclear facilities in early November following a series of back-and-forth missile attacks between April and October last year.

The following courtesy of badanov:

Iran fired about 200 missiles at areas of Israel
[Regnum] Iran fired about 150-200 missiles at Israel, nine falls were recorded. This was reported on June 13 by the Israeli TV channel N12.

"The first salvo from Iran involved about a hundred rockets fired at Israel. Shortly after, another salvo of about 50 rockets was launched," the publication specifies.

According to preliminary data, at least five people were injured as a result of the shelling.

Earlier, Regnum News Agency reported that the Iranian Armed Forces struck dozens of targets in Israeli territory, military and air bases, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement. Several missiles fired from Iran hit the Israeli National Security Ministry building.

Iran also launched two missile strikes on the Israeli Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv.

On the night of June 13, the IDF launched large-scale military operations against Iran, calling it preventive measures against the "threat of Iranian nuclear weapons." Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that most of the Iranian Air Force leaders had been eliminated.

Iran has confirmed the death of the IRGC Aerospace Forces Commander Amir-Ali Hajizadeh. Also killed were the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri and the IRGC Commander Hossein Salami. In addition, six nuclear scientists were among the victims.

At the same time, many civilians were killed in the attacks. Fars news agency reported that at least 78 people were killed in the strike on Tehran, with another 329 injured.

In response to the attacks, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that Israel would face a painful fate for its actions.

More from regnum.ru
IRNA: Iran Launches Missile Attack on Israeli Defense Ministry Building in Tel Aviv
Iran launched two missile strikes on the Israeli Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv. This claim was made by the Iranian state agency IRNA.

"Israeli Defense Ministry targeted for second time," IRNA writes.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense is located in the Kirya neighborhood of Tel Aviv.

Earlier, Iranian media reported that an attack had been carried out on the building of the Israeli Ministry of National Security.

Israeli authorities have not yet confirmed or denied these statements.

Even more from regnum.ru
Nebenzya called Israel's actions against Iran a gross violation of the UN Charter
Israel's actions against Iran are a gross violation of the UN Charter and international law, said Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation around Iran that has developed since Israel began its military operation.

“This unprovoked attack, no matter what Israel claims to the contrary, is a gross violation of the UN Charter and international law,” the Russian diplomat explained.

Nebenzya pointed out that Israel's "military adventures" are pushing the region to the brink of a major war. He noted that the escalation in the Middle East is due to Israel's actions and called it extremely dangerous and requiring urgent attention from the UN Security Council.

"We would like to express our condolences to the leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran in connection with the numerous human casualties, including civilians, as a result of Israeli strikes," the Russian diplomat added.

Nebenzya stressed that the Russian Federation strongly condemns Israel’s actions.

Earlier, Regnum news agency reported that, as the Kremlin press service stated after telephone conversations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Iran and Israel, Russia will continue close contacts with both sides of the Israeli-Iranian conflict in order to prevent the harmful consequences of escalation for the entire Middle East.

On the evening of June 13, Putin held telephone conversations with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a conversation with his Iranian counterpart, the Russian leader expressed condolences over the deaths of civilians in the Islamic Republic as a result of Israeli air strikes. Netanyahu, the Russian president, said that Moscow condemns Tel Aviv's decision to launch a military operation against Iran.

On the night of June 13, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a series of strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. The Israeli military command said the operation was dubbed "The People Like a Lion" and was aimed at "eliminating the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons."

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the international community cannot remain indifferent to the events that are destroying peace and damaging regional and international security. The statement by Russian diplomats specifically noted that the particular cynicism of the situation is that Israel struck Iran before the next round of indirect contacts between representatives of Tehran and Washington.

From the Times of Israel:

US air defense systems, naval destroyer help down Iranian missiles fired at Israel
American officials say second destroyer to begin moving forward so it can be available if requested, as US shifts military resources in Mideast in response to the strikes

Damage to Iranian nuclear sites so far doesn’t appear significant, say experts
They note there is no visible evidence yet that Israel has hit underground facilities; head of UN atomic watchdog reports above-ground enrichment plant at Natanz was blown up

Two killed, at least 20 hurt in direct Iran missile hit in central Israel
Woman killed, over 60 people wounded in earlier missile salvos * Senior Iranian official threatens that Iran will target countries that try to defend Israel

PM: Israel couldn’t wait any longer to strike Iran; IDF confirms hitting Isfahan nuclear site
Netanyahu says he gave order in November to thwart nuclear and missile program; Hanegbi says military force alone can’t work, only Trump can compel Iran to abandon atomic program

Times of Israel liveblog for June 14

Times of Israel liveblog for June 13

Link

Arabia

Israeli army records rocket fire from Yemen

2025-06-14

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Israeli military recorded a rocket attack from Yemen. This was reported on June 13 by the press service of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Records *snicker*
"The Israel Defense Forces have detected a missile launch from Yemen towards Israeli territory, and the Israeli Air Force's air defense systems have been deployed to intercept the threat," the IDF reported on its Telegram channel.

An entire single missile?? Lookit the Houthis’ wholehearted support of Iran’s current exchange with Israel, especially after Hezbollah announced they were not getting involved this time!

It was also reported that sirens sounded in several areas of Israel after a projectile was launched from Yemen.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on June 13, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Israel, by striking Iranian territory, had condemned itself to a " painful fate " that would inevitably befall it. Later, Iran raised the red flag of revenge after massive strikes by Israel. This flag symbolizes the republic's desire to avenge the unjustly shed blood.

Israel's attack on Iran began around 3 a.m. on June 13. After the explosions, the IDF announced it had carried out a "preemptive, precise, combined attack" to hit targets related to Iran's nuclear program. The attack was in response to "the Iranian regime's ongoing aggression against Israel," the Israeli Defense Ministry said. The IDF said it had destroyed dozens of Iranian radars and surface-to-air missile launchers.

The attack in Iran killed not only soldiers but also civilians, including children. According to the Iranian Fars news agency, 78 people were killed and 329 were injured.

The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli attacks and called them a violation of the UN Charter and international law. The ministry called IDF strikes on peaceful cities and Iranian nuclear energy infrastructure unacceptable.

That’s nice. Join the large crowd condemning and deploring, while doing absolutely nothing else.

Middle East specialist, leading researcher at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrei Yashlavsky expressed confidence in an interview with Regnum News Agency that Iran's response to the IDF attack will not be long in coming. According to him, the lack of a response could be a step towards the political demise of the current government in the republic.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Israel launches 'preemptive strikes' on Iran as explosions are heard across Tehran: Jerusalem declares 'special state of emergency' and braces for all-out-war

2025-06-13

Photos, videos, maps at the link.

[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Israel has launched 'preemptive strikes' against Iran that targeted their nuclear program and killed top military officials in an effort to prevent Tehran from developing a weapon of mass destruction.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that the attacks will continue 'for as many days at it takes to remove this threat' of Iran's nuclear program.

'The Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime,' Netanyahu said.

'Israel will never allow those who call for our annihilation to develop the means to achieve that goal.'

Netanyahu said that Israel targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz and the country's ballistic missile program, as well as top nuclear scientists and officials.

He alleged that Iran was working on a new plan to destroy Israel after its old plan, its circle of proxies, failed. He called that an intolerable threat that must be stopped.

The prime minister later declared the strikes a success but warned more were coming: 'We are going to have many more achievements.'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday that Israel will face 'severe punishment' over its attack on the country.

Khamenei issued a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. It also confirmed that several commanders and scientists were killed in the attack.

Israel 'opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to commit a crime against our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers,' Khamenei said.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quotes an anonymous official saying Iran will offer a 'decisive' response to Israel's attack.

People in Iran's capital, Tehran, heard another round of explosions Friday morning hours after the initial attack. It wasn't immediately clear if it was air defense systems going off or another attack.

The New York Times reported at least a half dozen military bases around Tehran residential homes used by military personnel were among the targets.

An Israeli defense official said the strikes likely killed members of Iran's general staff, including the chief of staff and several senior nuclear scientists.

Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, was one of the top officials killed, Iranian state television reported Friday. Bagheri is a former top commander within Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that an Israeli strike hit Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz.

The head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, was killed in the strikes, Iranian state television reported.

It added that one other top Guard official, as well as two nuclear scientists, were also feared dead. The report offered few other details.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard, created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution, is one of the main power centers within the country's theocracy. It also controls Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was preparing for a response by the Iranians after the strike.

'Following the State of Israel's preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,' Katz said in a statement.

Iranian state media outlet IRNA said repeated explosions could be heard in Tehran.

The attack set the headquarters of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Tehran ablaze, state television reported Friday. A reporter on air said he was unable to get closer due to the intensity of the fire.

Multiple sites in the capital have been hit in the attack, although the extent of strikes remains unclear.

Israel's defense minister has announced a 'special situation' in his country and said schools would stay shut on Friday.

The country's military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has warned Iran and its regional proxies against retaliating against Israel.

'I warn, anyone who tries to challenge us will pay a heavy price,' he says.

Emmanuel Fabian, military correspondent for Times of Israel, wrote on X: 'The IDF confirms it has launched an aerial campaign against Iran's nuclear program. Dozens of targets across Iran related to the nuclear program and other military facilities are being struck by the Israeli Air Force, it says.

'The operation is dubbed "Strength of a Lion." The IDF says Iran has enough enriched uranium to build several bombs within days, and it needs to act against this "imminent threat."'

Sirens were heard across Israel as a warning to be on the lookout for any possible response from Tehran.

Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport was evacuated as all flights were canceled.

The strikes come after it was yesterday revealed that Israel was planning an attack on Iran's nuclear sites within days after a UN watchdog said Tehran has breached its non-proliferation obligations.

Sources in the US revealed the possibility of an imminent attack, which a senior source in the Israeli prime minister's office did not confirm or deny.

But they did tell the Mail: 'President Trump said it best, "Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon..." We agree. This is a global threat.'

The US announced it would evacuate personnel from the region amid concerns they could be targeted by Iran in reprisals.

But a United States official told CNN that there was no US involvement or assistance in the strikes carried out by Israel in Iran.

More courtesy of Skidmark:

Israel targets Iran (Jpost liveblog): New explosion hits Natanz nuke plant, IDF strike kills IRGC officials

BBC liveblog: Israel targets Iran's nuclear sites and military commanders in major attack

Courtesy of Frank G:

Israel launches preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear sites, military targets
[JPost] The IDF has started to attack dozens of Iranian nuclear sites.

Warning sirens have been set off to get the public ready for potential Iranian counter attacks of ballistic missiles on Israel.

Iran has not yet fired ballistic missiles, but has thousands of them.

According to the IDF, Iran has enough uranium to weaponize it to nuclear levels, to 15 nuclear weapons within days

In recent days, Iran developed a plan with Hezbollah and Hamas and other proxies to destroy the State of Israel, potentially including attempts to attack via all borders, including Egypt and Jordan.

This was the point of no return according to the IDF.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has entered the security cabinet.

The IDF targets also include commanders, bases as well as nuclear sites, though the main goal is nuclear sites.

Further, the IDF said in the last 20 minutes, Iran was taken by surprise and they were attacked in places they didn't expect.

Israel has had strong coordination with the US, but Israeli military officials refused to say whether America was pre-updated or fully coordinated into the current attack, coming hours after Washington seemed to suggest it might not be in the loop or approve.

There was also a possibility that Israel having its navy in the area of Yemen and Iran could have military implications, though the iDF did not fully specify.

Courtesy of 3dc:

TousiTV: Israel attacks Iran

Courtesy of badanov:

IRGC Commander-in-Chief ~~Says Iran Ready for War with Israel~~ shoulda kept his head down
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Iran is ready for any scenario of the conflict with Israel, including war. This was stated on June 12 by the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami.

"Our enemy is threatening us with a systematic attack. We are prepared for any scenario, and we have a systematic approach," his words are reported by the SNN agency.

Salami stressed that the enemy's goals are clear, if Iran has a free hand, it will win and the enemies will regret it. According to him, the main elements of a country's strength are awareness and faith.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, the New York Times reported on June 11 that Iran had prepared a war plan in case of an attack by Israel. It was noted that Tehran intends to launch a counterattack on the Jewish state with hundreds of ballistic missiles.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on June 11 that voluntary departure of families of American servicemen stationed in the Middle East would be permitted. At the same time, Reuters reported that Israel is on the verge of attacking Iran and that the hot phase of the conflict is only days away.

The real story, courtesy of RIA Novosti
From the V Kontakte page of RIA Novosti

❗At least two people were killed in Israeli attacks on Tehran, SNN reported. They may be the IRGC commander and the chief of the General Staff.

🔷According to the NYT, the Israeli attack destroyed three buildings in a residential complex in Tehran where senior military officials lived.

🔷In addition, nuclear physicists could have become victims of the strikes.

🔷Israel has struck at least six military bases near Tehran, The New York Times reported.

🔷Israel's Chief of Staff has announced the call-up of tens of thousands of soldiers following the strikes on Iran.

[X] A little eye candy:

The IDF releases footage showing Israeli Air Force fighter jets heading out for the strikes in Iran this morning, as well as landing following the attacks. pic.twitter.com/1xbif5i8gK
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 13, 2025

Link

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