Iran has unleashed a wave of missile strikes against Israel, directly targeting civilian areas in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The attacks come in retaliation for Israel\u2019s operation earlier that day against Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities and senior military leadership. But instead of striking back at military targets, Iran chose to hit residential neighborhoods, causing fear, injuries, and widespread damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that they launched a “crushing and precise response” against Israel on Friday night. Air raid sirens echoed across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as dozens of missiles approached. Explosions were seen over both cities, and multiple buildings were hit. Iranian state media claimed hundreds of missiles were launched in three waves. However, the Israeli military said the number was under 100 and most were intercepted or fell short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A modern apartment building in central Tel Aviv was hit directly, with smoke pouring from its upper floors. A nearby residential building also suffered heavy damage, with blown-out windows and twisted metal hanging from its frame. \u201cThis was an extensive volley of ballistic missiles, something that Tel Aviv is not used to,\u201d reported Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh. \u201cThe sight of damaged buildings and rescue workers pulling people from rubble has had a strong psychological impact on the Israeli public.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Israeli paramedic service Magen David Adom confirmed that 34 people were injured, including five from shrapnel wounds in Tel Aviv. Two victims were in critical condition, including a woman trapped under debris. Haaretz reported that emergency services pulled people from the wreckage while fires raged inside several apartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These civilian attacks came after Israel\u2019s massive pre-dawn strike on Iran\u2019s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership. Israeli warplanes targeted the Natanz nuclear enrichment site, the Fordow facility south of Tehran, and the Isfahan facility. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the attack damaged centrifuges and caused radiological and chemical contamination inside Natanz, although it was described as manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the same wave of attacks, Israel eliminated several high-ranking figures in Iran\u2019s security structure. Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was confirmed dead, along with Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran\u2019s armed forces. Iran\u2019s United Nations envoy told the Security Council that 78 people were killed and more than 320 injured, many of them civilians living near military sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A senior Israeli official said the goal was to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons and to damage the infrastructure that supports its missile program. \u201cThis was a decapitation strike,\u201d the official said. \u201cWe hit the brain of Iran\u2019s military and nuclear leadership.\u201d Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation as necessary to protect Israel\u2019s future. \u201cGenerations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that the Israeli attacks amounted to an act of war and warned that Iran\u2019s response would be severe. \u201cThe Zionist regime will not remain unscathed from the consequences of its crime,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Iranian nation must be guaranteed that our response will not be half-measured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khamenei\u2019s words were backed by Iran\u2019s missile barrage, which avoided military installations and focused instead on urban areas. In a letter read aloud on Iranian state television, newly promoted IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour promised, \u201cThe gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iranian ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the United Nations that the United States was also responsible for the Israeli attack, saying, \u201cThe U.S. shares full responsibility for the consequences.\u201d He accused Israel and its allies of escalating the conflict and warned that no place in Israel would be safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he was aware of Israel\u2019s plans and had attempted to convince Iran to avoid war. \u201cWe knew everything,\u201d Trump told Reuters<\/em>. \u201cI tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out. They can still work out a deal, however, it\u2019s not too late.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump also issued a direct warning on social media, saying, \u201cThere has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter come to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Israel\u2019s missile defense systems, including the Iron Dome, operated at full capacity throughout the night. Several missiles were shot down with help from the United States military. Brigadier General Effie Defrin of the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that all aerial defense systems were active and that Israel had gained control of the situation by early Saturday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Israeli military, Iran fired fewer than 100 surface-to-surface missiles at Israel in two major waves, with most of them intercepted by Israel’s defense systems. A significant number of the missiles were either shot down or fell short of their targets. The United States military also assisted in intercepting incoming missiles, helping to prevent further damage. Despite Iran’s claims of launching hundreds of ballistic missiles, Israeli defense officials reported that many were either inaccurate or failed to reach Israeli territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several missile did indeed hit, including a modern apartment building in central Tel Aviv was struck, and another nearby residential building suffered significant damage<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, the damage and injuries caused by the missiles that got through left a deep impression. In Jerusalem, hospitals shifted services to underground emergency zones, canceled non-urgent procedures, and released stable patients to prepare for further attacks. The Israeli airline industry moved planes out of Ben Gurion Airport to safer locations, and authorities advised the public to shelter in place and avoid hoarding supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel\u2019s National Security Advisor, said the airstrikes were part of a larger effort to create the conditions for a long-term agreement led by the United States. He noted that military action alone would not destroy Iran\u2019s nuclear program but could slow it down significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What sets this conflict apart is the clear difference in tactics and values. While Israel focused its attacks on nuclear sites and military personnel, Iran responded by firing missiles at apartment buildings, shopping centers, and neighborhoods where families live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people directly, saying, \u201cOur operation is to thwart the Islamic regime\u2019s nuclear and ballistic missile threat. As we achieve our objective, we are also clearing the path for you to achieve your freedom. The regime does not know what hit them or what will hit them. It has never been weaker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Iran has unleashed a wave of missile strikes against Israel, directly targeting civilian areas in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The attacks come in retaliation for Israel\u2019s operation earlier that day against Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities and senior military leadership. But instead of striking back at military targets, Iran chose to hit residential neighborhoods, causing fear, injuries, and widespread damage. Iran Fires Missiles at Israeli Cities Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that they launched a “crushing and precise response” against Israel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/israelimissileasdfa.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6190"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6192,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6190\/revisions\/6192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Israel\u2019s Defenses Hold, But Public Shaken<\/h3>\n\n\n\n