Sunday, June 15, 2025

06/15 Links: Sharansky: We're Witnessing a Historic Test of Assumptions about Israel; 11 killed, 200 injured, 3 missing as Iranian missiles pound Israel

From Ian:

Yair Rosenberg: The War Israel Was Ready to Fight
On October 7, 2023, Israel suffered the most catastrophic assault in its history when Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,000 people and took hundreds of others hostage. Almost a year later, Israel assassinated Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, the most powerful militia in the world, along with the entire leadership of his organization. Last night, it did the same to the rulers of Iran, eliminating the heads of the regime’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and regional proxies.

How could the same country that was bested by a ragtag militia in its own backyard turn around and ravage multiple regional powers with devastating decapitation strikes? The dissonance between these events has fomented confusion and conspiracy theories. But Israel’s successes and failures in the past 20 months stem from a single source. A very specific plan to stop Iran led to both the disaster of October 7 and the triumphs since.

For decades, Iran’s theocratic leaders have called for Israel’s destruction, denying the Nazi Holocaust while urging another one. The regime funneled millions of dollars and thousands of missiles to proxies on Israel’s borders and beyond: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen. Iran’s authorities constructed monuments to their predicted victory, displaying missiles emblazoned with the words Death to Israel and even erecting a countdown clock to Israel’s end.

Israel, a nation born out of the ashes of an attempted Jewish genocide, took these threats seriously. Just as Iran labeled America “the Great Satan” and Israel “the Little Satan,” Israel’s security establishment conceived of its adversaries in tiers: Iran was the biggest threat, its fearsome proxy Hezbollah ranked next, and the smaller Hamas posed the least danger. The Israelis prioritized their resources accordingly. Their best people—and best exploding beepers—were put to work countering Iran and Hezbollah, which had formidable arsenals of advanced weapons. Hamas, by contrast, was treated as an afterthought, contained behind a blockade of Gaza that was maintained less by manpower than by advanced security technology.

October 7 exposed this folly, as Hamas and its allies disabled that technology and stormed across the border on land, meeting little resistance as they rampaged through civilian communities. This was a war Israel did not expect and was not prepared to fight. That fact was evident not only in the casualties and hostage-taking during the massacre, but in the grinding, brutal, and haphazard war in Gaza that has followed. Simply put, Israel was flying without radar. It did not know Hamas’s capabilities, had not infiltrated its leadership, did not have widespread intelligence sources on the ground, and was largely ignorant of the group’s sprawling underground infrastructure in Gaza. This operational ignorance has resulted in a horrific meat grinder of a war with thousands of civilian casualties and still no end in sight. It’s also why Israel’s military took more than a year after October 7 to find and kill the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

By the time that happened, Israel had already taken out Hezbollah’s Nasrallah, a far more protected and high-value target, after neutralizing many of his elite forces via exploding beepers and walkie-talkies and blowing up many of the group’s missiles while they were still in storage. The very resources that had not been brought to bear on Hamas, thus enabling the disaster of October 7, achieved the neutralization of Hezbollah within weeks.

Hezbollah had joined in the attacks on Israel after the assault on October 7, apparently believing that Israel was too hobbled to respond beyond token tit-for-tat strikes. Likewise, the group’s patrons in Iran may have misread the events of October 7 as evidence of fundamental Israeli weakness, rather than a terrible but isolated error. For months, Tehran continued to supply its proxies in Lebanon and Yemen with advanced missiles to fire at Israel, seemingly under the belief that it would be immune from similar incoming in response. That mistake, like Israel’s on October 7, proved costly.
Natan Sharansky: We're Witnessing a Historic Test of Assumptions about Israel
The Israeli government has launched a targeted military assault against the Islamic Republic of Iran, striking its military facilities, nuclear sites and top military leadership. We are witnessing the historic test of the assumption that Israel cannot eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat without active U.S. involvement.

As successive U.S. governments chose the path of diplomacy, Tehran inched closer and closer to obtaining nuclear weapons. And so, after decades of failed international negotiations, Israel decided to wage its battle without America's direct participation. The Jewish state's very existence hangs in the balance.

In conversations I had with Iranians over the past few months, two narratives emerged. Those closer to the government predicted that a war would rally citizens around the regime and thereby strengthen its grip. Dissidents, on the other hand, insisted that an attack limited to nuclear and military targets, and even extending to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but sparing civilians and ordinary soldiers, would help their cause by exposing and deepening the regime's fragility.
Iran’s Target Isn’t Just Israel. It’s Us
Israel has struck a blow to prevent Iran from developing nuclear bombs - weapons that it might credibly use toward its stated goal of removing Israel from the planet. This is not simply a matter of regional security. This conflict is a central front in a global contest in which the forces of tyranny and violence in recent years have been gaining ground against the forces of freedom, which too often are demoralized and divided.

In a world full of bad actors, Iran is the most aggressive and dangerous totalitarian force of our time. Its leaders seek to weaken and destroy free society, democracy and human rights with Russian and Chinese support. In Iran, women are systematically oppressed and abused. Homosexuals are murdered. Those who think differently are imprisoned and tortured. According to official state doctrine, the primary goal of the mullahs in Tehran is the annihilation of the State of Israel. Clocks in the streets of Tehran count down to the "destruction of Israel." But Israel is only the first target. Once Israel falls, Europe and America will be the focus. Radical Sunni and Shiite Islamism has been preparing for this for decades. Their attacks are directed against our values, our way of life.

It is therefore surprising that Israel is not being celebrated worldwide for its historic, extremely precise and necessary strike against Iranian nuclear weapons facilities and for the targeted killing of leading terrorists. America and Europe, in their own interests alone, must stand united with Israel.
Jake Wallis Simons: Israel Can See what Europe Can't: the Devil
Ayatollah Khamenei's pet theology lusts after the apocalypse. Triggered by the obliteration of Israel, this cataclysm will supposedly herald the arrival of the "Mahdi" to lead Shia forces to global victory. These are the convictions that drive actual Iranian foreign policy. When Jerusalem was forced to act, you'd have thought the West would rally. But no. Israel was the bad guy.

We have seen this movie before. When Jerusalem destroyed Saddam Hussein's nuclear program in 1981, the world was appalled. Two decades later, the White House quietly acknowledged that the Jews had done everybody a favor.

The countries that will thrive will be those with conviction in their values and the courage and resilience to defend them. As Menachem Begin observed, "The world may not necessarily like the fighting Jew, but the world will have to take account of him." The Devil exists. It makes no sense to appease him.


Gil Troy: In Jerusalem after Israel Strikes Iran
The threat against Israel - and the West - had been getting worse in recent months. Beyond Iran's rush to go nuclear, there were rumors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps coordinating a multiborder invasion, which would include first deposing the Egyptian and Jordanian regimes to encircle Israel in a "ring of fire."

Iran has repeatedly threatened Israel with destruction, unleashed lethal proxies against the Jewish state, and launched at least 500 missiles at Israel in the past 14 months. Anyone who doesn't understand why such aggression requires a devastating response doesn't understand jihadism, international law, or just-war theory.

Iran is a country of more than 90 million people some 1,400 miles from Israel, which has 9.5 million people. About 1.8 million Muslims live in Israel, and the country contains many major Muslim holy sites that Islamists should protect, not threaten. There is no historic enmity between Persians and Jews. Under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, there were robust economic and cultural ties, as well as many secret military exchanges.

Israel has long avoided this day, trusting diplomacy, the international community and its own efforts to contain the threat. But as Iran galloped toward atomic power and defied American pressure, Israel felt compelled to act. Our people are proud that we are making the world safer, because we're willing to do the West's dirty work.
11 killed, 200 injured, 3 missing as Iranian missiles pound Israel
At least 11 people were killed overnight Saturday in a wave of Iranian missile attacks on civilian areas across Israel.

Seven people were killed when an apartment building in Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv, sustained a direct hit, according to the Magen David Adom emergency medical service. A 4-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy are among the dead.

Rescue efforts are ongoing at the scene, where three people remained unaccounted for beneath the rubble after four of the missing were found at hospitals. At least 180 others were wounded in the strike, according to Daniel Hadad, Ayalon region director of the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command. Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit in Bat Yam, June 15, 2025. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.

Four members of the Khatib family were killed in Tamra, a village in the Lower Galilee, 12 miles east of Acre, when an Iranian missile hit their residence. The victims were identified as Manar Khatib, 45, her daughters Shada 20, and Hala, 13, and their relative, Manal Khatib, 41. Fourteen others were wounded in the strike. An Iranian missile struck a residential building in Tamra, the Lower Galilee, June 15, 2025. Credit: Israel Fire and Rescue Service.

A missile strike in Haifa injured 13 people, all of whom were reported to be in moderate or mild condition.

Meanwhile, in Rehovot in central Israel, a direct hit on a building left 37 people wounded, two seriously, Magen David Adom said. The Weizmann Institute of Science in the same city said that several of its buildings were damaged by the missile barrage, but that there were no casualties, adding that the institute is in contact with security and emergency services to ensure the safety of its staff and campus.
Iran has fired some 280 ballistic missiles at Israel
Since the start of “Operation Rising Lion” early Friday, Iran has launched around 280 ballistic missiles at cities across Israel, military officials said on Sunday.

Almost 80 of these projectiles were fired in two main waves overnight Saturday, with approximately 40 targeting the north and about 35 aimed at the central regions, defense sources estimate.

The interception rate for these attacks was similar to that seen during Iranian assaults in April and October last year, according to the IDF. Most incoming missiles were intercepted, while others, in accordance with established defense protocols, were permitted to hit unpopulated areas.

Despite Israel’s layered air defense systems, some missiles managed to breach these defenses, resulting in significant destruction and casualties. Missiles hit sites in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Rishon Letzion, Bat Yam and Rehovot in central Israel, as well as in Haifa and Tamra in the north. Thirteen people were killed and hundreds were wounded.

The IDF Home Front Command reported that those who died or were seriously wounded were not in protected spaces, such as safe rooms or bomb shelters, at the time of impact. Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit in Tamra, the Lower Galilee, June 15, 2025. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

Military assessments attribute much of the destruction to the heavy warheads—estimated at about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds)—carried by the missiles, which are similar to those used in previous attacks in 2024.

Unlike earlier strikes that focused on the Nevatim Airbase in the Negev Desert, the latest barrages have been directed at densely populated locations in greater Tel Aviv and, to a lesser extent, the Haifa area. This shift has increased the threat to civilians.
Seth Frantzman: Israel’s Iran ‘Decapitation Strategy’ Is Reshaping the Middle East
Israel invested less in dealing with the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq or groups such as the Houthis and Hamas. In fact, it was Israel’s underestimating of Hamas that enabled Hamas to carry out the October 7 attack. Having failed to predict the Hezbollah attack, Israel has doubled down on dealing with the other Iranian-backed proxies and targeting Iran itself.

It’s likely the Iranian regime will try to recover from the blows of June 13. Iranian state media IRNA says the regime has already appointed new commanders to replace the fallen. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Major General Seyyed Abdulrahim Mousavi as the new head of the Iranian Armed Forces.

In addition, Major General Mohammad Pakpour was named the near leader of the IRGC. These leaders may try to fill the shoes of those who came before, but it’s unlikely they can leave the mark that those like Salami and Hajizadeh left over the last decades.

The leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas have been dominant influences within their respective groups for more than a generation. Nasrallah, for instance, was a key leader since the 1990s. Haniyeh also shaped Hamas throughout the early 2000s. Hajizadeh and Salami were the same for the IRGC. By removing all these key leaders, Israel has reset the Middle East. This is because an entire generation of Iran’s commanders and key allies have been affected.

These leaders symbolized the rise of Iran and its proxies. They lived in a world that assumed Iran was going to change the world order by working with Russia and China and weakening the US influence on the region.

They thought that Israel could be isolated and that weakening Israel would also lead countries to see the US as weak because Israel is one of America’s key allies. However, Israel’s playbook in 2024 and 2025 has dramatically shifted things against Iran and its proxies.

Iranian influence in places like Iraq won’t disappear easily. However, it has suffered a setback across the region and is now at home.


TRUMP TO PANICAN DOVES: 'You Can't Have Peace If Iran Has a Nuclear Weapon'
President Donald Trump on Saturday directly addressed Republicans who oppose his steadfast support for Israel’s preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear sites, telling them, "You can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon."

"For those people who say they want peace—you can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon," Trump told the Atlantic in a phone call, dismissing isolationist members of his America First coalition who accuse Israel of trying to drag the United States into a fresh Middle East conflict. "For all of those wonderful people who don’t want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon—that’s not peace."

Israel’s critics in the Republican Party, including prominent allies of Trump like Tucker Carlson, have claimed that Trump is abandoning a central plank in the MAGA platform by openly backing the Jewish state and providing defensive military support. Trump, however, told the Atlantic that only he can say what "America First" truly means.

"Considering that I’m the one that developed ‘America First,’ and considering that the term wasn’t used until I came along, I think I’m the one that decides that," the president said.

Carlson publicly broke with Trump on Friday, accusing him of "being complicit in the act of war."

"While the American military may not have physically perpetrated the assault, years of funding and sending weapons to Israel, which Donald Trump just bragged about on Truth Social, undeniably place the U.S. at the center of last night’s events," Carlson wrote in a newsletter.

But multiple polls show that GOP voters broadly support military action against Iran.

A survey published Friday by the Ronald Reagan Institute showed that 6 out of 10 Republicans support Israel’s ongoing airstrikes, with just 27 percent opposing them.

A previous Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found that 60 percent of the American public backed an Israeli military campaign if diplomatic talks with Tehran over a revamped nuclear deal failed. Seventy-eight percent of Republican respondents backed an Israeli attack, while just 22 percent opposed a strike.


Seth Frantzman: Arab states condemn Israeli strikes as relations with Iran thaw
MEANWHILE, IRAN has done outreach to countries in the region. Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The reasons countries are condemning the strikes vary. Iran does not have any real allies in the region. Its largest ally, Syria’s Assad regime, was overthrown in December 2024. Iran has militia partners in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq. These include terrorist groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq. As such, Tehran has a major influence over these countries, but it is not a positive one.

In other places, Iran has historic tensions. For instance, it has often threatened Bahrain, and has not historically had good ties with the Saudis. Countries such as the UAE likely see Iran as a potentially destabilizing actor. For instance, it has mined and attacked ships off the coast of the Emirates.

Iran and Oman generally have good ties. Tehran also has positive and close ties with Qatar. Kuwait, having learned from its experience in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war when it was close to Iraq, has become more neutral and is scared of Iran.

Iraq’s government is an ally of the Islamic Republic. However, the Kurdistan autonomous region in northern Iraq often tries to publicly appear to have decent ties with Iran while actually opposing its actions in the region. This is because Shi’ite militias in Iraq have often threatened the Kurdistan region.

In Beirut, the leaders are worried that the current clash between Israel and Iran could spill over to Lebanon. The country is already reeling from the war in 2024, where Israel defeated Hezbollah. A new government there is trying to crack down on Hezbollah’s illegal weapon depots.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun chaired a security meeting Saturday at Baabda Palace to discuss the security developments resulting from the military confrontations between Iran and Israel, Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar media said.

During the meeting, Aoun stressed “the importance of security and administrative readiness to monitor the situation from all aspects, particularly with regard to maintaining stability and security,” the report said. He also discussed the issue of Beirut International Airport and resuming flights there after they were canceled on Friday and Saturday.


Yair Lapid: As Iran vows our destruction, Israel unites
Iran's goal is to destroy Israel
Iran stands behind Hamas and Hezbollah, behind the massacre on October 7, and behind the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and further attacks from Bulgaria to Mumbai, from Kenya to Thailand. For a long time, Iran controlled Syria and Lebanon (and destroyed them both) in order to implement a siege on Israel. It funded terror organizations in the West Bank to ensure constant instability between Israel and the Palestinians.

Above all, the Iranian regime has repeatedly said, without hesitation and without shame, that its ultimate goal is the destruction of the State of Israel. There is no other UN member state that explicitly states it aims to destroy another country. Only Iran.

And to avoid any doubt, Israel isn’t interested in destroying Iran. We have no historical or territorial conflict with the Iranian people. We have no demands of one another except for one: The Iranian regime wants us to die, and we refuse.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is my political rival, but his decision to strike Iran at this moment in time is the right one. The whole country is united in this moment, when faced with an enemy sworn to our destruction, nothing will divide us.

We went to war for the only reason that justifies war – we had no choice. A nuclear Iran would have been an existential threat to the State of Israel. Iran cannot be a nuclear state. Not now. Not ever.
Andrew Fox: A Regime On The Brink
In all the above scenarios, Iran’s nuclear programme and regional posture will be central concerns. A collapsed or transitioning Iran would immediately face international demands to secure nuclear materials. One can expect US and Israeli intelligence (and possibly special units) to move swiftly to account for enriched uranium and prevent any covert “last resort” use or transfer of fissile material by die-hard factions. If chaos reigns, securing Fordow and other nuclear sites might even require an international task force. There would be the grim prospect of foreign troops in Iran, which could stir nationalist resentment.

Conversely, a cooperative new Iranian authority would likely invite the IAEA and perhaps UN-mandated teams to help dismantle the weapons-related parts of the programme. Regional stability would, in the short term, be shaky. Iran’s proxies and allies (Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Iraq and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen) would suddenly lose their patron and could either wither or act unpredictably. Some might try to go it alone (for example, Hezbollah could lash out or attempt to survive via other sponsors). In contrast, others might lay low or enter political processes if conflicts wind down without Iranian funding. Israel and the Gulf Arab states would certainly celebrate the end of the Islamic Republic, but they would remain wary until a clear picture of the new order emerges. If Israel succeeds in removing Iran’s leadership, there is no guarantee the successor would not be even harderline.

For the United States and global powers, a post-collapse Iran presents a strategic dilemma. On one hand, the elimination of a hostile regime and the hopeful end of Iran’s nuclear ambitions would represent a significant victory for non-proliferation and regional peace. On the other hand, the international community could face a substantial stabilisation and rebuilding effort. Consider post-2003 Iraq, but on an even larger scale. Mistakes made then, such as disbanding the army overnight or allowing a security vacuum, would serve as painful lessons when approaching Iran’s situation. There may be calls for a UN peacekeeping mission to maintain order in key cities or safeguard minority communities during the transition. Major humanitarian aid and economic packages would be necessary to address Iran’s damaged economy and infrastructure, especially as the conflict has devastated refineries, power plants, and so on.

In a best-case scenario, Iran could re-emerge in a few years as a nation at peace with its people and neighbours. No longer isolated, no longer pursuing nuclear weapons, and focused on prosperity. This would transform the Middle East. Imagine Iran’s vast human and economic potential redirected from proxy wars to development and trade. Arab states might eagerly court a friendly Iran, and even the Israel-Iran hostility could fade if a new Tehran renounces calls for Israel’s destruction. However, we must remain clear-eyed. Such positive change would require deft management of the immediate aftermath. The transition could be as perilous as the conflict itself. As TIME magazine noted, “things may get much worse before they get even worse” in this region. That tongue-in-cheek phrasing reflects the volatility of the situation. A collapsing regime can unleash forces that are hard to control.

The collapse of Iran’s Islamic Republic, once almost unthinkable, is now a distinct possibility amid the onslaught of war and internal discontent. Here, I have sketched how it might occur, through a mix of military blows, popular uprisings, and psychological breaking points; and what might follow, ranging from hopeful renewal to chaotic strife. From a military analyst’s perspective, while ending a brutal regime could open the door to a better future for Iran and the world, it also opens Pandora’s Box. Decision-makers in Jerusalem, Washington, and beyond are surely considering these scenarios as they weigh each next step.

The coming days will test whether Iran’s 85 million people can seize this tumultuous moment to build something new, or whether the aftermath of regime collapse becomes a new tragedy of its own. One thing is sure: the end of the Ayatollahs’ rule would mark a historic turning point, and its full consequences, for the nuclear programme and regional stability, would be felt for years to come. The world can only watch, hope, and, where possible, help steer events toward the most peaceful outcome.


Seth Frantzman: Sitting in a quiet, destroyed neighborhood: At the heart of Iran's missile attack on Bat Yam
On June 15 at around four in the afternoon, an Israel Defense Forces soldier from the Home Front Command helped a woman with her bags as she evacuated a damaged apartment in Bat Yam. Her husband was around the corner. He had parked a white car near a small grocery store, one of the few businesses open in the damaged neighborhood. It had taken him time to find parking as the traffic on the nearby streets was bumper-to-bumper.

The woman was one of many residents in a block of buildings badly damaged by an Iranian missile attack overnight between June 14 and 15.

More than twelve hours later, most of the residents had been able to pack some of their belongings in suitcases and bags and move away from the neighborhood. Up to sixty buildings were damaged in the attack and at least seven people were killed, and 200 injured.

I came to see the aftermath of the destruction in Bat Yam, a beach community just south of Tel Aviv. The breeze, which can be felt a mile from the sea, snakes its way through the alleyways and up the streets that ascend slightly from the shore.

The beaches are closed due to the war with Iran, which is now in its fourth day, but restaurants are open near the water. The outdoor gyms are also open, with men doing shoulder presses and working to improve their physique. The playgrounds that also dot the shoreline and neighborhoods nearby are largely empty. People are keeping children at home; schools are closed.

While the coastline is still full of people, even if they are hanging back from the beaches, the neighborhoods that form a grid of blocks stretching inland are largely quiet. Around a kilometer from the site of the Iranian missile attack there is a quiet park, ringed by three-story multi-apartment homes. The park has an area for dogs, with a metal fence around it, and two small playgrounds.

There is only one family who has come, with a white blanket and their child. Other people have come to walk their dogs. There are more than 100 birds on an electric wire that stretches the length of the park overhead. There are also cats in abundance. There appear to be more birds, cats, and dogs than people due to the war that is keeping a lot of people home.


Iranian missile barrage sparks fires in Haifa, Kiryat Gat; eight people hurt
Iran launched several barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday, with an attack in the evening resulting in several impacts and falling shrapnel, injuring eight people, damaging property and sparking several fires.

Seven people were injured in Haifa and another in a town near Kiryat Gat, with one person moderately hurt and the rest lightly injured, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service. Nine people were treated for acute anxiety.

Those requiring attention, including the moderately wounded 72-year-old woman, who presented signs of smoke inhalation, were transferred to local hospitals, MDA said.

Earlier, around 4 p.m., Iran launched another barrage of missiles at Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces, sending millions to bomb shelters. Most of the projectiles were intercepted by air defenses; there were no reports of impacts in residential areas.

Also Sunday, dozens of drones were launched from Iran at Israel and intercepted.

The latest missile attacks came after Iran launched some 70 ballistic missiles over the previous night, resulting in several direct hits that killed 11 people, including two children, and wounded hundreds. The missile attacks have come in response to Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign in Iran targeting its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which Israel has described as an existential threat.


Israel kills Iranian intel chiefs, strikes deep inside Iran, opens ‘air corridor to Tehran’
Israel on Sunday attacked dozens of sites in Iran — including energy sites, radar systems, and ballistic missiles and their launchers — and killed Iran’s top intelligence officers on the third day of its ongoing campaign against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The Israel Defense Forces also bombed an Iranian refueling plane at Mashhad Airport in northeast Iran, some 2,300 kilometers (1,430 miles) from Israel, marking what it said was the most distant strike since the beginning of the operation.

And early Monday morning, the army said it struck surface-to-surface missile launch sites in central Iran, shortly after the IDF Home Front Command told Israelis to remain close to shelters ahead of an expected missile barrage that didn’t materialize.

Israeli news outlets speculated that the Air Force had been seeking to prevent the anticipated Iranian missile attack.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, in a video statement Sunday evening, hailed the “historic and unprecedented operation aimed at significantly damaging the existential threat that Iran has built for years to destroy us.”

“We are continuing to operate according to a structured, thorough, professional and evolving plan,” he said. “In the past 24 hours, we completed opening an air corridor to Tehran… Air Force pilots are flying with great risks, hundreds of kilometers away from Israeli territory, striking hundreds of diverse targets with precision. At the same time, we are locating and destroying missile launchers firing at our territory.”

In an earlier statement, Zamir said the Air Force was striking Iran’s “infrastructure and nuclear program in a precise and extensive manner, beyond what the enemy anticipated.” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (left) and IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar are seen at the IAF’s underground command center, June 15, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Widespread airstrikes were reported Sunday afternoon in the Iranian capital, with videos from the city circulating on social media.

There were also local reports of large-scale sewage and water pipe explosions across Tehran, allegedly connected to Israeli strikes, a matter on which the IDF had no comment.


Police arrest Jewish Israelis suspected of espionage on behalf of Iran
Two Jewish Israelis were arrested early on Sunday morning on suspicion of carrying out missions as Iranian agents, Israel Police and the Shin Bet stated.

Security forces from the Shin Bet and the YAMAM counter-terrorism unit jointly operated and detained the two, following a Lahav 433 investigation.

This is the latest of 22 separate cases of espionage on behalf of the Islamic Republic foiled by the Shin Bet and Israel Police since the October 7 massacre in 2023.

Iranian intelligence is actively attempting to recruit Israeli civilians to carry out missions it finds in its interest, a statement read, adding Tehran uses information gathered to harm the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.


Israeli strikes reported in Parchin, where nuke research site was said to be destroyed in October
Israel appears to be striking Parchin, according to Iranian media.

The Mehr News Agency posts a video showing air defense systems activating in the area in response to strikes.

In October, Israel’s airstrikes reportedly destroyed an active nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin, after Iran’s ballistic missile attack earlier that month.


IDF names soldier, 21, killed in combat in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday that Sgt. First Class (res.) Noam Shemesh, 21, of Jerusalem, was killed in combat in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

Shemesh was a squad commander in the Shimshon Battalion 92 in the Kfir Brigade.

The IDF said that the family of the deceased was notified.

“The war against Hamas in Gaza is still ongoing,” stated Dov Lipman, a former Knesset member. “May God comfort the Shemesh family among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”


IDF identifies second slain hostage returned in June 11 operation as Aviv Atzili
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday night identified the second slain hostage recovered from the Gaza Strip in a June 11 operation as Aviv Atzili, a member of Nir Oz’s emergency response team.

“Warrant Officer (res.) Aviv Atzili, of blessed memory, a member of the emergency response team of Kibbutz Nir Oz, went out to fight terrorists on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, and fell in battle,” the IDF said, referring to the Hamas massacre of some 1,200 people, mainly Jewish civilians.

Atzili’s remains were “abducted from the kibbutz by terrorists from the Islamic Jihad terror organization,” the military statement continued.

Atzili was a father of three and was 49 years old at the time of his death.

The IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said they “share in the family’s grief and will continue to act and do everything possible to bring all the hostages home.”

Israel’s security forces recovered the remains of Yair Yaakov and another man during an operation in the Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF announced last Wednesday evening.

“The bodies of Yair Yaakov and another hostage, who were held hostage for 613 days in Gaza, have been recovered in a joint IDF and ISA military operation,” the IDF said in a statement at the time.

Atzili’s name was not made public last week, pending notification of his family, according to local media reports.


Special Briefing with Lt. Col. (res.) Jonathan Conricus, Richard Kemp
WAR WITH IRAN: Join StandWithUs TV for an Emergency Briefing on Sunday from Israel - featuring an in-depth update from Lt. Col. (res.) Jonathan Conricus and former Commander of UK Forces in Afghanistan, Col. Richard Kemp, in conversation with Michael Dickson, Executive Director of StandWithUs Israel. The briefing covers all angles of Israel’s attack on Iran and the rapidly developing situation.




Haviv Rettig Gur on the existential Israel-Iran War
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.

Since 3 am on Friday morning, Israel has been at war with Iran. We begin the program with a pause to look at how each of us sees this Israeli moment.

Rettig Gur weighs in on how this war with Iran was inevitable ever since Hamas's murderous onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and began the ongoing war in Gaza.

The IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir told Israel's political leaders in the past day that the campaign in Iran is essential to ensure "the existence of the Jewish people," according to Israel's Channel 12. "The operation in Iran is an operation to defend the existence of the Jewish people. History will not forgive us if we do not act now."

We discuss the tipping point of launching the operation and the international media's cynicism that it was begun in part as a ploy for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stay in power. A constant critic of Netanyahu, today, Rettig Gur applauds his courage in taking on Iran.

Finally, we hear Rettig Gur's thoughts on Netanyahu's hopes that the Iranian people will use this opportunity to shake off their shackles of oppression and overturn the regime.


FreePress: Iran Strikes Israel, Oil Fields Ablaze, and Will the U.S. Enter the War?
As we taped this episode of Honestly, it was 3 a.m. in Israel. Sirens wailed across the country as Iranian missiles rained down on Israeli towns.

At the same time, Israel was striking military and nuclear sites inside Iran, and oil fields were aflame.

Meanwhile in Washington, reports were emerging of a heated debate inside the White House over whether the U.S. should get involved in the war.

It’s hard to overstate the magnitude of this story—or how uncertain the outcome is for Israel.

There’s no one better to help us make sense of this war than Michael Doran—senior fellow and director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East.

This has been his story not just for the past few days—for the last decade, no one has written more, and more brilliantly, about Iran’s nuclear aspirations and Washington’s posture toward Iran than Mike.
Call me Back Podcast: INSIDE THE ATTACK ON IRAN - with Nadav Eyal
Earlier today, Iran launched approximately 100 ballistic missiles at Israel, prompting multiple rounds of nationwide sirens. Some missiles landed in Tel Aviv and other areas in Central Israel, damaging buildings and wounding dozens of Israelis, with at least one reported fatality.

This followed Friday’s extensive Israeli Air Force attack on Iranian nuclear, military, and leadership targets. The attacks damaged nuclear enrichment sites and killed Hussein Salammi, the head of the IRGC, the Army Chief of Staff, other members of the Iranian military leadership, as well as leading nuclear scientists.

Just minutes before the evening’s sirens began, we wrapped up a conversation with Nadav Eyal, senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot and Call me Back regular, where he explained how the Israeli attack on Iran unfolded and what it took for the IDF to prepare.

These historic developments are certain to evolve over the next few days. We’ll be monitoring the situation closely, so stay tuned for more analysis.


The Rubin Report: Is the Total Collapse of Iran Near? | Naftali Bennett
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks to former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett about why the government of Iran is a house of cards that could collapse at any moment; his time as Israeli Prime Minister; leading a diverse unity government of right, left, religious, secular, and Arab parties; the need for political unity in Israel and globally; confronting Iran through sanctions and supporting opposition movements; boosting Israel’s economy through tech and innovation; integrating ultra-Orthodox Jews into the workforce; promoting regional alliances and international diplomacy; and calling for moderate, pragmatic leadership to secure Israel’s future; and much more.
Israel continues with its ‘decapitation strategy’ against Iran
Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Doran claims Israel achieved “unbelievable successes” in its first couple of days of attacking Iran.

“They decapitated the Iranian military leadership, they shut down, at least temporarily, the Natanz Nuclear Facility, they suppressed a lot of the Iranian ballistic missile fire that we expected to see,” he told Sky News Australia.

“They have also killed nine or ten Iranian nuclear scientists.”

Mr Doran predicted Israel will continue with its campaign against Iran with a series of more “decapitation blows”.


Cappy Army: How Israeli Commandos Hit Deep in Iran
Israel attacked Iran with a Mossad intelligence agent behind enemy lines missile and drone attack. It's similar to operation spider web but this is operation rising lion. F-35 and F-15 and F-16 fighter jets over 200 of them struck Iran's nuclear facilities and oil production capabilities. Then Iran struck back with a ballistic missile attack that Israel and America tried to intercept.


Israel has ‘decapitated’ Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Sky News host James Morrow discusses Israel’s latest strikes against Iran, which killed the leader of the country’s infamous Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“We have seen in the last 48-72 hours, of course, this real conflict kick-off between Iran and Israel,” Mr Morrow said.

“Israel struck first, they struck hard, they decapitated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.”


Western activists prevented by Egyptian locals from accessing Gaza
Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-CEO Alex Ryvchin discusses how a convoy of anti-Israel activists have been detained and deported from Egypt while attempting to march into Gaza on foot.

“They clearly know a great deal because in the West we’re always so keen to indulge these people, to placate them, to rehabilitate them as being some sort of peace activists, but they are on the Egyptian border, they know exactly what they are dealing with,” Mr Ryvchin said.

“They know full well what the Muslim Brotherhood is, this is a group that sows discord and almost ripped the country of Egypt apart multiple times.”


Erin Molan LIVE in Israel: Surviving Iranian Missile Attacks & Stranded in War Zone
Join Australian journalist Erin Molan as she delivers a gripping live report on ILTV Israel News, broadcasting directly from Tel Aviv amidst the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. In this powerful video, Erin shares her firsthand experience of the devastating Iranian missile attacks, capturing the chaos, destruction, and resilience of those on the ground. Sheltering in place as sirens blare and missiles strike, she describes the heart-wrenching scenes of damaged homes and the bravery of Israelis facing the ongoing war. Erin also opens up about why she’s in Israel, her unwavering commitment to reporting the truth, and how she became stranded due to airport closures triggered by the conflict, alongside thousands of others. This raw and emotional account offers a unique perspective on the human toll of the war and the strength of a nation under fire. Don’t miss this compelling coverage from a journalist risking it all to share the reality of the Israel-Iran crisis.


Did Trump Veto Israel's Secret Plan? Erin Molan EXPOSES Truth LIVE from Israel!
Join Erin Molan on an unforgettable journey as she shares her gripping, firsthand experience in Israel during Iran’s missile attacks. Broadcasting LIVE with Anna Kooiman on NewsNation, Erin recounts the heart-pounding moments of running to bomb shelters multiple times a night as sirens blared across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. From losing her job as a Sky News Australia anchor after her outspoken support for Israel post-October 7, 2023, to doubling down on her fight for truth and justice, Erin’s story is one of courage and conviction. Plus, hear the explosive discussion on rumors that President Trump vetoed Israel’s plan to target Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. This is a raw, emotional, and powerful look at life in a war zone and one woman’s unyielding stand for what’s right. Don’t miss it!




Adams blasted for smoking cigars with antisemitic influencer at Gracie Mansion: ‘Who’s next on the guest list — David Duke?’
Mayor Eric Adams is being criticized after hosting antisemitic influencer Sneako, who has previously proclaimed “down with the Jews,” for a friendly sit-down interview at Gracie Mansion.

Sneako, real name Nicolas “Nico” Kenn De Balinthazy, 26, has been banned from Twitch for his “extreme hateful conduct.”

He smoked cigars with Hizzoner and controversial influencer Amber Rose during a chat at the mayor’s official residence on the Upper East Side.

Rep. Richie Torres (D-NY) quickly slammed Adams for meeting with the influencer.

“The Mayor is smoking cigars at Gracie Mansion with Sneako—yet another antisemite, who once declared: ‘Down with the Jews,’ Torres, who represents the Bronx, wrote on X.

“Who’s next on the guest list — David Duke?”

In a later video, Sneako bragged about smoking cigars with Mayor Adams before going to a dinner with Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Tobey Maguire.

Sneako has been condemned in the past for his praise of Andrew and Tristan Tate, the controversial influencers who face multiple charges of sexual assault and trafficking in Europe, and also for his antisemitic posts.

Sneako previously declared, “Down with the Jews! Free Palestine” and “Every ‘conspiracy theory’ from the last century is just Israel,” during a livestream last year, according to the group Stop Antisemitism.

On Friday, he posted “Israel is not compatible with Western civilization” on X, shortly before sitting down with Mayor Adams.


Rabbi group to unleash massive Times Square ad campaign condemning ‘Free Palestine’ movement
A group representing more than 2,500 Orthodox rabbis nationwide will unveil a massive billboard this week in Times Square ripping the anti-Israel “Free Palestine” movement as a domestic terror campaign fueled by antisemitic hate, The Post has learned.

The 1,060-by-512 foot billboard paid for the Coalition for Jewish Values will be revealed Monday outside the Times Square Plaza office tower on Broadway near W. 42nd Street.

It’s 10-second, super-high-resolution animated video clip will run multiple times per hour for 30 days and features two images.



One image includes a photo composite with an Hamas terrorist sporting a green headband and an anti-Israel Columbia University protestor wearing a white keffiyeh, along with the caption: FREE PALESTINE=SUPPORT HAMAS=CALLING FOR GENOCIDE.

The other features a “yellow star” resembling yellow badges Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust and the caption: “AMERICA WAKE UP. IT NEVER ENDS WITH THE JEWS!”

Rabbi Yaakov Menken, the nonprofit group’s executive director, called the ad campaign “unprecedented,” saying no large Jewish organization has tapped into such a massive platform to spread the word.

“Everyone recognizes the previous generations hate symbols, but many don’t recognize the Hamas flag is no less murderous than that of the Nazi’s,” he said.

“We call upon all Americans to join us in speaking clearly about who and what the bloodthirsty ‘Free Palestine’ movement stands for, and the need to stamp it out.”


Anti-Semitism lawsuit filed against Sydney University in Federal Court
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Australia’s oldest university over its handling of anti-Semitism since the October 7 terror attacks in Israel.

Sky News can reveal the legal action against the University of Sydney and two of its highest-profile anti-Israel academics Dr Nick Riemer and Professor John Keane was lodged in the Federal Court on Friday.

The day after the October 7 attacks – in which Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1200 people and took 240 civilians hostage - Dr Riemer tweeted: "No progressive should feel the need to publicly condemn any choices by the Palestinian resistance … doing so just adds to the perception that their cause is unjust."

On the day of the attacks, Professor Keane tweeted an image of a set of green flags with Arabic writing on them closely resembling Hamas flags.

Professor Keane reportedly said the allegation he had posted Hamas flags was “absurd” and the picture he shared was simply of “green flags”.

Rotstein Commercial Lawyers managing director Hamish Rotstein called the filing “a significant move to confront the growing issue of hate speech on university campuses.”

“The legal action seeks to differentiate hate speech from free speech and to protect Jewish, Israeli and Zionist students, academics and staff from antisemitic rhetoric that has contributed to an unsafe university environment,” Mr Rotstein said.

“This case is about ensuring that universities remain places of open intellectual discussion while safeguarding individuals against harmful rhetoric. Upholding existing laws is essential to maintaining fundamental protections and accountability.”

The lawsuit was filed following the termination of the Human Rights Commission process, after complaints against the two academics were lodged with the watchdog by lawyers representing the group of students and staff.

At the time of the complaints to the commission, Dr Riemer and Professor Keane said in a statement allegations they had breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act were “baseless”.


Kassy Akiva: ‘Free Palestine’ Brick Thrown Through Window Of Kosher Grocery Store In Boston Area
The owner of a kosher grocery store in the Boston-area is speaking out after a brick with “Free Palestine” on it was thrown through his business’s window Saturday night.

The owner of The Butcherie, Gil Zilberberg, said a brick was thrown through the window of his store in Brookline—a Boston suburb with a large Jewish population— by masked men early around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.

“This is an attack on the Jewish people of Boston,” Zilberberg told The Daily Wire. “Nobody should be fearful of coming to get kosher food.”

Surveillance footage obtained by The Daily Wire shows a group of masked vandals behind and beside the store before one of them runs up and hurls a brick through a map displaying winery locations in Israel. The group quickly ran away down the street. Police are investigating the incident, but no one has been apprehended.

“There is a non-political statement here. This is a map of Israel with all the best wines that Israel has to offer,” Zilberberg said. “This is just a pure hate crime.”

One of the grocery store’s employees found the brick and shattered glass when coming to open the store Sunday morning.

The 54-year-old store is the only kosher grocery in the Boston area and has been in Zilberberg’s family since his grandfather opened it in 1971.

“This has never happened in the Butcherie’s history,” Zilberberg said.

Zilberberg pointed out that the vandalism occurred overnight when his fellow Jews in Israel were sheltering from Iranian ballistic missiles.

“I feel horrible as a Jewish person that we have to go through these things these days,” Zilberberg said.


Despite the war, more Jews are flocking to live in Israel
In North America, more than 4,000 people have made aliyah since October 7, 2023 and there have been more than 10,000 requests to open aliyah files, a 76 per cent increase from the same period a year ago, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel. Aliyah to Jerusalem alone surged by 20 percent in 2024 compared to the year prior, with 1,725 North Americans moving there since October 7.

For Valerie Zundel, moving from Florida to Tel Aviv last June was an ordeal, one that involved leaving behind her family and long-term boyfriend, but it was also an ancestral calling too transformative to ignore. “My great-grandfather was a pioneer here,” she said. “He helped build the streets and fought against the British for this land to be the Jewish state, and I feel like he’s a voice inside me welcoming me to the land he fought for.”

The outbreak of war was the catalyst, not the deterrent, that prompted Edward Forman, his wife Lianne, as well as his daughter, son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters to move to Israel from Teaneck, New Jersey. “We had started our aliyah planning before October 7, but accelerated our plans once the war broke out,” Forman said. “Anecdotally, we sense that many more people are exploring and starting the immigration process – or are looking to buy an apartment in Israel.”

Jake Levin, who moved to Jerusalem from Atlanta last April, has been studying Hebrew with around 100 other recent emigrants. “All of them talk about the war and the consequent rise in antisemitism as a major factor [for moving to Israel],” he said.

Rampant antisemitism in Australia and a need for connection to Israel led to Jessica Nankin packing up her life in Melbourne for Tel Aviv last December. “My soul needed to do aliyah,” she said. “When the war started, I was almost desperate to be in Israel as I felt so disconnected in Australia, especially after all the antisemitism there.”

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry recorded a 500 per cent spike in antisemitic incidents since last October, Jewish schools being vandalised with antisemitic language and the windows of a Jewish lawmaker being smashed.
UN Watch: Douglas Murray Accepts UN Watch's 2025 Moral Courage Award
Douglas Murray is one of the most talented writers, debaters and political commentators of this generation.

Author of the 2022 New York Times instant bestseller “The War on the West,” Murray serves as an editor for The Spectator and has written seven thought-provoking books on a range of social issues.

Murray is known for his unwavering moral clarity on the challenges facing the West and his deep engagement with Israel and the problem of antisemitism.

In his new book coming out next week, “On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel, Hamas and the Future of the West,” Murray ties together these vital themes for our challenging times, arguing that the West’s very future is at stake.

Since October 7th, through his on-the-ground reporting in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, and in numerous appearances in debates and in the media, Murray has emerged as one of the world’s most brilliant, fearless and influential defenders of Israel.

UN Watch is proud to honor Douglas Murray with its 2025 Moral Courage Award.










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Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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