Israel is apparently once again attacking targets in the Iranian capital. An army spokesman called on Tehran residents to leave parts of the city. At the same time, the air force reported successes against Iranian air defenses.
Israel's air force has once again attacked targets in the Iranian capital Tehran. Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions in the west of the metropolis. According to consistent media reports, airstrikes also occurred in the east of the city.
During a visit to an Israeli air base, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence that Israel was on the way to achieving its two most important goals: eliminating the nuclear and missile threats."We are on the road to victory," Netanyahu said."If we control the airspace over Tehran, we will hit those targets—regime targets."
He added: "We tell the citizens of Tehran: Leave the area!" The Israeli army published maps online showing areas of the city where attacks on military infrastructure are expected to take place in the coming hours."For your safety, evacuate the marked area," Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in Persian on the online service X.
"Militarily inferior," Nadja Armbrust, ARD Istanbul, on the situation in Iran tagesschau24, June 16, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
"Full air superiority in the skies over Tehran"
Israel had previously claimed to have gained control of the airspace over the Iranian capital, which would allow for unhindered operations. Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said:"It can now be said that we have achieved full air superiority in the skies over Tehran."
The Israeli military reportedly launched massive attacks on the Islamic Republic's missile facilities. More than 120 launch pads were hit, destroying a total of one-third of the surface-to-surface missile launch pads in Iran. Missile depots and missile manufacturing facilities were also hit.
New attacks on Israel
However, this does not mean that the threat posed by Iran has been averted for Israel. In new rocket attacks on Israeli cities, Iran overcame defense systems, including the Iron Dome. According to paramedics, eight people were killed and 92 injured on Monday night. Four impacts occurred in the greater Tel Aviv area. EU countries Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, among others, announced their intention to evacuate their citizens from Israel.
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened retaliation against Tehran's residents—that is, civilians—following the attacks."The loudmouthed dictator from Tehran has become a cowardly murderer, deliberately targeting Israeli civilians to deter the Israeli army from continuing the offensive that is collapsing his capabilities," Katz wrote on X."The residents of Tehran will pay the price—and soon."
A few hours later, Katz qualified his statements with another statement:"I want to clarify the obvious: There is no intention whatsoever to inflict physical harm on the people of Tehran—as the murderous dictator does in his dealings with the Israeli population."
According to government figures, the total number of people killed in attacks in Israel since Friday is 24. Nearly 600 people have been injured since then. In Iran, at least 224 people have been killed since the start of the major Israeli offensive, according to official figures. Nearly 1,300 people have been injured, a representative of the Iranian Ministry of Health reported on X.
Israel hits Al-Quds command center
The Israeli Air Force also reportedly attacked the command centers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Al-Quds Force in Tehran. It claimed that terrorist attacks against the State of Israel were being planned there with the help of the Iranian leadership's proxies in the Middle East. The Al-Quds Force is the overseas unit of the Iranian shadow army, whose official mission is to conduct covert operations abroad.
However, a hospital was reportedly also hit in the Israeli airstrikes. Iranian media reportedly reported that a hospital in the large city of Kermanshah in western Iran was hit. A video from the Shargh newspaper showed a damaged intensive care unit and a bed covered in blood. An Israeli army spokesperson said the reports were being investigated.
According to reports, Iranian hospital hit - deaths and injuries also in Israel
Moritz Batscheider, BR, tagesschau, June 16, 2025, 4:00 p.m.Tehran residents leave the city
The ongoing attacks on Iran have triggered refugee movements in Tehran. Eyewitnesses reported clogged highways in the metropolis with more than 15 million inhabitants. Lines at gas stations sometimes stretched for miles; gasoline is in short supply. Banks, bazaars, pharmacies, and supermarkets remained closed. Large numbers of security forces were deployed in central squares. An eerie silence reigned on the streets at times.
Iran executed another suspected Israeli spy on Monday morning, according to the Misan news agency. The man allegedly worked for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and was convicted in Iran under Islamic law for"waging war against God" and "corruption on earth." He had already been arrested at the end of 2023. This is the third execution within a few months following espionage allegations.
Putin as mediator? Conceivable for Trump
US President Trump, meanwhile, has expressed openness to the idea of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin acting as a mediator in the war."I would be open to it," Trump told ABC television. Putin called him about it. Russia maintains close relations with Iran. The country has procured, among other things, massive quantities of drones from there for its war of aggression against Ukraine.
According to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Russia is in contact with Israel and Iran, as reported by the official news agency Tass. Talks on the issue are also underway with the United States, the RIA news agency added.
