Tehran, June 23, 2025
The night sky over Tehran lit up with explosions as Israeli warplanes struck deep into the Iranian capital, targeting Evin prison and the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard in a bold escalation of a conflict now in its 11th day. Iran retaliated with a barrage of ballistic missiles aimed at Israeli cities and U.S. military bases in Qatar and Iraq, plunging the Middle East into a dangerous new phase of violence that threatens to spiral into a broader regional war.
The Israeli strikes, described by military analysts as surgically precise, hit critical infrastructure, including access routes to the Fordow nuclear facility, a site long suspected of housing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “This is about dismantling Iran’s ability to project power,” an Israeli defense official told CNN on condition of anonymity. The attacks left over 400 dead in Iran, mostly civilians, and nine security personnel killed in Yazd province, according to Al Jazeera. In Israel, Iranian missiles claimed 24 lives and injured hundreds, with sirens wailing across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Reuters).
The United States, a staunch Israeli ally, raised the stakes further by launching over 125 aircraft, including stealth B-2 bombers, to obliterate Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites with bunker-buster bombs. “The facilities are effectively destroyed,” a Pentagon spokesperson told CNN, though the International Atomic Energy Agency has yet to verify the damage. Iran’s response was swift: vows of retaliation and mass anti-U.S. protests in Tehran’s streets. The U.S. embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place order as tensions soared (Reuters).
Global leaders scrambled to contain the crisis. The G7 called for an immediate ceasefire, warning of “catastrophic consequences” (G7 Statement). Russia, aligning with Iran, condemned the U.S. strikes, with President Vladimir Putin hosting Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow (CNN). An X post from TheStudyofWar highlighted Iran’s defensive preparations, signaling no retreat. Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament debated withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a move that could shatter global non-proliferation efforts (X: AryJeay).
As smoke rises over Tehran and Tel Aviv, the world watches anxiously, fearing the next strike could ignite a conflict no one can control.
As smoke rises over Tehran and Tel Aviv, the world watches anxiously, fearing the next strike could ignite a conflict no one can control.
