Day 9: Saturday, June 21, 2025
• Israeli Military: Announced the killing of the regime IRGC Aerospace Force’s second drone unit commander in an airstrike, who directed hundreds of drone launches from Ahvaz toward Israel. Since Mohammad Bagher Taherpour’s death in last week’s Israeli attack, this commander played a pivotal role in drone operations.
• Times of Israel: Reported explosions in central Israel after sirens, unclear if caused by missile interceptions or impacts.
• CNN: Reported a fire in a Holon building near Tel Aviv’s business district, caused by shrapnel from downed Iranian missiles, following Iran’s state TV claim of an 18th missile wave.
• Israeli Military: Intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” near Ghajar by Lebanon after a drone sighting, origin unspecified.
• Morteza Heydari, Qom Provincial Crisis Management: Reported two killed, four injured in an Israeli attack on a Qom residential building, up from one teenager killed and two injured.
War, internet blackout, anxiety; connection with Iran has been severed
• Tasnim News Agency and Eghtesad News: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Istanbul for an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting to discuss Israel’s attacks, proposed by the regime, after meeting UK, French, and German ministers in Geneva.
• Israeli Military and Eyal Zamir: Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Zamir said preparations for Iran attacks began years ago, intensified secretly in recent months, enabled by “operational and strategic conditions.” Delaying risked disadvantage.
• Gideon Saar, Bild Interview, Time: Israeli Foreign Minister said attacks on nuclear/military sites and killing of Iranian commanders/scientists delayed Iran’s nuclear bomb by 2–3 years, per assessments. Regime change not a goal “so far.”
• Tulsi Gabbard: US Director of National Intelligence said Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in weeks, accusing media of distorting her March Senate testimony denying Iran’s weapon development. Trump twice contradicted her. Iran insists its program is peaceful.
• CBS News: Cited US/European diplomats on secret talks about Iran’s next leader, questioning nuclear facility security and attack consequences for allies, as Trump gave Iran two weeks to respond to US nuclear proposals.
• David Petraeus: Former CENTCOM commander said US ships in the region aim to prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz.
• Akbar Salehi, Isfahan Deputy Governor: Confirmed Israeli attack on Isfahan nuclear site, denying hazardous material leakage. Israel also targeted Lenjan, Mobarakeh, Shahreza, and Isfahan city areas, with no casualties.
Casualty and Damage Summary (as of June 21, 2025)
• Israel: 30 killed (28 prior + 2 in Qom attack, Iranian media), 906+ injured (886 prior + 20 in Bat Yam/Judean Foothills, BBC), (New York Times, Sky News citing AFP, AP, Israeli emergency services, Channel 12, Yedioth Ahronoth, Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, BBC, Iranian media); 99 buildings damaged (98 prior + 1 in Holon, CNN), 22 at risk of collapse, 20 vehicles burned in Tel Aviv, Soroka Hospital in Beersheba heavily damaged, Tel Aviv residential skyscraper, buildings in Ramat Gan, Holon, Beersheba (near Microsoft building, apartment complex, one destroyed), Haifa (port, mosque, school), Bat Yam (10-story block), Tamra, Rishon LeZion, and Petah Tikva affected; Beersheba north train station closed; ~4,000 civilians displaced (Sky News).
• Iran: 590 killed (588 prior + 2 IRGC commanders, Israeli military), 4,130 injured (4,126 prior + 4 in Qom, Iranian media); additional 26 killed in Borujerd/Khorramabad, 6 IRGC and 2 Basijis in Khmin, 2 at Tabriz’s Second Fighter Base, 30 senior military commanders, several IRGC in Bostanabad (Basij Student News Agency, Fars Telegram, IRGC Telegram, Israeli Military, IRGC).
Notable Damage
• Israel: Central power grid, Nevatim Airbase, Haifa ammonia plant, power station, Soroka Hospital, Haifa port, and mosque damaged.
• Iran: Tehran’s Foreign Ministry, Justice Ministry, IRIB building (reignited fire), Khabar Network studio, oil/gas facilities, residential areas, Bagheri Chitgar, Iran Mall, western, northeastern, eastern, District 3, Lavasan, Nobonyad, Yousefabad, Gisha (apartment hit), and Qom (residential building) Tehran locations, Kermanshah missile facility, Esfahan’s fighter base, Alavijeh Industrial Town, Imam Hussein University, Hakimiyeh in Tehranpars, Natanz enrichment halls (one destroyed, one damaged), Mehrabad Airport, Payam Airport area, Tehran Refinery, Parchin facilities, Khajir missile complex, IRGC-affiliated university, internal security agency headquarters, police information center, special police unit headquarters, Tehran hospital, Khondab heavy water facility (distillation unit damaged, IAEA), nuclear research complex, Sepand Organization, Bostanabad IRGC base, Rasht’s Sepidrud Industrial Town (explosion and fire), Shiraz IRGC barracks/ammunition depot, Fardis (Alborz) military base, Karaj Basij domain, and sites in Tabriz, Shiraz, Parand, Mehrshahr, Karaj, Lavasan, Isfahan (nuclear site, Lenjan, Mobarakeh, Shahreza), Kashan, Mallard, Kahrizak, Ahvaz, Zanjan, Qom, and Ahvaz’s Kianabad/Kianpars targeted; Isfahan nuclear-related facilities, Kashan checkpoint, and Arak heavy water facility (near Khondab) damaged; internet blackout for 72 hours (NetBlocks).
