IRIA News

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In a retaliatory strike, Iran launched a massive missile barrage against Israel on June 13, 2025, targeting its strategic military-industrial centers in response to Israeli attacks earlier that day on Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

According to Iran’s state media, the Islamic Republic fired “hundreds of various ballistic missiles” toward Israeli territory, calling the operation a “crushing response” to Israel’s aggressive actions.

“Moments ago, with the launch of hundreds of various ballistic missiles toward the occupied territories, the operation of decisive response to the savage attack of the Zionist regime has begun,” Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, reported.

This unprecedented confrontation between Iran and Israel marks a dangerous new phase in the shadow war the two nations have long waged through proxies and covert actions. Until now, both countries have generally avoided open state-to-state attacks of this magnitude.

Iran hits IDF headquarters

A wave of Iranian missiles set off sirens across Israel, including in Tel Aviv, according to the Israeli military. In Jerusalem, loud booms were heard, which rattled windows.

Videos posted on social media showed Iranian missiles striking Israel’s top military headquarters in central Tel Aviv on Friday. The clips showed missile defense interceptors launching, followed by a light streak, a loud boom, and a bright flash as the incoming missile explodes.

NOW – Iran struck The Kirya compound, Israel’s equivalent to the U.S. Pentagon, Fox News confirms. pic.twitter.com/BZULnckB0A

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) June 13, 2025

At least one of the missiles reached a sensitive command site inside Israel. The explosion took place in the Kirya section of Tel Aviv, which houses several military facilities including the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters, local and international media reported.

IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin’s press conference at the Kirya base was abruptly cut short after a heightened alert was issued at military headquarters. While Defrin was taking questions, a loudspeaker announced the base was entering “defensive standby,” signaling preparations for a possible attack. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir is directing the operation against Iran from a bunker at the Kirya.

Strategic targets

Following its missile offensive, Iran declared that its missiles had “effectively hit strategic targets” inside Israel. These targets included facilities responsible for producing missiles and other advanced military hardware.

The Islamic Republic claimed success through what it called “field reports, satellite imagery, and intercepted intelligence,” asserting that dozens of missiles had reached their intended objectives.

Tehran framed the attack as just the beginning. Describing the missile barrage as phase one, Iranian officials hinted that further actions could follow if Israeli aggression continues.

IMPACT IN CENTRAL TEL AVIV pic.twitter.com/XnJih8vBTk

— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) June 13, 2025

Israeli response

Despite Iran’s assertions, Israeli officials downplayed the impact of the missile attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, Effie Defrin, stated in a video message that Iran had launched fewer than 100 missiles, and only a few landed within Israeli territory. He added that some of the damage was caused by debris from intercepted missiles rather than direct strikes.

Nevertheless, the damage was tangible. In Tel Aviv and across the Gush Dan region, Israel’s largest metropolitan area, including Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, explosions rocked the skyline and residents were forced into bomb shelters.

According to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency service, at least 34 people were injured in the attacks. One woman was reported in critical condition, and a man was seriously wounded.

Videos released by MDA showed civil defense teams navigating rubble-strewn streets, mangled vehicles, and damaged buildings. After roughly an hour, Israeli authorities gave the all-clear, allowing residents to exit their bomb shelters, but remain nearby in case of further Iranian attacks.

The build-up and escalation

The Iranian missile strikes came hours after Israel carried out a major air campaign in the early hours of Friday morning, targeting suspected nuclear facilities and military leadership compounds in and around Tehran.

Israel’s strikes have killed 78 Iranian people, including senior military officials, and injured 329 others, according to Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani.

The Israeli offensive aimed to cripple Iran’s nuclear program and disrupt command and control infrastructure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The scope and ambition of the Israeli strikes shocked the whole world.

Notably, Israel conducted its operation without prior coordination with the United States. Despite their historically close ties, the Biden administration made clear that Washington was “not involved.” A senior U.S. official told the media that Israel acted unilaterally, and the decision had not been pre-cleared with Washington.

Regional and international involvement

Some sources have reported that the United States assisted in intercepting incoming Iranian missiles on Friday night. In addition, other countries in the region reportedly contributed to Israeli air defense efforts, although specifics were not disclosed. This cooperative defense posture echoed similar patterns from past Iranian missile and drone attacks.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a strongly worded response late Friday night, declaring that Iran had “crossed red lines” by launching missiles at civilian areas and warning of severe consequences. “Iran will pay a very heavy price,” Katz vowed.

Netanyahu’s message to Iranians

In a recorded address Friday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the people of Iran directly. Seeking to separate the Iranian populace from its leadership, he emphasized, “Israel’s fight is not against the Iranian people, but rather its government.”

He also promised that the Israeli response was far from over: “More is on the way. The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker,” Netanyahu declared.

Netanyahu’s remarks come as Israel weighs its next steps. With tensions at an all-time high and both sides claiming moral and strategic justification for their actions, fears of a broader regional war are intensifying.

Broader implications

This exchange of fire between two of the Middle East’s most powerful military actors significantly heightens the risk of a wider war engulfing the region. Both nations have extensive networks of allies and proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and various Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, which could become engaged depending on how events unfold.

Furthermore, the conflict threatens global energy markets and maritime shipping lanes, especially if it spills over into the Persian Gulf or affects the Strait of Hormuz. Already, oil prices spiked in after-hours trading Friday night.

International reactions have been swift but cautious. The United Nations has called for restraint on both sides, and diplomatic channels are reportedly being activated in capitals from Washington to Moscow to contain the crisis.

With both Iran and Israel vowing further action and neither appearing ready to de-escalate, the prospect of continued military exchange looms large. Analysts suggest that unless external powers manage to broker a diplomatic pause, the region could be headed for a prolonged period of instability.

For now, Friday’s events mark a stark turning point. What began as a covert struggle has erupted into open warfare, a development with far-reaching implications not just for the Middle East, but for global security as a whole.