Israel bombs Tehran prison as Iranian missiles disrupt power supply
Israel and Iran exchanged heavy strikes on Monday in one of the most intense days of the conflict since the Israeli military launched an offensive against the Islamic Republic more than a week ago.
The Israeli military said it carried out wide-ranging attacks on 'regime targets' in Tehran, including sites tied to Iran's internal security apparatus, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Evin Prison, which holds prominent political dissidents.
Iran's Nour news agency reported that the detainees were safe.
Iranian state and semi-official media reported that an electricity feeder station was hit in northern Tehran, leading to localised blackouts.
The Qom province's crisis centre confirmed that Israel also targeted the Fordow nuclear facility, the most fortified nuclear sites in Iran, already struck by the US air force a day earlier.
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The Israeli military said the attack was meant to block access routes to the site.
The Iranian people will never forgive or forget US-Israeli attacks Read More »
Iranian student media also reported a strike at Shahid Beheshti University.
The air strike came shortly after a barrage of Iranian missiles that triggered sirens across Israel for over 30 minutes on Monday morning.
Explosions were heard throughout the country, caused either by direct missile impacts or interceptor defences.
Israeli authorities reported damage "near a strategic infrastructure facility" in the south, which disrupted power supply. However, military censorship restricts public disclosure, leaving the full extent of the Iranian strikes unclear.
Search and rescue teams were deployed to multiple locations where missile impacts were confirmed, though no casualties were reported.
Iran seeks Russia's help
As exchanges of fire escalated, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi flew to Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Reuters, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had dispatched Araghchi to Moscow to deliver a message to Putin personally.
In a press conference in Moscow attended by Putin and Aragchi, the Russian president condemned Israel's attacks on Iran, saying: "Russia's position in supporting Iran is clear. We reject the Israeli aggression, and it has no justification whatsoever."
Putin added that Russia "was trying to help the people of Iran", although he did not give any details of what assistance Russia would provide to Tehran.
Iranian sources told Reuters that Tehran is frustrated with the lack of robust Russian support and is seeking a stronger commitment in the face of intensifying Israeli and US actions.
The Iranian foreign minister, speaking to Russia's Tass agency, said Tehran and Moscow were 'coordinating their positions' on the current crisis.
Since 13 June, Israeli strikes in Iran have killed at least 430 people and wounded 3,500, according to health officials. Independent sources suggest the death toll could be much higher.
Meanwhile, Iranian missile attacks have killed at least 25 people and wounded 2,500, according to Israeli officials.
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Middle East Eye
24 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
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In the wake of the United States bombing Iranian territory for the very first time, Tehran is considering its options. Iran is weighing up how to retaliate to Washington striking three of its nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan over the weekend. Among the retaliatory actions is attacking US assets in the region, a move that Iran has begun doing after striking an American airbase in Qatar on Monday. It could also follow through on threats to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, an international pact that promotes nuclear disarmament and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful means. Or - in a move similar to its Houthi allies in Yemen - it could damage global trade by disrupting the flow of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis disrupted international trade in the Red Sea for over a year, firing missiles and drones at vessels, in an act of solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli bombardment. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Over the weekend, Iran's parliament voted to take a similar approach in the Strait of Hormuz. Ultimately, the vote was non-binding, and the power for such a decision lies with Iranian security officials. But it's a threat that has been taken very seriously by the international community, with Washington, the European Union, the UK and other global players urging against it. While closing the highly strategic strait would give Tehran a powerful lever, analysts believe that it could be Iran itself that suffers the most from such a move. Total or partial disruption The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime channel, around 33km at its narrowest point, between the Musandam peninsula in Oman and Iran. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, via the Gulf of Oman. It is considered to be within the territorial waters of both Iran and Oman. The strait is described as the most significant oil chokepoint in the world, with around a fifth of global oil output passing through it, and a third of global liquified natural gas (LNG). Roughly 20 million barrels of oil pass through the strait every day, of which around 14 million barrels are crude oil and six million are petroleum products. In addition, more than 10 billion cubic feet of LNG pass through the strait, much of which comes from Qatar. There are a number of different scenarios for how Iran could take action in the Strait of Hormuz. One of them is Iran directly closing the strait, according to Noam Raydan, an expert on maritime risks in the Middle East. Closing it would likely involve mining the shipping lanes with explosive munitions that would explode if they detect passing traffic. Tehran is believed to own thousands of Chinese-made sea mines. 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Gulf, Iran and Asia most impacted Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar are all reliant on the Strait of Hormuz for exporting hydrocarbons. "Closing the Strait of Hormuz would not benefit Iran or its allies, as well as its relations with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries which appear to be in a good standing so far," Raydan said. While Iran and Gulf countries have historically been major foes, they have sought to build bridges in recent years. That included restoring diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia two years ago. "Iranian officials may also be mindful of the fact that their improved relations with Gulf states would be jeopardised by any attempt to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, an expert on energy in the Middle East and fellow at the Baker Institute, told MEE. Iraq would also be severely impacted. "I would keep my eye on Iraq - OPEC's second biggest oil producer that greatly relies on oil exports from Basra - via Hormuz - for revenues," said Raydan. "Iraq is also home to some Iran-aligned armed groups that could intervene in the current conflict." It's not just Arab neighbours who export oil through the Strait of Hormuz - Iran itself is reliant on the waterway. "Iran has not stopped exporting its own oil via Hormuz since the conflict began, and these are sources of revenues for Tehran," said Raydan. 'Iran has not stopped exporting its own oil via Hormuz since the conflict began' - Noam Raydan, maritime expert Ninety percent of Iran's oil exports are to China, which receives it through the strait. Beijing is one of Iran's key partners on the global stage, so such a move would be both economically and politically destructive. The oil importers most affected by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are all in Asia. "Roughly 84 percent of the oil passing through the strait is destined for Asian markets," Shokri said. "India receives nearly 40 percent of its crude oil through the strait." As well as China and India, Japan and South Korea receive large amounts of oil via the strait. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE have operational pipelines that can circumvent the Strait of Hormuz, Iran does not. Saudi Aramco operates the East-West crude oil pipeline, while the UAE can connect its onshore oil fields to the Fujairah export terminal on the Gulf of Oman, bypassing Hormuz. While Iran has built the Goreh-Jask pipeline and the Jask export terminal on the Gulf of Oman, it has not been used since 2021 and does not have the capacity to bypass the strait. Raydan noted that in the event that Iran can no longer export oil - for example if its export infrastructure was damaged significantly in an attack - then the risk of more serious Iranian actions along the strait may increase. 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Middle East Eye
24 minutes ago
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US moved aircraft, military equipment from Qatar to Saudi Arabia before attack, source says
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