Israel targets Iran's government, a notorious Tehran prison as Iran
launches more attacks on Israel
[June 23, 2025]
By DAVID RISING and JON GAMBRELL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel hit Iranian government targets
in Tehran on Monday in a series of strikes that followed a salvo of
missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel in the wake of the Trump
administration’s massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites the day
before.
Israel’s Defense Ministry said it hit targets including the notorious
Evin Prison in the Iranian capital and the security headquarters of the
paramilitary Revolutionary Guards.
“The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the
Israeli home front,” the Ministry said.
Iran's underground enrichment site at Fordo, which was one of those hit
in Sunday's attack by the U.S. on three nuclear facilities, was also
struck again on Monday, Iranian state television reported. There was no
immediate word on damage or who hit Fordo, though Israel said earlier it
hitting Iran.
Nuclear fears mount after US strikes
In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he
expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility already
following the Sunday's U.S. airstrike there with sophisticated
bunker-buster bombs.
“Given the explosive payload utilized ... very significant damage ... is
expected to have occurred,” said Rafael Grossi, the head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency.
With the strikes on Sunday on Iranian nuclear sites, the United States
inserted itself into Israel’s war, prompting fears of a wider regional
conflict. Iran said the U.S. had crossed “a very big red line” with its
risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound
bunker-buster bombs.
Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran
spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time.
Grossi told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that Iranian Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi had informed him on June 13 that Iran would
“adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials.”
“I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded
facility to another location in Iran must be declared,” Grossi said,
without saying whether Iran had responded.
Israel and Iran press their attacks
Iran described its Monday attack on Israel as as a new wave of its
Operation “True Promise 3,” saying it was targeting the Israeli cities
of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television.
Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports
of damage.
In Iran, witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes hit areas around Iran’s
capital, Tehran, around midday. Iranian state television confirmed one
Israeli strike hit the gate of Evin Prison.
The report shared what appeared to be black-and-white-surveillance
footage of the strike. The prison is known for holding dual nationals
and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations
with the West.
Evin also has specialized units for political prisoners and those with
Western ties, run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers
only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the
target of both U.S. and European Union sanctions.
Earlier Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint
staff of armed forces, warned Washington its strikes had given Iranian
forces a “free hand “ to "act against U.S. interests and its army.”
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In this photo released on Monday, 23, 2025, by Iranian army press
service, Iran's army commander-in-chief Gen. Amir Hatami, center,
accompanied by high ranked army commanders, speaks in a video call
with top commanders of the army, in Zolfaghar central headquarters,
Iran, as portraits of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah
Khomeini, left, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hang on
the wall. (Iranian Army Press Service via AP)
Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East,
many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles.
Calls for de-escalation
The U.S. described its Sunday attack on the Fordo and Natanz
enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear sit, as a
one-off to take out Iran's nuclear program, but President Donald
Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates.
Mousavi described the American attacks as violating Iran’s
sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the
state-run IRNA news agency reported.
In the wake of the American attacks, calls came from across the
globe for de-escalation and the return to diplomacy to try and
resolve the conflict.
On Monday, the European Union's top diplomat said the bloc remained
“very much focused on the diplomatic solution.”
“The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge,” Kaja
Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels
where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda.
“Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something
that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody,” Kallas
said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport.
After Sunday's attacks, Iranian officials repeated their longtime
threats of possibly closing the key shipping lane.
Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes
only, previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow
international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015
deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in
exchange for sanctions relief.
But after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during
his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% — a short,
technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% — and
restricting access to its nuclear facilities.
As he arrived in Brussels on Monday for a meeting with his EU
counterparts, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul renewed calls
for Iran to agree again to direct talks with the United States but
says Europe still has a role to play.
“We already made it very clear to the Iranian side that a real
precondition for a settlement to the conflict is that Iran be ready
to negotiate directly with the U.S.,” he said, while adding that the
European group known as the E3 “will contribute what we can.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was meeting on Monday in
Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Iran's key
allies.
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Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Ella Joyner in
Brussels, Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna and Melanie Lidman in
Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
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