Aerial view of collapsed buildings and emergency responders at a missile strike site in Tel Aviv after Iranian attacks. Photo: Reuters
Tehran Iran launched 40 solid- and liquid-fuel ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday, June 22, in its first response since the United States (US) targeted Iranian nuclear facilities in overnight airstrikes.
The attack marked a dangerous escalation in a conflict that has brought the region to the brink of wider war.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its forces used the Khaybar Shekan (“Castle Buster”) missile in combat for the first time. It claimed the missiles hit Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s biological research centre, and alternative military command sites. Several projectiles also struck Haifa, where no air raid sirens sounded.
In retaliation for Iran’s missile barrage, Israeli forces launched fresh airstrikes on western Iran, targeting missile batteries and military positions in an effort to prevent further attacks. It also declared maximum alert, closed its airspace, and suspended schools and public gatherings except in essential sectors.
Emergency services in Tel Aviv reported heavy damage, with Magen David Adom describing “extensive destruction” at several sites. Eleven people were injured as rescue teams worked to free those trapped in collapsed buildings.
In response to escalating tensions following US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced an emergency meeting of its Board of Governors on Monday.
“In light of the urgent situation in Iran, I am convening an emergency meeting of the @IAEAorg Board of Governors for tomorrow,” IAEA Director General Grossi posted on X on Sunday.
Earlier, the IAEA confirmed that no abnormal radiation levels had been detected in the aftermath of the bombings. The agency’s initial assessment has offered some relief amid fears of environmental consequences from the attacks. However, diplomatic and security concerns remain high.
The missile barrage came hours after US stealth bombers targeted Iran’s facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. According to The New York Times, B2 bombers were seen flying off the coast of California alongside aerial refuelling jets before the strike.
President Donald Trump announced on social media, “We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”
In a public address later, Trump called the airstrikes a “spectacular military success,” saying, “Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
He warned, “There will either be peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than what we’ve witnessed in the last eight days. Tonight’s [were] the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.”
The strikes mark a perilous decision for the US, as Iran had warned it would retaliate if Washington joined Israel’s assault.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) strongly condemned the joint US-Israeli military strikes on its nuclear sites, denouncing them as a clear violation of international law and a reckless provocation that “will not go unanswered.”
In a statement, the AEOI said the peaceful nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan were targeted at dawn in what it called a “barbaric and illegal act” that breaches the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“The American enemy, through a statement by its president on social media, has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks on these sites, which are under continuous monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) based on the safeguards agreement and the NPT,” it said.
The AEOI criticised the IAEA’s passive stance, accusing it of enabling aggression through silence. It urged the global community to denounce what it termed “lawless jungle behaviour” by the US and to support Iran in defending its legitimate rights.
The current crisis began on June 13, when Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, claiming to target Iran’s alleged weapons programme. The attacks killed several senior Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists, dealt significant damage to infrastructure, and triggered waves of Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israeli positions in the region. Iran has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons, insisting its programme is peaceful and open to international inspection.
According to Iran’s Ministry of Health, at least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured since the start of the Israeli strikes, as reported by state-run Nour News. In Israel, local authorities said that 24 civilians have been killed and 1,272 people injured in Iranian missile attacks, with 14 in critical condition.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi addressed the situation and said, “Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the United States’ military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.”
He added that the attack is an outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation of fundamental principles of the charter of the United Nations and international law. “The war-mongering and lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression.
Aragchi further said that the US military attack on the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of a UN member state was carried out with genocidal Israeli regime. This has once again revealed the extent of the United States hostility towards the peace-seeking people of Iran who will never compromise over their independence and sovereignty.
He concluded by saying that Iran will continue to defend its territorial sovereignty, security and people by all means necessary against not just the US military aggression but also the reckless and unlawful activities of the Israeli regime.
This post was last modified on June 22, 2025 6:52 pm