Tel Aviv [Israel], June 23 (ANI): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Israeli fighter jets, operating on intelligence provided by the IDF Intelligence Directorate, conducted precision airstrikes on command centers belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Internal Security Forces in Tehran, dealing a significant blow to Iran’s military and internal security infrastructure.
According to the IDF statement, the targets included vital command hubs responsible for homeland defense, regime stability, and the suppression of domestic dissent on behalf of the Iranian regime. Among the primary targets was the headquarters of the Basij, a paramilitary force under the IRGC tasked with enforcing Islamic law and policing civil conduct.
In addition, the Alborz Corps, which oversees the security of several cities within the Tehran District, was struck. The Intelligence and General Security Police, part of the Internal Security Forces and critical to Iran’s surveillance and suppression architecture, were also targeted.
“These command centers have significant military effect and additionally they impact the regime’s ability to impose control,” said the IDF. “The strikes harmed the Iranian regime’s military capabilities.”
Netanyahu: “We Are Very Close to Our Goals”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the situation following the strikes, asserting that Israel was “very close” to achieving its strategic goals in Iran. He claimed the operation had caused “very serious damage” to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Netanyahu stressed that the campaign’s objectives are focused and finite. “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve [the goals], but we also won’t finish too soon,” he said during a pre-recorded statement. “When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop.”
Referring specifically to the nuclear facility at Fordow, Netanyahu said it had suffered significant damage, though he declined to provide further details. He added, “We are sending them back, we are removing the threat.”
He also highlighted intelligence reports that Iran was preparing to manufacture 300 ballistic missiles per month, which contributed to the decision to launch the strikes. Netanyahu claimed over half of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed in the past 10 days.
Operation Midnight Hammer: Coordinated US-Israel Offensive
The latest Israeli action builds upon Operation Midnight Hammer, a coordinated US military campaign that struck three of Iran’s major nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—with B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have confirmed the success of the operation, with Trump calling the strikes “monumental” in terms of damage dealt to Iran’s underground facilities.
Netanyahu acknowledged coordination with President Trump, stating, “I told him of our need to act, and he understood it very well… He would do the right thing for America, the free world, and for civilisation.”
Linking Iran to Gaza Conflict
Netanyahu linked the Iran offensive to the ongoing war in Gaza, arguing that Iranian support underpins Hamas’s operations. “Without the Iranian scaffolding, it all collapses,” he stated. He added that the war could end “today” if Hamas surrendered, disarmed, and released all hostages.
The Gaza conflict, which began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to 251 abductions, has continued for months. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization supported by Iran.
Currently, Hamas is believed to be holding 50 hostages, of whom at least 20 are confirmed to be alive, according to IDF assessments. (ANI)
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