Pre-dawn airstrikes on June 14 rocked the Iranian city of Zanjan and the capital Tehran. The headquarters of Iran’s 216th Armoured Brigade, located in Zanjan — a city of immense military and strategic significance northwest of Tehran — was bombarded with high-precision Israeli fighter jets, triggering massive explosions, secondary blasts from ammunition stores, and a towering inferno that lit up the skyline for hours.
This was not an isolated attack. Merely hours later, an explosion was reported at Tehran’s heavily guarded Mehrabad Airport — close to hangars used to house fighter jets — signaling that Israel’s warplanes had struck at the very nerve centers of Iran’s military infrastructure. In the aftermath, all major Iranian airports were shut down indefinitely amid fears of further Israeli operations.
This sequence of high-impact strikes, footage of which was shared on social media by the Israeli Air Force (IAF), signals a dramatic escalation in the ongoing war between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran — a war long fought through proxies, cyberattacks, and intelligence operations, now erupting into a direct and unprecedented military confrontation.
The city of Zanjan, approximately 320 km from Tehran, hosts the 216th Armoured Brigade — a key pillar of Iran’s conventional ground force. Satellite images and local footage circulating online show scorched buildings, burned-out vehicles, and a raging fire consuming large sections of the base. According to military analysts, this brigade plays a central role in the deployment of heavy armour in northern and central Iran and serves as a strategic reserve force for Tehran’s defense.
Sources from Iran International, a UK-based Persian-language outlet, reported that multiple guided munitions were deployed in a precision strike, possibly involving stand-off weapons launched from Israeli airspace or submarines stationed in the Persian Gulf. The operation appeared meticulously planned — avoiding civilian zones while delivering surgical damage to Iran’s military command centers.
The strike on Mehrabad Airport, although reported by Iranian state media as “non-critical,” was anything but symbolic. The explosion occurred near hangars believed to house Qaher-class fighter jets and underground drone storage, situated behind Terminal 4. State officials claimed there was no damage to the airport’s core infrastructure — a statement met with skepticism given the immediate closure of all airports in the country.
The ability of Israeli jets to reach this fortified location, evade Iran’s integrated air defense systems, and hit such a protected site, underscores a sobering reality: Iranian skies are no longer safe, and the myth of impenetrability has been shattered.
The Israeli Air Force released a statement and a video on X showing footage of the Zanjan strike. The caption read: “The Air Force continues to attack targets to eliminate threats in Iranian territory.”
חיל-האוויר ממשיך לתקוף מטרות להסרת איום במרחב איראן: pic.twitter.com/aVMltxfh8R
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 14, 2025
This marks the second time in two days that Israel has acknowledged operations inside Iran — following Friday’s targeted strikes on what Israeli officials described as “critical nuclear infrastructure.” These back-to-back strikes confirm that Israel is now executing a campaign of sustained aerial warfare inside Iranian territory — a drastic shift from previous covert actions.
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), issued a strong statement:
“Israel conducted precise strikes on terror targets, while operating a thousand miles away. Iran fired missiles indiscriminately toward the civilian population. One side conducts brave operations and has its civilians stay safe—the other side hides like cowards and targets civilians. That’s all you need to know.”
Israel conducted precise strikes on terror targets, while operating a thousand miles away.
Iran fired missiles indiscriminately toward the civilian population.One side conducts brave operations and has its civilians stay safe—the other side hides like cowards and targets…
— LTC Ariella Mazor (@LTC_Ariella) June 13, 2025
He added: “Once again, Iranian missiles are aimed at homes, families, children all over Israel. The world can no longer treat this as Israel’s problem alone. Silence is complicity.”
Once again, Iranian missiles are aimed at homes, families, children all over Israel.
The world can no longer treat this as Israel’s problem alone. Silence is complicity.
— LTC Ariella Mazor (@LTC_Ariella) June 13, 2025
Following the strikes on Zanjan and Tehran, Iran launched over a dozen drones and ballistic missiles targeting Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv. The barrage led to multiple air raid alerts across Israel. While most of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome and David’s Sling systems, at least two missiles reportedly struck residential buildings, injuring civilians and sparking fires.
Videos from Tel Aviv show panic-stricken families running for shelter as sirens wailed through the night. This tit-for-tat exchange is rapidly spiraling into a direct state-on-state war with devastating consequences for both sides.
In a fiery statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei directly accused the United States of enabling Israel’s latest air raids: “The attack would not have happened without Washington’s permission. You cannot claim to negotiate with us and at the same time allow the Zionist regime to bomb Iranian soil.”
Referring to the now-stalled nuclear deal negotiations between Tehran and Washington, Baqaei said:
“The other side acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. The era of strategic patience is over.” This marks a significant shift in Iranian rhetoric — away from veiled threats to direct confrontation, both with Israel and the United States.
The Israeli Defence Forces reiterated its justification for the military campaign, stating:
“Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and the wider world. The State of Israel has no choice but to fulfil the obligation to act in defence of its citizens.”
The Israeli leadership, according to defense insiders, had already decided that the window to act was closing rapidly — and that only kinetic operations could disrupt Iran’s accelerated uranium enrichment programs.
