Israel-Iran war, new attacks on Tel Aviv and Haifa. Bazan power plant hit, three dead, all refinery facilities closed

Haifa-based Israeli group Bazan said all refinery facilities were shut down after a power plant, used to produce steam and electricity, was severely damaged in an Iranian attack, according to a regulatory document on Monday.

The group claimed that the Iranian attack resulted in the death of three company employees. The refinery is located in Haifa Bay, according to Israeli media.

Iran launches combined drone and missile operations against Tel Aviv and Haifa. This was reported by Iranian state TV

Tehran has issued evacuation notices for Israeli news channels after the Israeli attack on the Iranian state broadcaster's building, Iranian state television reported. "Iran has issued an evacuation notice for Israeli channels N12 and N14. This order comes in response to the Zionist enemy's hostile attack on the broadcasting service of the Islamic Republic of Iran," state television stated.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that he had postponed his trip to Israel, scheduled for 22 June, where he was to address the Knesset. "Due to the complex situation unfolding in Iran and Israel, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and I have decided to postpone the special session of the Israeli parliament. I look forward to rescheduling my speech in the near future and send our prayers to the people of Israel and the Middle East," the Republican said in a note.

"We have opened a highway in the skies of Iran, we dominate them. We are on the road to victory. If anyone had doubts, today they no longer have any. Even the Iranians understand this." Benyamin Netanyahu said this at a press conference. "We hit the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz hard, we destroyed a huge number of launchers: it doesn't matter how many missiles they have, it matters how many launchers." Netanyahu also announced that 'the Iranians had thousands of drones: we destroyed half of them'.

'We decided to operate at the last possible moment, after Iran came very close to producing a nuclear weapon'. Thus, speaking to Tg1 at 8pm, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

"We have verified that in six months, or even less, the material they have accumulated was enough to produce nine atomic bombs, and they continued to go ahead with their programme even during talks with the US," Saar added, finally recalling that "last week the IAA said that Iran is not complying with the agreements, having exhausted every other avenue we had to act because for us this is an existential threat.

"The Chief of Defence Staff has given the indications that are given when security conditions worsen internationally. So there should be no specific problems for our bases, there is a level of attention that has increased, as in all the times when, unfortunately, there are events of this type and security conditions worsen'. So says Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, responding to a question on the situation of Italian bases in the Middle East on the sidelines of the presentation of the National Security Strategy Report in Montecitorio.

Il ministro della Difesa Guido Crosetto (Sinistra) con il sottosegretario alla Sicurezza, Alfredo Mantovano, in occasione della presentazione del Rapporto sulla strategia di sicurezza nazionale a Montecitorio, Roma, 16 giugno 2025. ANSA/MASSIMO PERCOSSI

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with ABC News, did not rule out the possibility of targeting and killing Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Netanyahu said that targeting Khamenei would not lead to escalation but rather end the war that began on Friday between Israel and Iran. Asked by the interviewer about the news that US President Donald Trump had rejected an Israeli plan to assassinate Khamenei fearing that it would escalate the conflict, Netanyahu replied: 'It will not escalate the conflict, it will end it'. Then, when asked specifically about whether Israel will indeed target the Iranian supreme leader, Netanyahu replied that Israel 'is doing what we have to do'.

"We have experienced half a century of conflict caused by this regime that terrorises everyone in the Middle East, has bombed the Aramco oil fields in Saudi Arabia and is spreading terrorism, subversion and sabotage everywhere," Netanyahu said. "The 'eternal war' is what Iran wants, and it is bringing us to the brink of a nuclear war. In reality, what Israel is doing is preventing this from happening by putting an end to this aggression, and we can only do this by standing up to the forces of evil," he said.

Alarm sirens went off in the Haifa area and northern Israel after Iran fired ballistic missiles. This was reported by the Times of Israel, according to which the IDF is working to repel the attacks and civilians have been asked to descend to shelters. The Israel Defence Forces (IDf) confirmed shortly after the identification of the missiles launched by Iran. "A short while ago the Israel Defence Forces identified missiles fired by Iran towards the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are in place to intercept the threat," reads the Idf's Telegram profile. "Upon receipt of the alert, the population is invited to enter a protected location and remain there until further notice. Leaving the protected place is only allowed after an explicit directive. Continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command."

Thousands of residents of the Iranian capital Tehran are fleeing their homes and hoarding basic necessities for fear that Israel's campaign of air strikes against long-standing enemy Iran will intensify in the coming days. Reuters writes this, pointing out that the Israeli army has warned Iranian civilians in a series of messages to leave certain areas for their own safety, raising the prospect of an increasing barrage of air strikes.

The Iranian authorities dismissed the various messages as 'psychological warfare' and urged the population not to panic, although state television broadcast images of traffic jams on the roads leading out of the capital.

The US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is heading westward from the Indo-Pacific region and is expected to arrive in the Middle East by the end of June. This was reported by a US official, explaining that it had been planned for some time for the Nimitz to replace the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which is in the Arabian Sea with the 4 warships of its attack group, and pointing out, however, that these are not participating in the defence of Israel. According to the source, however, over the weekend two more US warships were used to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles, the destroyer USS The Sullivans and the USS Arleigh Burke. He added that the Sullivans and the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner are currently in the Mediterranean Sea, while the Arleigh Burke has moved away from the area. According to the source, the aircraft carrier Nimitz and the Carl Vinson will overlap in the Middle East for at least a short time before the Vinson returns to San Diego.

Iran is preparing to launch the 'largest and most intense missile attack in history on Israeli soil', Iranian state media claim, according to Reuters.

An Israeli attack reportedly hit Iranian state TV, according to media reports in Tehran.

Iran launched a new wave of missile attacks against Israel, killing at least five people. Meanwhile, Israel claimed it had achieved air superiority over Tehran and could fly over the Iranian capital without facing serious threats. On the fourth day of the conflict, the Israeli army claimed to have achieved air superiority over the Iranian capital, meaning it can fly over the city without facing serious threats, and that it plans to strike military sites in the city. The army issued similar evacuation warnings for civilians in parts of Gaza and Lebanon ahead of the attacks.

Iran today accused Israel of targeting a hospital in the west of the country, calling it a 'war crime'. "The Farabi hospital, located in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, was targeted by the Israeli regime's aggressive attacks," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

"Attacking hospitals, in addition to attacks on residential areas, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and a war crime," he added.

"Russia has zero credibility" to act as a mediator in the Israel-Iran conflict. "Putin has shown that he is only interested in war, has continuously violated international law, and recently signed a partnership agreement with Iran that includes cooperation in security and defence. In light of all this, Russia cannot be an objective mediator." So said EU Common Foreign and Security Policy spokesman Anouar El Anouni, answering journalists' questions during the European Commission's daily press briefing in Brussels today.

In the context of telephone contacts with EU and regional partners, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani held talks with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Iraq, Fuad Hussein. The talks, the Farnesina reported in a note, took stock of the military operations between Iran and Israel. Tajani expressed the Italian government's concern over the risk of escalation in the region and stressed the importance of resuming negotiations on the nuclear issue. The minister also raised the issue of the economic effects of the military operations on the entire region. The head of the Farnesina, who is also in charge of international trade, reminded his interlocutors that 40% of Italy's GDP comes from exports.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran, bilateral relations and other regional issues. This was reported by Anadolu Agency, citing the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communication. During the conversation, Erdogan warned that the Netanyahu government's attitude, which "ignores international law", poses a clear threat to the global order, stressing that the region cannot afford further war.

- Iranian sources hostile to the government have in the last few hours revived speculation that the staff of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, is 'in talks with the Russian authorities for an evacuation with the families, should the need arise'. This is reported by the opposition website Iran International, which is published in London and is often picked up by the Israeli media. The indiscretion, which cannot be verified, refers in particular to a possible safe-conduct for Ali Asghar Hejazi, Khamenei's deputy chief of staff. As for the ayatollah himself, the same site had written yesterday that he would be with family members in a bunker in Tehran

- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is "ready to assume a facilitating role to ensure an immediate end to the conflict (between Iran and Israel) and the resumption of nuclear negotiations" between Tehran and Washington, in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. During the conversation, which covered the conflict between Israel and Iran, Erdogan emphasised that Turkey attaches particular importance 'to maintaining peace and stability in its region', reports the Ankara Republic Presidency.

The alert remains yellow at the moment, but 'the situation is complicated and there is a higher level of attention, although there are no special situations. We are ready for any eventuality'. Unifil spokesman Andrea Tenenti told ANSA after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Iran. The mission's activities remain unchanged. "We support the Lebanese army in repositioning in the south and assist the population. A possible reshaping of the mission is up to the UN Security Council, which - he says - will meet in the coming weeks to negotiate the renewal of the mandate, which should come at the end of August'.

Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, gave an update on the situation at Iran's nuclear facilities following the military strikes launched by Israel, saying there were no signs of further damage at the enrichment sites in Natanz or Fordow, following those recorded over the weekend in Isfahan.

Grossi and the International Atomic Energy Agency he chairs had previously reported that the smallest of Iran's three enrichment plants, an above-ground facility at the vast Natanz nuclear complex, had been destroyed.

Defence Minister Israel Katz clarified his statement that "it will be the inhabitants of Tehran who will pay the price", saying: "I would like to clarify the obvious: there is no intention to physically harm the inhabitants of Tehran, as the murderous dictator is doing to the inhabitants of Israel". He added that 'the inhabitants of Tehran will be forced to pay the price for the dictatorship and evacuate their homes from areas where it will be necessary to attack regime targets and security infrastructure in Tehran'.

Iranian media instead claim that Israel launched an attack on the Farabi hospital in Kermanshah, western Iran. The Iranian Mehr news agency writes this, adding that "the Israeli regime continues to target Iranian civilians".

Iranian police arrested two more Mossad Israeli intelligence agents in Tehran province, and 200 kg of explosives and equipment for 23 drones were confiscated during the operation. This was stated by the spokesman of the Islamic Republic's police force, Sa'eed Montazer al-Mahdi, as reported by Irna, adding that the agents were identified and arrested last night in Fashafuyeh, Tehran province, while already the previous day, two other people believed to be Mossad agents were arrested in Alborz province, which borders Tehran province.

- In the Israeli Air Force raids on Tehran last night, at least a dozen command centres of the Quds Force, the elite unit of the Guardians of the Revolution, were reportedly hit. According to qualified security sources who are following developments in the war, these were locations in the neighbourhoods of Narmak and Lavizan, in north-east Tehran, where several explosions were reported. The bombings, again according to reports, also targeted the headquarters of the Basij, the paramilitary force founded by Khomeini

- Iranian media report that the political advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, is hospitalised in a 'relatively stable condition', the head of the medical team treating him said, according to Noornews. Last Friday, the website Iran International had reported that Shamkhani had been killed as a result of serious injuries sustained during the Israeli attack. On the same day, the Iranian state TV station had stated that the man had been injured.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, called on France, Germany and Great Britain to work to ensure that Israel ceases its attacks against the country. The European response to the Israeli raids has been "insufficient" and "inconsistent" politically, he added. France, Germany and Britain - i.e. the European countries that are signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal - "should have sharply condemned" Israel's attacks, especially those against Iran's "peaceful nuclear infrastructure", Baghaei said. "We naturally expect European countries to work to end the aggression... and condemn this regime's actions against Iran's nuclear facilities," he stressed

Air alerts were activated for the presence of Iranian drones in Caesarea (where PM Netanyahu's residence is located), Hadera, Pardes Hanna, Jisr a-Zarqa and other settlements in Sharon, south of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

The updated official death toll in Israel from Iran's attacks is 24 dead since Friday, 592 people wounded of whom 10 are in serious condition, 36 in moderate condition and 546 with minor injuries. This was reported by the Israeli PM's office, adding that Tehran had launched 370 ballistic missiles at Israel until this morning, 30 of which struck directly.

Eight drones launched from Iran were intercepted during the night by the Israeli Navy's missile launchers. This was reported by the IDF on its social media, pointing out that for the first time, the interception took place using the new 'Barak Magen' air defence system. According to the army, a number of drones were intercepted using Lrad interceptor missiles, part of the Barak Magen air defence system, installed on Sa'ar 6 Navy ships. Since the beginning of the operation, the IDF adds, 'some 25 unmanned drones that posed a threat to civilians in the State of Israel have been intercepted'.

Alarm sirens are sounding in southern Israel over a ballistic missile launched from Yemen. This was stated by the Israeli army on its social media.

China urges Israel and Iran to "immediately" take all useful measures to cool tensions and start the de-escalation process in the Middle East, after another night of heavy cross-missile attacks. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, speaking at the daily briefing, said Beijing calls on "all sides to take immediate action to calm tensions, to prevent the region from ending up in even greater turmoil, and to create conditions for a quick return to the right pace of problem-solving through dialogue and negotiations".

The official radio station of the Israeli army reports that the death toll of the latest Iranian attacks has risen to eight people. The update comes after the three people who went missing in the city of Haifa were confirmed dead, the station reported. Previously, five other people had been killed in central Israel.

This means that more than 20 people have been killed in Israel since the army launched attacks against Iran four days ago. Over 300 other people have been injured.

The Israeli Health Ministry stated that 287 people were hospitalised across the country overnight following Iranian rocket attacks in the north and centre of the Jewish state.

One person is in serious condition and 14 were moderately injured, two of whom were admitted to the Schneider Children's Hospital in Petah Tikvah. Most of the others were slightly injured or suffered acute shock.

"We have the right to peaceful nuclear energy, no one can take this right away from the Iranian nation," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated in the context of the ongoing conflict with Israel. "According to the policies of the leader of the Islamic revolution, Iran does not seek nuclear weapons," the Iranian president said, as reported by PressTv, referring to the fatwa of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, which in 2003 banned the use and production of weapons of mass destruction.

Israeli attacks on Iran have claimed 224 lives since the start of hostilities last Friday, Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour announced.

The US Air Force has carried out an unprecedented massive deployment of KC-135 and KC-46 tanker aircraft over the Atlantic from bases on the US mainland, fuelling considerable speculation that the aircraft may be intended to participate in the ongoing Israeli-Iranian war. The number of aircraft, Military Watch Magazine reports, has continued to increase, and in the final hours of 15 June, the number of aircraft reportedly exceeded 30.

According to reports, tanker planes from several Western countries are taking part in the Israeli Air Force's aerial refuelling activities to facilitate attacks against Iran, raising the possibility that these newly deployed tanker planes may be destined for the same purpose, i.e. refuelling Israeli assets.

- At least 1,481 people were killed or injured in Iran during Israeli raids that began on Friday, the Iranian Ministry of Health announced.

A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition after a rocket exploded in Gush Dan, the metropolitan area that includes Tel Aviv. This was reported by the director of the ambulance service Eli Bin

Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said that the people of Tehran "will pay the price" for Iranian attacks on Israeli civilians. "The vainglorious dictator of Tehran has turned into a cowardly murderer, deliberately opening fire on the Israeli civilian home front in an attempt to deter (the Israeli army) from continuing the offensive that is crippling its capabilities," Katz wrote on his Telegram channel. "The people of Tehran will pay the price, and soon," he warned.

The death toll from last night's missile attack launched by Iran against central Israel has risen to five, the Magen David Adom rescue service reported in the Times of Israel. (

"I spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We are following the developments in the Middle East with deep concern. I reiterated our commitment to peace, stability and diplomatic efforts leading to de-escalation." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this from the G7 in Canada.

"In this context," he added, "I emphasised that Israel has the right to defend itself. Iran is the main source of regional instability. Europe has always been clear: Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon. There is an urgent need for a negotiated solution. We have consistently expressed grave concerns about Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes: the same missiles that indiscriminately target cities not only in Israel, but also in Ukraine'.

Iran fired new missiles at several major Israeli cities, killing at least four people and injuring 87. Emergency services indicated this.

The launches came in response to Israeli attacks that hit Iranian territory for the fourth consecutive night. The Islamic republic indicated that it had "successfully" struck the Jewish state.

Oil accelerated on the Asian markets with the latest violent overnight missile attacks between Israel and Iran: Light with July delivery jumped 1.55% to USD 74.11, while Brent rose 1.29% to USD 75.19.

Iran claimed to have 'successfully' struck Israel with a forest of missiles fired at several cities. It also promised "more devastating" attacks against vital Israeli targets. "A new wave of attacks by the Revolutionary Guards allowed the missiles to successfully and effectively strike targets" in Israel, the Iranian military said in a note.

According to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a new method was used in the night attack against Israel that rendered the defence systems ineffective. This was reported by The Guardian, citing the Reuters news agency. "The initiatives and capabilities employed in this operation, despite the full support of the United States and Western powers and the possession of the most modern and advanced defence technology, led to the maximum success of the missiles on targets in the occupied territories," the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said.

During the night, Israel launched a new wave of attacks against Tehran and other Iranian cities. Local media reported this. Iranian air defence systems were activated in Isfahan, Sanandaj, Tabriz, Kermanshah, Ahvaz and Bandar Anzali. Some Iranian media also reported explosions in Eslamshahr and Vavan, near Tehran. Finally, the Iranian state news agency Irna reports a massive explosion in the Shahriar region, west of Tehran.

Israel confirms that it also carried out attacks on the night between Sunday and Monday: as announced by the IDF Home Front Command, the Tel Aviv army attacked ground-to-ground missile launching sites in central Iran. The IDF warned Israelis to stay near the shelters, in view of a planned missile attack.