Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei's response to Donald J. Trump's ultimatum

...and the ongoing ping-pong between Iran and Israel.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei - from Khemenei.ir.

My previous original article opened with US President Donald J. Trump’s ultimatum to Iran, asking for “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” (sic - all-caps) and threatening to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei.

Today (Thursday 19th June 2025) we start with the response that Khamenei gave to Trump in a televised speech yesterday, as reported by Tasnim News Agency and Al Mayadeen. Here is the full speech from Khamenei.ir (all emphasis mine):

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I extend my greetings to the great nation of Iran.

My first words are in praise of the behavior of our dear nation in this situation that the enemies have recently brought upon the country. The Iranian nation has shown that it’s dignified, courageous, and is able to correctly assess the situation. The great movement that the people showed to the world on the Day of the Ghadir celebrations was a great movement. The gatherings of people, the rallies that people took part in during these days, their presence in Friday Prayers, and their rallies after the [Friday] Prayers – all of these demonstrated the growth and the strength of their rationality and spirituality, along with our dear nation’s courage and ability to correctly assess the situation.

I thank God for providing this faithful nation with such a level of spiritual and material capabilities and possibilities, praise God.

I feel it’s necessary here to refer to the beautiful, meaningful gesture of the female television host in response to the enemy's attack – her saying Allahu Akbar [God is the Greatest] and showing a sign of the [Iranian] nation's power to the entire world. It was a historic event. It was very valuable.

The second point is that this act, the Zionist regime’s foolish, malicious attack on our country, took place at a time when our government officials were engaged in negotiations indirectly and through intermediaries with the US side. There was no indication on the part of Iran that signaled a military move or a sudden, harsh move. Of course, it was suspected from the beginning that the United States was involved in the malicious move carried out by the Zionist regime. But considering their recent remarks, this suspicion is growing stronger day by day. [This confirms what I have always been saying, i.e. that Iran as wary of indirect negotiations with the Outlaw US Empire and who’s been reading my substack since April, when I started paying more attention on Iran, should be aware of it, as Iranian officials’ statements made it quite clear].

The Iranian nation will stand firmly against any imposed war, just as it always has. The Iranian nation also firmly opposes any imposed peace. The Iranian nation will not capitulate to anyone in the face of coercion. I expect intellectuals, speakers, and writers – especially those who have an influence on global public opinion – to express, explain, and clarify these concepts for their audiences. They must not allow the enemy to distort the truth with their deceptive propaganda.

The Zionist enemy has made a grave mistake and committed a serious crime. It must be punished and is already being punished. It is being punished right now. The punishment that the Iranian nation and our Armed Forces have delivered, are currently carrying out, and have planned for the future for this evil enemy, is a severe punishment and has already weakened them. The very fact that its American friends have entered the scene and are saying such things is a sign of that regime’s weakness and inability.

The final matter is that the US President has recently resorted to threats. He has threatened us. Not only does he make threats, but he also uses absurd, unacceptable rhetoric to openly demand that the Iranian people surrender to him. When a person hears such things, it’s truly surprising. First of all, they should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats. "Do not weaken or grieve: you shall have the upper hand, if you are faithful" (Quran 3:139). The Iranian nation believes in this, and threats don’t affect the behavior or mindset of the Iranian people.

Second, it isn’t wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender. Wise people who know Iran, the Iranian people, and Iran’s history would never utter such words. What should the Iranian nation surrender to? The Iranian nation isn’t a nation that surrenders. We haven’t attacked anyone, and we definitely won’t tolerate anyone attacking us, and we will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone. This is the logic of the Iranian nation. This is the spirit of the Iranian nation.

Of course, the Americans who are familiar with the policies of this region know that the US entering in this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter. The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily.

I would like to tell our dear nation to always keep this noble verse in mind. Life is proceeding as usual, praise God. Don’t let the enemy sense that you fear them or that you feel weak before them. If the enemy senses that you fear them, they won’t let go of you. Continue strongly with the same behavior that you have exhibited until today. Those entrusted with providing services to others, those who deal directly with the people, and those tasked with matters of propagation and clarification must perform and continue their duties strongly and place their trust in Almighty God.

"And victory comes only from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise" (Quran 3:126). And Almighty God will certainly, definitely grant victory to the Iranian nation, to the truth, and to the side that is in the right, God willing.

May God’s peace, blessings, and mercy be upon you.

I encourage you to watch this 1-minute snippet of Khamenei’s speech just to hear his calm, almost soothing tone of voice as he pronounce his words. Compare it with Netanyahu’s speeches (such as the one he gave on 7th October 2023), always full of hate and rage, or Trump’s “speeches” (should we say sentences?), full of ignorance, arrogance and hubris (e.g. this one, where he threatens Iran).

It is also worth reporting the following statements by Ali Bahreini, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, denouncing Trump’s threats as “completely unwarranted and very hostile” (source: Al Mayadeen - emphasis mine):

We cannot ignore them. We are vigilant about what Trump is saying. We will put it in our calculations and assessments.

I am confident that (Iran’s military) will react strongly, proportionally, and appropriately.

Before moving on the analysis of latest events in Iran and Israel, it is worth reporting the following comment, issued by Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, on the disgusting admission that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pronounced yesterday and reported at the end of my previous original article.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Here is what Maria Zakharova wrote in a post on her Telegram channel today (all formatting original):

German Chancellor Merz on the conflict in the Middle East: “It's a dirty job that Israel is doing for all of us”.

The most terrifying phrase I have ever heard, or could even imagine.

This is said by a descendant of Nazis, whose grandfather, Josef Paul Sovigny, while serving as mayor of Brilon during the Third Reich, named streets after Hitler and Goebbels, was a member of the NSDAP and was in the reserves of the storm troopers, and whose father, Joachim Merz, fought against the Red Army as part of the Wehrmacht. The very same Red Army that saved the world from the brown plague and liberated concentration camp prisoners from what would later be called the Holocaust.

Russia today continues the work that the anti-fascists began in their time. And the current leadership of Israel... see the first sentence.

During the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Maria Zakharova told the following to Russian newspaper Izvestia, as quoted yesterday by Al Mayadeen (all emphasis mine):

We made a statement literally on the eve of this situation... and said that we were ready to provide our mediation efforts, in particular in the dialogue around the Iranian nuclear program. Let me remind you—peaceful.

As a matter of fact, we proved ourselves in this capacity when the deal on the Iranian nuclear program was concluded [referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)].

Attacks on facilities related to the peaceful development of nuclear energy could lead to serious consequences.

Every day, missiles are launched several times at Iran’s peaceful civilian infrastructure nuclear facilities, which are under the control of the IAEA observers. It is necessary to understand that we are millimeters away from disaster.

All efforts are aimed at this [preventing further escalation], because this is an emergency situation.

Obviously, attacks are being carried out on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, which is of a peaceful nature… And it is really surprising that the world's mainstream and Western media… do not see anything, as always. Apparently, the strategic silence, the so-called white noise, has been turned on again. [To be honest, I am not surprised anymore!]

…while Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, speaking to Interfax news agency, warned the Outlaw US Empire not to offer direct military support to Israel, actually not even “to entertain the idea of supplying military assistance”!

All this made me hope that Russia finally opened their eyes regarding Israel… however, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements were a cold shower.

Russian President Vladimir Putin - from Al Mayadeen.

First of all, referring to the possibility of Khamenei’s assassination, he said:

I do not even want to discuss this possibility. I do not want to.

Then he added:

We see that today in Iran, with all the complexity of the internal political processes taking place there… that there is a consolidation of society around the country's political leadership.

It seems to me that it would be right for everyone to look for ways to end hostilities and find ways for all parties to this conflict to come to an agreement with each other. In my opinion, in general, such a solution can be found.

It is possible to ensure Iran's interests in the field of peaceful nuclear energy. And at the same time, to address Israel's concerns about its security.

Putin keeps insisting on negotiations with people (Israelis and, above all, Americans) who started talks with Iran in bad faith, only to lure it in a trap: that’s nonsense! Putin’d better understand that, in case he does not help Iran, even if the latter has not requested his assistance, his country will be soon surrounded by NATO and next on the menu of American neo-cons and British warmongers.

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Let’s now move to the war between Israel and Iran…

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi - from IRNA.

In the evening of Tuesday 17th June 2025, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, said that the operations carried out until then since Friday 13th June 2025 had served as a deterrent warning, and that actual “punitive operations” would be executed soon, issuing evacuation warnings to the residents of occupied Palestinian territories and, in particular, Tel Aviv and Haifa, as per IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) and Tasnim.

Tel Aviv skyline on 18th June 2025 - from Al Mayadeen.

And so, in the late evening of Tuesday 17th June 2025, Iran launched multiple waves of ballistic missiles at Israeli targets, as part of the 11th round of retaliatory strikes against Israel, soon after the following tweet (or shall we say “war cry”?) by Khamenei:

We must respond forcefully to the terrorist Zionist entity… We will never compromise with the Zionists.

From X (formerly Twitter).

Al Mayadeen reported on a missile barrage with a first wave of ~(20 - 30) ballistic missiles, not as large as those on the first couples of days with ~100 missiles, yet inflicting severe damage, with multiple impacts recoded, thus signalling early degradation of Israeli and combined-West air defenses! Quoting the Iranian Fars News Agency, Al Mayadeen reported on a successful attack with Kheibar Shekan ballistic missiles on Meron Air Traffic Control Base, a strategic Israeli military base located atop Mount Meron and considered one of the key hubs for electronic surveillance and aerial monitoring along the northern front. As per Al Mayadeen…

The base plays a critical role in tracking activity in Lebanon and Syria and houses radars, jamming systems, and sensitive military communications.

It is an integral part of Israel’s C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) network used to coordinate operations against northern targets.

This is consistent with the press release by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), stating that “the attacks in the 10th wave of punitive Iranian strikes on Israel had targeted aerial bases that had been used to launch attacks on Iran” (source: IRNA).

Another target hit by Iran was Neve Tzedek, one of Tel Aviv’s oldest and most symbolically significant neighborhoods, as it “holds deep cultural, historical, and ideological value within the Zionist narrative and is often described in Israeli discourse as the ‘first Zionist dream’”.

An additional signal of degradation of air defenses can be seen in the video below, showing a failed interceptor impacting on the ground and then causing a large fire in Tel Aviv:

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) commented thusly (source: IRNA):

We are witnessing the beginning of the end of the Zionist army’s air defense system.

Tonight’s missile strike demonstrated that we have achieved total control over the skies of the occupied territories, the inhabitants of which have become absolutely defenseless against Iran’s missile strikes.

…adding that “the latest wave of strikes involved first-generation Fattah missiles, highly maneuverable and powerful weapons that successfully penetrated ‘Israel’s’ missile defense shield and repeatedly struck Israeli military positions”, thus sending a clear message of Iranian strength “to Tel Aviv’s delusional ally and instigator of war” (i.e. the Outlaw US Empire”.

Yesterday Tasnim quoted the following report by Israeli Channel 12:

So far, 1,800 people have been injured as a result of Iranian missile attacks on Israel. More than half of Israelis do not have access to reinforced rooms or shelters.

If the situation continues, half the workforce will stop working altogether.

…while Al Mayadeen reported on “a growing wave of internal unrest, marked by widespread looting in areas struck by Iranian firepower”. In an interview with Channel 12, Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir even admitted that…

…a worrying surge in theft incidents has been recorded in the wake of the Iranian strikes.

Strengthening security around missile impact zones has become an urgent necessity due to the rise in theft and fears of looters.

Israel is now facing the same fate that the Zionist imposed on Gaza. As they say…
“He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword”!

Iranian medic in front of what’s left of the Red Crescent headquarters in Tehran - from Al Mayadeen.

However, it must be said that the Iranian capital Tehran was also under attack, with explosions in the neighborhoods of Piroozi, Sabalan, and Sayyad, though air defenses downed 22 Israeli drones over 24 hours. Yesterday Little Satan bombed also Payam Airport in Karaj, Imam Hussein University, the central command of the Iranian police and the headquarters of the Iranian Red Crescent in Tehran, among other targets, as reported by Al Mayadeen.

US President Donald J. Trump - from Al Mayadeen.

Meanwhile, Trump claimed that Iranians had begged for negotiations, stating (source: Al Mayadeen):

They’ve suggested that they come to the White House.

…to which Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations responded with the following tweet:

From X (formerly Twitter).

Trust no word that comes from the filthy mouth of Donald Trump. After all, one moment he says something, the next moment he says the opposite. Just imagine that, within the same meeting with the press, he first said that it is “very late” for talks, but then, when pressed on it, he said that “nothing is too late”! So, it is really not worth listening to him and, from now on, I will just ignore his statements (but not his actions!). So, please, do not ask me what I think about what Trump said earlier today, that he will take a decision in 2 weeks… I do not buy it! It’s probably another trap and we may see a US attack on Iran much earlier, I am afraid… after all, there has been so much movement of US troops and military assets in the region, that it is probably going to happen quite soon.

Donald Trump (L) and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (R) - from Al Mayadeen.

At the same time, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened the national emergencies committee, also known as COBRA, to “bring together ministers and senior officials to update the UK’s response to the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East” and placing his cabinet on high alert, as per Al Mayadeen (1 and 2), thus suggesting that the British government is preparing to deliberate on UK’s potential involvement in a what is effectively a NATO war against Iran (do not forget Merz’s words!). Although the COBRA meeting may have been convened just to authorize the use by the Outlaw US Empire of the UK-owned Diego Garcia RAF (UK’s Royal Air Force) base as a launching pad, where B-2 Spirit stealth bombers¹ are already located, UK is already involved in this conflict, as it has been reported that RAF base in Akrotiri (Cyprus) was and maybe is still used by Israeli Air Force (IAF) for its airstrikes against Iran.

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From Tasnim.

Then, last night, Iran launched its 12th and 13th waves of “Operation True Promise 3” against the Zionist entity, with the IRGC announcing a two-stage attack with highly explosive missiles, including the Sejjil missiles, a class of ultra-heavy, medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs), while an Israeli military radio reported on the Iranian deployment of Khorramshahr missiles, with a 1.5-ton warhead! Here are the specs of the Sejjil missiles:

• Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM)

• Two-stage ballistic missile with an option for a Maneuverable Re-entry Vehicle (MaRV)

• Can be launched from both mobile platforms and fixed sites

• Length: 18 meters

• Caliber: 1.25 meters

• Launch weight: 23,600 kg

• Warhead: ~700 kg, includes many variations depending on operational needs

• Range: 2,000 to 2,500 km

…as reported by Al Mayadeen, which also quoted the following IRGC warning issued just before the launch of new wave of missiles (all emphasis mine):

To the residents of the occupied territories in al-Quds! The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, backed by the brave Iranian people, have already shattered the Zionist army’s air defense systems in previous operations. Today, the skies over the occupied lands are wide open to Iranian missiles and drones.

You must choose between a slow death in a hellish life in bunkers, or a quick escape from the lands your ancestors usurped, so that you may find life outside the coming hell.

From Al Mayadeen.

While the missile barrage was ongoing overnight, Iranian police arrested “18 individuals in Mashhad for operating a covert workshop manufacturing espionage and suicide drones on behalf of the Israeli regime” and “five individuals in Qazvin for inciting unrest and supporting Israeli aggression”, continuing “its crackdown on Mossad operatives and terrorists”, as reported by Al Mayadeen.

In the meantime, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson of North Korea, a nuclear power, stated the following (all emphasis mine - source: Al Mayadeen):

The illegal act of state-sponsored terrorism by Israel (is) raising the danger of a new all-out war in the Middle East region.

The present grave situation witnessed by the world clearly proves that Israel, supported and patronized by the US and the West, is a cancer-like entity for the peace in the Middle East and a chief culprit of destroying global peace and security.

The international community is strictly watching the US and Western forces fanning up the flames of war, taking issue with the legitimate sovereign right and exercise of the right to self-defence of Iran, the victim.

Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani - from Al Mayadeen.

Also Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's highest religious authority, issued a strong statement (source: Enemy Watch | Unvirtuous Elites Telegram channel - emphasis original), as reported also by Al Mayadeen:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Supreme Religious Authority in the holy city of Najaf reaffirms its strong condemnation of the ongoing military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as any threat to its highest religious and political leadership.

Such criminal acts in addition to violating religious and moral principles represent a clear breach of international norms and laws. The pursuit of such dangerous actions poses serious and far-reaching risks to the stability of the entire region. If continued, they could trigger uncontrollable chaos, deepen the suffering of the region’s peoples, and inflict severe damage to the collective interests of all nations involved.

The office of His Eminence, therefore, calls upon all influential global actors and nations especially those from the Islamic world to exert every possible effort to halt this unjust war and pursue a just, peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue, based on the principles of international law.

From Al Mayadeen.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, also issued a stern condemnation of Trump’s threats against Khamenei’s life, stating (all emphasis mine):

The mere utterance of such threats is an offense against hundreds of millions of believers and defenders of dignity, resistance, and Islamic authenticity.

The United States will eventually realize it has plunged into a deep abyss.

The millions of free people rallying around the leadership of Imam Khamenei cannot be defeated.

The tide of falsehood is doomed to fail, while the path of faith and resistance will ultimately triumph.

…as quoted by Al Mayadeen, thus signalling that the Axis of Resistance is ready to give a lesson to the (Anglo-)Zionists, should they escalate the war against Iran further. I strongly believe that all groups of the Axis of Resistance in the Middle East are in stand-by and ready to enter the fray and fight as soon as deemed necessary, in order to have control of the escalatory ladder and make the (Anglo-)Zionists pay a hefty price for their actions.

From Al Mayadeen.

This morning Iran launched the 14th wave of “Operation True Promise 3”, targeting Tel Aviv, Haifa and al-Naqab. Al Mayadeen reported a hit on the the Israeli Stock Exchange building in the Ramat Gan area near Tel Aviv and near the Soroka Hospital in Beer al-Sabe', used to treat soldiers wounded in Gaza, while Israeli media claimed a direct hit on it. However, according to IRNA, the main target was the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) headquarters of the IDF (Israel “Defense” Forces), which is adjacent to the hospital.

While the hospital was impacted by the blast wave, it did not suffer significant damage. The strike was a precise and direct hit on critical military infrastructure.

…as per Al Mayadeen, which also reminded about the targeting of al-Farabi Hospital in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, just a few days ago, on 16th June 2025 (which I covered here), which marked a serious escalation, following a series of attacks on civilian and residential infrastructure across Iran by the IDF.

Of course, the hypocritical Zionists cried that Iran targets hospitals, as if the Zionists never targeted one in Gaza (they actually destroyed more than 30 with the excuse that Hamas hides there!), and appealing to international and humanitarian law. They are so disgusting in their double-standards that someone in Iran made fun of them with the following sarcastic video, claiming a military base is hidden beneath the Soroka Hospital (LOL!):

From Al Mayadeen.

Joking aside, you can see from the map above how close the two legitimate military targets are to Soroka Medical Centre. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the Iranian missiles hit the command centre and not the Soroka Hospital, which was only damaged by blast from the impact, as per Tasnim and Al Mayadeen, reporting also on a media blackout enforced by Israeli police on impact sites. Here is what Araghchi wrote on X (emphasis mine):

Earlier today, our powerful Armed Forces accurately eliminated an Israeli Military Command, Control & Intelligence HQ and another vital target.

The blast wave caused superficial damage to a small section of the nearby, and largely evacuated, Soroka Military Hospital. The facility is mainly used to treat Israeli soldiers engaged in the Genocide in Gaza 25 miles away, where Israel has destroyed or damaged 94% of Palestinian hospitals.

It is the Israeli regime and not Iran that initiated all this bloodshed, and it is Israeli war criminals and not Iranians who are targeting hospitals and civilians. Hundreds of innocent Iranians have been murdered in cold blood since Israel launched its illegal war against the Iranian people last week.

We call on Israelis to heed our evacuation orders before strikes and to avoid proximity to military and intelligence sites. Our powerful Armed Forces will continue to pummel the criminals who target our people until they cease and pay for their criminal aggression against our nation.

The IRGC even issued this statement, as reported by Tasnim:

All areas across the occupied Palestinian territories feel a sense of frustration and horror and have turned into military bases. [A joke based on the fact that military centres are evacuated during missile barrages to minimize losses].

We now warn that the enervated body of the Zionist regime has no more strength to tolerate the economic blows.

It is also worth mentioning this report by Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, cited by Al Mayadeen, on some concrete shelters in Israel, which “do not provide effective protection against long-range missiles from Iran, due to the deadly pressure waves they produce”, according to the Israeli Home Front Command, and risk to become “deadly traps even if the missile does not fall directly nearby”! It looks like there is “nowhere to run, nowhere to hide” for the Zionists, to quote Iron Maiden (The Mercenary)… the problem is that the Zionists are showing fear and pain, whereas Iranians “show them no fear, show them no pain”!

Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei - from Al Mayadeen.

Meanwhile, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA), said on CNN that…

What we reported was that we did not have any proof of a systematic effort [by Iran] to move toward a nuclear weapon.

What a shame that he uttered this only now, after so many death and so much destruction, with the risk of further escalation! In fact, Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei did not mince words and issued a strong rebuke on X, as reported also by Al Mayadeen and Tasnim:

DG @rafaelmgrossi: “We did not have any evidence of a systematic effort [by Iran] to move into a nuclear weapon.” This is too late, Mr. Grossi: you obscured this truth in your absolutely biased report that was instrumentalize by E3/U.S. to craft a resolution with baseless allegation of 'non-compliance'; the same resolution was then utilized, as a final pretext, by a genocidal warmongering regime to wage a war of aggression on Iran and to launch an unlawful attack on our peaceful nuclear facilities. Do you know how many innocent Iranians have been killed/maimed as a result of this criminal war? Is it how an international civil servant tested for assigning the UN leadership? Misleading narratives have dire consequences, Mr. Grossi, and demand accountability. You betrayed the non-proliferation regime; You've made IAEA a partner to this unjust war of aggression; You turned IAEA into a tool of convenience for non-NPT members to deprive NPT members of their basic right under Article 4. Any clear conscience?!

I believe that, at the end of this war (if we all survive!), Grossi should face trial in Iran, where death penalty applies… of course, together with Trump, Starmer, Netanyahu and all their “servants” in EU and NATO countries!

Khondab heavy water complex and research reactor - from Tasnim.

Meanwhile, the Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) announced that yesterday the IAF had targeted the Khondab heavy water complex and research reactor near Arak, and rebuked the IAEA for its inaction, as reported by Tasnim and Al Mayadeen:

Iran had repeatedly warned the IAEA about recent Israeli threats and attacks, but the agency took no action.

Due to pre-arranged safety measures, residents in the vicinity of the targeted site face no immediate threat or harm.

On the other hand, during a visit to an IRGC Aerospace Force base, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, stated that attacks against Israel will continue (source: Al Mayadeen):

We have no limits whatsoever in confronting the aggression.

…while Tasnim reported that the new generation of Iranian missiles have not been used yet and listen 10 “main features of Iranian attacks that have rendered the Israeli air defense strategies futile”:

1. Iran launches its strikes both at night and during the daytime. The irregular timing of the strikes has made the Zionist regime incapable of reorganizing.

2. A combination of decoy operations and real attacks have confused the Israeli air defense systems.

3. Iran has employed a range of various weapons in the attacks, including ballistic missiles and suicide drones.

4. The fact that the Iranian missiles have penetrated all modern air defense systems, from THAAD to Iron Dome and David's Sling, has brought the Zionists to the conclusion that nothing can guarantee their security.

5. A variety of different and unpredictable missiles have been fired by Iran in an intermittent manner.

6. The Iranian Armed Forces continue to hit diverse targets in the occupied territories to the Israelis’ surprise.

7. Iran’s retaliatory strikes are not confined to a specific area and cover all regions from the northernmost to the southernmost points across the occupied Palestinian territories.

8. Iran has a data bank of targets that allows it to hit various locations, including military sites, oil refineries and vital infrastructures.

9. The Iranian Armed Forces have repeatedly warned the Zionists that nowhere in the occupied territories is safe anymore.

10. Considering that Iran has not unveiled several new generations of its long-range missiles so far, the strategy of springing constant surprises on the Zionist regime is expected to go on for now.

Such an assessment is shared also by Western analysts, quoted by Tasnim and Al Mayadeen, warning that Israel could run out of interceptors, should war continue; for instance, Dan Caldwell, a former senior Pentagon official, who said:

The types of interceptors that are required to shoot down ballistic missiles are expensive and difficult to produce in mass quantities.

…Josh Paul, a former US State Department official who resigned in protest of US support for Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza:

We don’t know how much more Iran can launch. I think it is a problem more of launchers than missiles.

…Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav, a former commander of "Israel’s" air defense and a current military reservist:

Interceptors aren’t grains of rice. The number is finite.

…and Zohar Palti, a former senior Mossad officer:

Israel has a window of two or three days to declare the victory [WHAT?!] and end the war.

From Tasnim.

As per Tasnim and Al Mayadeen, this evening Iran launched the 15th wave of attacks, as announced by the IRGC with the following statement, specifying the use of more than 100 different types of drones:

A new wave of coordinated missile and drone attacks is now targeting military sites and defense industry centers in Haifa and Tel Aviv.

Notably, the escalating focus on missile strikes against military and defense-industrial targets now appears to be a deliberate strategy.

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1. The only aircraft equipped to deliver bunker-buster bombs capable of striking Iran’s fortified Fordow nuclear facility.