Israel hits Iranian government targets, including Evin Prison in Tehran
Other targets include the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards.
Israel’s Defence Ministry says its military is now striking Iranian government targets in Tehran, including the notorious Evin Prison in the Iranian capital.
Other targets include the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, the city’s Palestine Square, and the paramilitary Basij volunteer corps building – which is a part of the Revolutionary guard.
“The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front,” the ministry said.
Iran’s underground enrichment site at Fordo, which was one of those hit in Sunday’s attack by the US on three nuclear facilities, was also struck again on Monday, Iranian state television reported.
There was no immediate word on damage nor who launched the attack, though Israel said earlier it was conducting airstrikes on Iran.
In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility already following Sunday’s US airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs.
“Given the explosive payload utilised … very significant damage … is expected to have occurred,” said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
With the strikes on Sunday on Iranian nuclear sites, the United States inserted itself into Israel’s war, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict.
Iran said the US had crossed “a very big red line” with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time.
Mr Grossi told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had informed him on June 13 that Iran would “adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials”.
“I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared,” Mr Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded.
Iran described its Monday attack on Israel as a new wave of its Operation “True Promise 3,” saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television.
Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of damage.
In Iran, witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes hit areas around Iran’s capital, Tehran, around midday. Iranian state television confirmed one Israeli strike hit the gate of Iran’s notorious Evin prison.
The report shared what appeared to be black-and-white-surveillance footage of the strike. The prison is known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.
Israel did not immediately acknowledge carrying out the strike.
Evin also has specialised units for political prisoners and those with Western ties, run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The facility is the target of both US and European Union sanctions.
