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In a subsequent wave of air strikes, Israel claims it achieved air superiority in Iran and eliminated all air defenses, while Iran continues launching ballistic missiles.
At the end of the first day of Israeli attacks, Iran has finally retaliated with around 100 ballistic missiles launched against targets in Israel. Iran has vowed a massive retaliation since the first waves of attacks on its territory, with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying that Israel “started the work and started the war” and Iran “will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.”
The first retaliation, in the morning immediately after the first Israeli strikes, only involved drones. About 100 one-way attack drones, including the Shahed 136, were launched against Israel and intercepted before they could reach their targets.
Footage of an Israeli Iron Dome Tamir interceptor slamming into an Iranian Shahed-136 attack drone. pic.twitter.com/GFWLpAatdP
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
You can find our previous reporting about Operation Rising Lion here and here.
The Iranian retaliation
The first reports about the incoming Iranian retaliation arrived in the evening of June 12, when Israeli Home Front Command instructed the population to move into shelters and air raid sirens sounded across Israel and air defenses were activated. At the same time, Iranian televisions transmitted a recorded message to the nation of Khamenei.
Among the targeted areas was Tel Aviv, with air defenses lighting up the sky while engaging the incoming missiles. According to Reuters, an Israeli official said Iran fired around 200 ballistic missiles in four waves.
Most of the missiles were intercepted, but some were able to make it through. At least three people were killed and 35 have been injured, with some of them being in critical conditions.
Footage of an Iranian ballistic missile hitting downtown Tel Aviv this evening. pic.twitter.com/7UzzW0M52G
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 13, 2025
Parts from either an interceptor or an Iranian ballistic missile fell earlier in Tel-Aviv, causing minor damage and no injuries. pic.twitter.com/qWUN25ejwp
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 13, 2025
According to the Associated Press, U.S. officials confirmed that U.S. ground-based air defense systems helped shooting down Iranian missiles flying towards Israel. Fox News additionally reported that the U.S. involvement included U.S. Army Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
New wave of Israeli airstrikes
In the hours following the attack on Israel, Israeli fighters once again struck targets in Iran. The IDF says Israeli fighters “attacked dozens of targets in Tehran,” claiming it has eliminated all air defenses and achieved full freedom of operation in Tehran’s airspace.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says over 70 Israeli Air Force fighter jets participated in the overnight operation in Tehran to achieve aerial freedom of action over the Iranian capital.
He says some 40 sites were targeted, including air defense systems and related…
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 14, 2025
Among the targets hit in Tehran is Mehrabad Airport, which hosts MiG-29s and Su-24s, with multiple hangars reportedly burning. According to some report, the base might also host some of the Iranian F-14s.
The Israeli Air Force successfully struck the Iranian Air Force hangers at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran tonight.
Multiple hangars, hosting Iranian MiG-29s and Su-24s from the 11th and 14th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, appear to be burning. pic.twitter.com/UXtMhG2cIC
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
Other bases which were struck are Hamadan and Tabriz, with the former hosting F-4s and the latter MiG-29s and F-5s. Some F-5s and MiG-29 were reportedly seen in flight yesterday over Iranian cities at low altitude, although there are no reports about air-to-air engagements with Israeli fighters.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets bombed two airbases in western Iran earlier today, the IDF announces.
The strikes hit airbases used by Iran’s air force near the cities of Hamadan and Tabriz, the IDF says, adding that the latter site was “destroyed” in the strikes.
Additionally,… pic.twitter.com/7ZjGAGcJhN
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 13, 2025
We established aerial superiority from Western Iran to Tehran.
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) June 14, 2025
Israel appears to have been using its full range of air-launched weapons, including GBU-21 JDAM, GBU-39 SDB and Spice bombs, Delilah stand-off missiles, Blue Sparrow air-launched ballistic missiles and the Rampage air-to-surface missiles.
Israeli Air Force F-16I Sufa departing for a strike mission over Tehran, Iran, early this morning, armed with a pair of SPICE-1000 glide bombs and an immense amount of fuel. pic.twitter.com/sJgd18zkgX
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
Munition debris reportedly located in Iraq following Israel’s attacks on Iran are visually similar to Blue Sparrow air-launched ballistic missiles.
You can view all Blue Sparrow images in the OSMP here: https://t.co/7gWW1RbRUJhttps://t.co/UUvg4wQCj8 pic.twitter.com/zYwPnNWNe3
— Open Source Munitions Portal (@MunitionsPortal) June 13, 2025
According to reports, the strikes this time did not include only military targets, but also industrial ones. Among the ones that were allegedly struck are multiple targets in the Bushehr Province on the coast of the Persian Gulf, including the Phase 14 Refinery of the South Pars Gas Field, the Fajr Jam Natural Gas Refinery, and the Kangan Liquid Natural Gas Port.
Iranian state-run media has confirmed strikes recently targeted the Phase 14 Refinery of the South Pars Gas Field, the Fajr Jam Natural Gas Refinery, and the Kangan LNG Port on the coast of the Persian Gulf, all in the Bushehr Province of Southern Iran. It appears that Israel has… pic.twitter.com/vJKaFukjab
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 14, 2025
https://t.co/OZK2p3DvFt pic.twitter.com/9YPcH40z6e
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
Aftermath of the strikes
New imagery show the damage causes by the previous strikes on Iranian targets. Among these are the satellite images of the Natanz complex, Iran’s primary Uranium enrichment facility, which shows damage to multiple buildings.
Additional assessment by @Maxar based on new high-resolution satellite images captured today suggests no visible damage to Fordow, Iran’s second enrichment facility, and the Arak heavy water reactor complex. pic.twitter.com/jb9tGLF4xs
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) June 14, 2025
Iran claimed to have shot down an Israeli F-35I Adir, however the image provided as proof appears to be generated by Artificial Intelligence. These claims were accompanied by the claims of a pilot being captured, but the photo used by Iranian media shows a Chilean pilot.
This widely-shared image run on Iranian state TV, which claims to show the remnants of an Israel F-35 fighter jet shot down by Iran, is likely AI-generated.
Multiple features, including the wing, exhaust, fuselage and debris, are inconsistent with real F-35 jets. https://t.co/AhcPbuD1Ya
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) June 14, 2025
Photo is from 2021, and it showcases Lieutenant Daniela Figueroa, who is a part of the Chilean Navy. https://t.co/Em6LVH35a2 pic.twitter.com/DbZSBxv0NK
— Tal Hagin (@talhagin) June 13, 2025
Iran is also threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points and provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. A closure would have not only military consequences, but also economic as it would cause huge shipping disruptions.
Iranian Parliament representative and retired IRGC general Mohammad Kowsari says that Iran is considering closing the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/Eq5BDtZXwS
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
Israeli officials claim they “can finish it in days,” although these days are “expected to be intense missile” with missile barrages from Iran and Israeli air strikes. Previously, Israeli officials said they believe Iran could have about 2,000 missiles that they could use against Israel.
Israeli officials believe the conflict with Iran could be finished in days, if operations continue at this pace.
“I think we can finish it in days…It’s a good thing that we have the U.S. by our side,” a Senior Israeli Intelligence Official told me.
The next few days are…
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) June 14, 2025
Spoke with a Senior Israeli Intelligence Official who provided new details about the operation targeting Iran.
Israel believes Iran currently has about 2,000 missiles, but Israeli intelligence projected that Iran would have an arsenal of 8,000 ballistic missiles over the next…
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) June 14, 2025
U.S. involvement
In the morning of June 14 there were still claims by Israeli officials that the U.S. might still join the operation against Iran, quoting some U.S. President Donald Trump’s alleged comments before the operation was launched. The White House, however, denie these claims.
An Israeli official claims the U.S. could still join Israel’s operation against Iran.
Trump allegedly told Israel pre-strike that U.S. forces might join if needed.
A White House official denies this, saying Trump said the exact opposite.
The U.S. currently has no intention of…
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 14, 2025
New reports emerged in the evening mention that Israel might have now officially requested the U.S. to join the operation. These reports are however not confirmed, although Israeli sources previously mentioned they would need U.S. bunker buster weapons to completely destroy Iranian underground facilities.
Israel has officially requested that the United States join its ongoing operation against Iran, particularly targeting underground nuclear facilities such as the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), which the Israeli Air Force does not have the means to effectively strike without…
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 14, 2025
So far, as previously mentioned, the only U.S. involvement which was acknowledged was the help in the defense during the ballistic missile attack. There are also reports about a possible involvement in the defense during the drone attack on June 13.
There are also reports about Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner being moved to the area, with a second unnamed destroyer being alerted.
Disinformation and the fog of war
As mentioned earlier in this article, sometimes it is difficult to verify claims without factual evidence, although even the cases supported by evidence need to be investigated as some of the images and video being published online are not related to the ongoing events or are fabricated.
Here is what we wrote in a recent article about the need to validate each piece of information:
As with recent conflicts, this latest skirmish once again underscores the importance of a Zero Trust mindset not only in cybersecurity, but also in how information is processed and consumed in real-time conflict zones. With both sides pushing conflicting narratives, releasing images of questionable origin, and leveraging social platforms to shape perception, observers must apply the same principles of Zero Trust: never assume, always verify. Each photo, video, or claim should be treated as suspect until validated through independent sources. In an era where propaganda travels faster than missiles, filtering out misinformation is now as critical as missile defense in understanding and responding to modern warfare.
Update
Shortly after the publication of this article, in the evening of June 14, Iran launched another wave of ballistic missiles against Israel. It is being reported that around 40 missiles were launched.
About 40 missiles fired at Israel in this barrage; rescue services looking at 3 possible impacts near populated areas, N12 News reports. https://t.co/cnfz3ZPfsL
— Israel Radar (@IsraelRadar_com) June 14, 2025
Videos emerged online show missiles impacting near Haifa, with reports of damage and injuries in residential areas.
Footage of Iranian ballistic missiles impacting near Haifa, northern Israel, tonight. pic.twitter.com/wGTBmzFAjs
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
Explosions heard in Haifa, northern Israel, as Iranian ballistic missiles target the area. pic.twitter.com/CVYm7RvZMq
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
Reports online say Haifa’s refinery was allegedly hit by some of the ballistic missiles. Almost simultaneously, Israel was reportedly striking the Shahran oil depot in Tehran and other targets in the area.
Multiple fires at the Haifa refinery in northern Israel, after Iran’s ballistic missile attack. pic.twitter.com/58fadziXS1
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
Minutes after Israel’s Haifa refinery was hit by an Iranian ballistic missile, Israeli Air Force jets bombed Iranian oil facilities in Tehran.
Multiple major fires have broken out. pic.twitter.com/FBPWZhBTDu
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 14, 2025
❗️While the IDF is operating to intercept missiles launched from Iran, the IAF is currently striking military targets in Tehran.
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) June 14, 2025