DM Katz orders IDF to undermine Ayatollah regime | Israel continues striking targets in Iran | 2,000 Israelis return from Cyprus on cruise ship
14:23 - IDF strikes military targets in central and western Iran
The Israeli Air Force is currently striking military infrastructure in central and western Iran, the military stated.
13:34 - DM Katz reiterates instruction for IDF to undermine Iranian regime with strikes
Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated his instruction to the military to "To undermine the regime and increase deterrence against missile fire on the Israeli home front - while continuing to attack facilities and scientists to thwart Iran's nuclear program."
Following a meeting with the top IDF brass, Katz stated: "We must strike all symbols of the regime and mechanisms of repression of the population, such as the Basij, and the regime's power base, such as the Revolutionary Guards, and bring about a widespread evacuation of the population from Tehran, in order to undermine the regime... until all objectives of the operation are fully completed."
12:55 - Cruise ship returns 2,000 stranded Israelis from Cyprus
Some 2,000 Israelis arrived back home in the morning aboard a Mano Maritime cruise from Cyprus, the Transportation Ministry reported.
The ship was accompanied by an Israeli Navy warship. The returnees were received by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, Ashdod port chairman Shaul Schneider and representatives of the IDF Home Front Command.
12:04 - Assassination attempt on Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran
An Israeli drone struck an apartment in Tehran in an apparent assassination attempt, Iranian media reported.
According to Israeli reports, the target was a nuclear scientist. There was no immediate official confirmation of the strike or its possible success.
فوری/ گزارشهای اولیه/
— Pouria Zeraati (@pouriazeraati) June 20, 2025
نقطهزنی در گیشای تهران،
هدف هنوز معاوم نیست. pic.twitter.com/gk3Y0KJPFx
11:12 - Iranian FM Araghchi: No negotiations until end of Israeli strikes
Iran will not hold negotiations with either the United States or Israel until Israel stops it strikes in Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state television.
Araghchi is set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, with the foreign ministers of Germany, France and the United Kingdom to discuss de-escalation later on Friday.
He also accused the U.S. of being “a partner to Israeli crime against Iran.”
10:48 - 54 Israelis wounded in overnight attacks by Iran
According to Israeli media reports, 54 people were wounded by Iranian attacks last night.
One of them was moderately wounded, 46 suffered light injuries, three were treated for shock and three others were still being evaluated.
10:02 - DM Katz warns Hezbollah not to intervene in war with Iran
"The Hezbollah Secretary-General is not learning a lesson from his predecessors and is threatening to act against Israel in accordance with the Iranian dictator's orders," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
"I suggest to the Lebanese proxy to be careful and understand that Israel has lost patience with terrorists who threaten it. If there is terrorism, there will be no Hezbollah."
On Thursday evening, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated, "Iran has the right to defend itself, and it is the right of the peoples of the region and the free people of the world to be in the same trench with the great leader and with Iran."
"We are not neutral and therefore express our position alongside Iran, its leadership and its people, and we will act in accordance with what we deem appropriate in the face of this brutal Israeli-American aggression," Qassem added.
08:48 - IAF strikes three Iranian missile launchers minutes before attack
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck three ballistic missile launchers that were loaded and about to attack Israel, the Israeli military announced.
In addition, an Iranian commander who was launching the missiles was also struck.
The Israeli Air Force struck three primed ballistic missile launchers in Iran a short while ago, along with an Iranian military commander who was operating at the launch site, the military says.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 20, 2025
The IDF issues footage of the strikes. pic.twitter.com/Ol7RaKB06L
07:19 – Soroka Medical Center: 7 lightly injured following missile strike in Beersheva
Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva announced that following the missile strike in the city, seven individuals in light condition were evacuated to the emergency room.
Some of the injured were hurt while making their way to shelter, others from the blast wave, and some suffered from anxiety.
06:20 – Extensive destruction in Beersheva : 'There was a crazy boom, everything's destroyed, there’s no house'
A resident of Beersheva whose home was hit by the Iranian missile strike told Ynet News, “The whole house is destroyed. We saw on the cameras that everything was wrecked.”
Another resident recalled the terrifying moments: “We simply entered the safe room, and suddenly there was a crazy boom. The air conditioner window flew into my face. I opened the safe room door and it was dark. The whole house was full of shattered glass. Everything is destroyed. There’s no home. The older kids are at their grandparents’, and I’m here with the little one. My husband is on reserve duty.”
BIG BREAKING NEWS
— WW3 Monitor (@WW3_Monitor) June 20, 2025
Iran has directly struck a Microsoft building in Beer Sheva in southern Israel
pic.twitter.com/4rcXjLbo1g
05:52 – Sirens in Beersheva and surrounding areas following missile fire from Iran
Sirens were activated in Beersheva and many other communities across the Negev. These are the first sirens after half a day of quiet, and nearly a full day after the heavy barrage in which Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva was directly hit.
05:36 – Joint Israeli-American strike on Fordow could happen within 48 to 72 hours
Iran International, an English-language channel broadcasting from London and identified with opponents of the Iranian regime, reports that while Israel hopes U.S. President Donald Trump will order participation in an attack on the fortified nuclear facility at Fordow, it is also preparing for the possibility that it may need to act alone within a few days.
Two Israeli security officials cited in the report said the more likely scenario remains a joint Israeli-American strike within 48 to 72 hours.
However, they emphasized that there is little time left to take advantage of the military gains achieved so far in Operation "Rising Lion."
02:57 – Iranian drone intercepted in the Dead Sea region
Sirens warning of a potential drone infiltration were activated in the Dead Sea region. The alerts were activated in hotels in the area and in Neve Zohar.
A few minutes later, IDF Home Front Command announced that the incident was over, and the IDF spokesperson confirmed that the drone was launched from Iran and was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force.
02:16 – The IDF is striking a village in northern Iran after evacuation notice
The Iranian news agency Fars reports that the IDF has begun striking the area of the village Kolash Talshan in northern Iran, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Caspian Sea – approximately two hours after IDF Persian-language spokesperson, Sgt. Maj. Kamal Penhasi, issued an evacuation notice to some of the residents there.
01:34 – Iran: Reports of strikes in the Parchin area
In Iran, reports indicate strikes also occurred in the Parchin area – home to a military base located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) northeast of Tehran.
The base has already been targeted during the current operation, and according to reports, nuclear weapon development-related experiments were conducted there in the past. Additional strikes were also reported in the Lavizan neighborhood in northeastern Tehran, as well as in the Damavand area, east of the city.
00:52 – Britain 'will convey a message to Iran' – and believes: 'The U.S. prefers a diplomatic solution'
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who met last night with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, is expected today to convey a message from the U.S. to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, stating that a diplomatic solution to the crisis is still possible.
This was reported by the British Financial Times.
00:28 – IDF orders evacuation of an industrial zone in northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea: 'We will strike military infrastructure'
IDF Persian-language spokesperson Sgt. Maj. Kamal Penhasi issued an evacuation notice to residents of an Iranian village in the north of the country, about 20 kilometers from the Caspian Sea.
The village, Kolash Talshan in Gilan Province, only has about 200 residents.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
