Israel targets nuclear sites, Iran appoints new officials (June 19 updates)

Israel has expanded its military campaign against Iran with targeted strikes on nuclear facilities, missile infrastructure, and security institutions. Leadership changes within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) point to a tightening of internal control, while cyberattacks have disrupted Iran’s banking system and fueled public anxiety. Tehran’s threats toward US regional bases continue as Washington weighs possible military involvement.

The latest kinetic operations

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck Iran’s Arak (Khondab) heavy-water reactor as part of a new wave of attacks on nuclear and military infrastructure across the country. According to the IDF, the strike targeted the reactor’s “core seal,” a critical component in plutonium production, and damaged the adjacent heavy water plant.

In addition to Arak, the IDF targeted a weaponization facility near Natanz that Iran uses to advance nuclear weapons development. Satellite imagery also showed the destruction of another facility at Sanjarian.

An Israeli military official told Reuters that the IDF believes it has struck two-thirds of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, though over 100 are thought to remain. Videos from June 19 show an Israeli strike on a TEL (transporter-erector-launcher) used to fire ballistic missiles. A Ghadr medium-range missile, still mounted on the truck bed, is clearly visible, indicating it was targeted before launch.

IDF Persian posted on June 19 that, after identifying the Iranian regime’s efforts to rebuild its missile capabilities, the Israeli military struck several launch sites in western Iran. It added that in recent days, Israeli Air Force drones had detected multiple attempts by regime forces to restore launch platforms and storage facilities previously targeted by the IDF.

The Israeli Air Force struck over 20 military targets in Tehran on June 18 using 60 fighter jets, the IDF said. The operation, guided by military intelligence, targeted sites tied to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs as part of efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

New IRGC-Ground Forces commander appointed

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Mohammad Karami as the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps -Ground Forces (IRGC-GF) on June 19. Karami previously commanded the Qods Headquarters in southeastern Iran, responsible for operations in Sistan and Baluchestan, and later served as the province’s governor—a post often given to IRGC officials tasked with suppressing unrest.

The IRGC-GF operates through 10 regional headquarters: Qods (southeast), Nabi Akram (west), Karbala (southwest), Ashura (northwest), Imam Hossein (central), Seyyed al Shohada (Tehran region), Sarallah (central command/Tehran), Imam Ali (north), Amir al Momenin (west-central), and Beit al Moqaddas (western provinces). Each HQ oversees military and internal security operations within its designated zone.

New IRGC intelligence chief appointed

IRGC media outlets reported that Majid Khademi has been appointed as the new head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, replacing Mohammad Kazemi, who was eliminated by an Israeli strike on June 16. Prior to this appointment, Khademi served as the head of the IRGC Counterintelligence Protection Organization.

Three distinct and independent intelligence-security entities operate within the IRGC:

1. IRGC Intelligence Organization: Established in the aftermath of the 2009 presidential elections, this body reports directly to Khamenei. The organization plays a central role in domestic intelligence and political suppression.

2. IRGC Protection Organization: This body handles security and protective duties rather than intelligence gathering. Sometimes referred to simply as the “Protection Corps,” it is tasked with safeguarding senior officials, sensitive sites, and the security of civilian air travel.

3. IRGC Counterintelligence Protection Organization: Unlike the IRGC Intelligence Organization or its predecessor, the IRGC Intelligence Directorate (prior to October 2009), this body typically does not operate outside the IRGC. Instead, it serves as the Guards’ internal intelligence structure, with a focus on counterespionage, preventing the infiltration of ideologically incompatible elements, protecting classified information, and maintaining political-security oversight of IRGC commanders and personnel.

All three entities operate directly and indirectly under the oversight of Khamenei and the IRGC’s top command.

Potential infighting between regime factions

The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency claimed on June 19 that “a few suspicious and disreputable individuals are attempting to mobilize some clerics in Qom and call for a kind of surrender and compromise with the child-killing Zionist regime.” The outlet added that these elements seek to “put forward a former official as the leader of this treasonous move” to avoid backlash from the regime.

The prospects for regime change in Iran

During a June 19 press briefing, IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defri confirmed that Israel struck the headquarters of the Special Forces of the regime’s Internal Security Forces. Defri said that this target was part of the Islamic Republic’s military force and added, “Our strikes are directed at every component of the Iranian military establishment, all of which pose a threat to the State of Israel.”

On June 18, the Israeli Air Force struck the headquarters of the Tehran Police. That same day, Israeli cyber units breached Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the regime’s state-run media outlet, and aired a message urging Iranians to rise up against the regime. Israeli Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel also released a video expressing Jerusalem’s support for Iranian dissidents.

While IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari described the strike on the Special Forces unit as part of efforts to weaken Tehran’s ability to retaliate, the pattern points to a broader strategy. Israel is targeting the regime’s repression apparatus and intensifying its messaging campaign towards ordinary Iranians.

When asked about the prospects of regime change in Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that while it is not an objective, it could, nonetheless, be an outcome. “The matter of changing the regime or the fall of this regime is first and foremost a matter for the Iranian people,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz escalated threats against Khamenei on June 19, warning that he “cannot continue to exist.”

Iran’s banking system disrupted

Iran’s Coordinating Council of Banks announced on June 19 that only 30 percent of bank branches in Tehran will be operational during the week of June 20 to June 25, with limited operating hours.

Iranians sent videos to diaspora media outlets on June 18, claiming that various banks in cities like Tehran and Shiraz are refusing to allow clients to withdraw money from their accounts.

Axios had reported on June 17 that the Israeli-linked hacker group “Predatory Sparrow” claimed responsibility for disabling the operations of an Iranian bank. On June 17, multiple Iranian banks, including Bank Sepah and Bank Melli, were reportedly taken offline in what appeared to be a coordinated cyberattack. Citizens reported that online banking access was disabled, and ATM cards issued by Bank Sepah, Ansar Bank, and Kosar Bank had stopped working, indicating a wider disruption to Iran’s financial infrastructure.

IRGC threats persist as Washington assesses options

The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News posted an infographic on June 19 captioned, “A list of US military bases in the region that are within range of Iranian missiles.” The image shows American bases in Turkey, Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Syria.

The same day, the White House announced that President Trump will decide by early July whether the US will join Israel’s air campaign against Iran’s nuclear facilities, pending the outcome of talks with Tehran. The statement reflects a shift in Trump’s stance, following a week in which he alternated between backing diplomacy and threatening Iran’s supreme leader with assassination.

Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s regional malign influence.