Israel widens air campaign, hits Iran’s critical infrastructure, propaganda hubs (June 15–16 updates)

Israel has expanded its precision strikes across Iran. As Iran’s missile stockpile dwindles and top regime officials are either dead or in hiding, the Israeli military has now begun targeting critical infrastructure and propaganda hubs.

The US has publicly denied involvement in Israel’s campaign while quietly ramping up military deployments. US President Donald Trump revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to mediate the crisis—an idea swiftly rejected by the European Union. Meanwhile, Tehran has intensified a domestic crackdown on dissent, even as public unrest grows louder.

Israeli attacks on military targets

The full extent of Israel’s strikes became clear when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on June 15 that it had hit over 170 targets and more than 720 military facilities in less than three days.

The IDF later announced that it had achieved complete air dominance over Tehran and expanded its campaign to target Iran’s surface-to-surface missile forces. The statement also claimed that 20 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) bases were struck.

Israeli strikes on June 16 targeted an IRGC air base in Mashhad, while a separate operation destroyed two F-14 Tomcats stationed at a Tehran airbase. Footage also emerged of a convoy of IRGC vehicles transporting missile and air defense systems along the Qom-Tehran highway being hit.

Additionally, an eyewitness confirmed that a building in northern Tehran, reportedly used for high-level regime gatherings, was among the day’s targets.

The day prior, on June 15, Israeli airstrikes reportedly struck the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence building in Tehran. The Independent Persian newspaper verified visual evidence, though Iranian authorities have not commented. That same day, the IRGC’s Markazi Province unit confirmed the deaths of six IRGC and two Basij personnel from Khomein.

Separately, Iranian authorities uncovered what they claimed was a three-story workshop in Shahr-e-Rey that was used by Israelis to assemble drones. Tehran police stated on June 15 that the components had been smuggled into the country through various means and assembled locally.

Israeli strikes against Iranian infrastructure

On June 16, a massive fire engulfed the Shahran oil depot in northwest Tehran, presumably from Israeli strikes.

Later that day, Israeli fighter jets, using intelligence supplied by the IDF’s intelligence branch, bombed the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting building, the state’s official broadcaster. The IDF claimed that it had targeted a “regime propaganda complex disguised as a civilian media center.” The Israeli announcement added that this site had played a key role in coordinating covert military messaging and influence operations and was operated directly by the IRGC.

The same day, the IDF issued an evacuation notice for Tehran’s District 3, located in the city’s north-central zone, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring the same message. For their part, Iranian authorities refused to issue evacuation alerts. Government Spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani dismissed the warnings and urged citizens to ignore evacuation messages.

The Israeli military issued its evacuation warnings via phone calls and other channels before striking the targets, attempting to minimize civilian casualties. Israeli officials emphasized that while the regime continues targeting Israeli civilians, the IDF is focusing solely on regime assets.

The status of key Iranian regime figures

On June 13, Israel struck the luxury penthouse residence of Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Shamkhani was assumed to be dead until regime media claimed on June 16 that he had been wounded but was stabilized and undergoing treatment.

According to two US officials cited by Reuters, Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Khamenei. However, the Israeli government rejected this account. Netanyahu called it “false,” while Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi dismissed it as “fake news of the highest order.” Nevertheless, Netanyahu did not rule out the possibility of targeting Khamenei, telling ABC News on June 16 that such a move would “not escalate the conflict but rather end it.”

Hours after the first strikes on Tehran, Iran International reported that Khamenei had been moved to a heavily fortified underground bunker in Lavizan in northeast Tehran. Sources confirmed that his son, Mojtaba, and other family members were relocated with him. A Western intelligence official told the outlet that Khamenei’s deteriorating psychological state had led military commanders to conceal the full scope of the war’s toll from him.

In another significant blow to the Iranian regime, Israel assassinated IRGC intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi, his deputy, Hassan Mohaqiq, and IRGC officer Mohsen Bagheri in a strike on June 15. A day earlier, Iranian media reported that the IRGC Aerospace deputy intelligence commander, Khosro Hassani, and commander, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, were killed in a similar strike.

The response of great powers to the conflict

When asked about the prospects of joining Israeli efforts against the Islamic Republic’s military and nuclear assets, President Trump, speaking in a June 15 interview with ABC News, said, “We’re not involved in it. It’s possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved.” However, behind the scenes, US policy appears to be more engaged.

On June 16, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group reportedly departed the South China Sea and headed toward the Middle East to join an American carrier and a British carrier already in the region. The US also launched its largest aerial deployment in recent memory: 20 KC-135 and four KC-46 tankers were dispatched from various American bases. Some aircraft were seen heading to Europe, while others remained near the US northeast coast, reportedly to bolster transatlantic refueling capacity.

Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had contacted him to offer mediation of the conflict, to which Trump responded, “I would be open to it… This is something I believe is going to get resolved.” However, the European Union quickly dismissed the idea of Russia as a credible mediator. Citing deepening military and foreign policy collaboration between Moscow and Tehran, an EU spokesperson stated on June 16 that “Russia cannot be considered a neutral actor.”

While diplomatic maneuvers continue, China is believed to be serving as a lifeline to Tehran, possibly providing critical weapons supplies. It’s estimated that Iran began its response to Israel’s attack on June 13 with around 2,000 missiles, and it has been launching approximately 200 per day against civilian targets across Israel.

Israeli strikes, however, are steadily eliminating missile launchers. Without an urgent resupply, Iran’s missile capability could be depleted within days.

Iranian crackdowns and internal control

With public unrest growing, the Iranian government has tightened its control over the country. Government Spokesperson Mohajerani announced nationwide internet slowdowns, attributing them to “current national conditions.”

The Basij, the IRGC’s paramilitary militia, declared that it would expand its security footprint nationwide, including opening more checkpoints. Authorities have arrested dozens of civilians across Iran’s provinces, accusing them of aiding foreign adversaries. Judiciary head Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei has ordered the swift execution of anyone found guilty of collaborating with Israel. “Judgment must be immediate and the punishment public,” he warned.

Iranian police issued a detailed guide for identifying suspected “terrorist safe houses,” calling on citizens to report any signs of them, such as excessive garbage, heavy vehicles, or unusual silence. Authorities advised the public not to intervene directly but to call designated hotlines.

Meanwhile, regime-controlled media has escalated its campaign against individuals sharing pro-Israel content online, with 100 arrests reported across multiple provinces. Despite the crackdown, videos circulated on social media and Persian diaspora outlets show nightly chants of “Death to Khamenei” and condemnations of the regime for provoking the war.

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.