Fri Jun 13 19:35:04 UTC 2025: ## Iran Launches Massive Retaliatory Attack on Israel
**Tehran, Iran** – Iran launched a massive retaliatory attack against Israel Friday night, firing hundreds of ballistic missiles in response to an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites and military leaders earlier in the day. Explosions rocked Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as sirens wailed across Israel, forcing citizens into shelters.
The attack, claimed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), targeted “dozens of targets, military centers and airbases” within Israel, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA. At least one projectile impacted central Tel Aviv, causing significant damage to residential buildings and injuring at least 15 people, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
The escalation follows an unprecedented Israeli attack early Friday that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, senior military commanders, and scientists, including the armed forces chief of staff, Major-General Mohammed Bagheri, and the IRGC chief, Hossein Salami.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed a decisive response to Israel’s actions, stating that the country would not be allowed to conduct “hit and run” attacks without consequences. “The Zionist regime [Israel] will not remain unscathed from the consequences of its crime,” he declared, promising the Iranian nation that their response would be “not half-measured.”
Major-General Mohammed Pakpour was swiftly appointed to replace Salami as the IRGC chief. In a letter read on state television, Pakpour vowed to open “the gates of hell” to Israel.
Before the Iranian retaliation, Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier-General Effie Defrin warned that “Iran has the ability to significantly harm the Israeli home front” and urged citizens to seek shelter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier stated he expected “several waves of Iranian attacks.”
The situation remains highly volatile and the potential for further escalation is significant. The international community is closely monitoring the developments as tensions between Iran and Israel reach a new peak.
First Piper 