‘We Will Not Have a Second Holocaust,’ Netanyahu Says of Iran Confrontation
Israel expands its long-range strikes deep into Iran as leaders declare their intent to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons
Between late Sunday, June 15, and early Monday, June 16, Iran launched multiple ballistic missile barrages at central and northern Israel, including from Yemen via Houthi proxies, while Israel intensified its deep-strike campaign on Iranian territory. The Israeli attacks targeted command centers, military installations, and energy infrastructure across the country, stretching nearly 2,300 kilometers from north to south. The cross-border escalation has resulted in dozens of civilian casualties, widespread infrastructure damage, and growing fears of a broader regional war that could pull in global powers.
The Iranian missile and drone strikes were in direct retaliation for Israel’s large-scale air campaign, which began a few days earlier and focused on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Israeli officials say the strikes aim to neutralize what they describe as an existential threat, claiming that Iran is approaching the threshold of acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran maintains that its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes, although it has enriched uranium to levels close to weapons-grade.
On Sunday evening, Iran fired a heavy barrage of ballistic missiles toward northern and central Israel. The impacts resulted in at least eight civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries. Fires and structural damage were reported across Haifa and towns near Kiryat Gat, and later in Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva. The following morning, another wave of missiles injured five people and wounded dozens more in Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva. A building in Petah Tikva was hit directly, killing four elderly residents. An 80-year-old man died when his home in Bnei Brak collapsed from a nearby blast. Emergency teams reported that in some cases, even residents sheltering in safe rooms were not fully protected due to the strength of the explosions.
Israeli emergency services, including Magen David Adom, treated over a hundred people for injuries or shock. The Israel Electric Corporation confirmed damage to central power infrastructure in Haifa, while firefighters worked to contain blazes at power facilities targeted by Iranian strikes. Meanwhile, a missile launched from Yemen by the Houthi movement triggered air raid sirens in Beersheba and the northern Negev. Israeli military forces intercepted the projectile.
Iran’s strikes also caused significant disruption and destruction within Israel’s civilian and strategic sectors. In addition to human casualties, Iranian missiles struck Israel’s largest oil refinery in Haifa Bay and damaged multiple electricity infrastructure sites. The Guardian reported that fires broke out following impacts from hypersonic missiles. Iranian media praised what it called successful targeting of Israeli economic facilities, though Israeli officials reported that most incoming threats were intercepted.
Challenging days are ahead. There will be more launches and impacts in the coming days.
According to Israeli officials, more than 100 drones launched by Iran and its proxies have been intercepted since Friday. A new seaborne air defense system was used for the first time by the Israeli Navy to shoot down eight Iranian drones. Israel stated that no drone had reached its territory as of Monday morning. IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said, “Challenging days are ahead. There will be more launches and impacts in the coming days.”
The Home Front Command maintained its guidance for Israeli civilians to remain near shelters. Schools and nonessential workplaces remain closed. Public gatherings are banned, and authorities continue to urge residents not to post footage or images of missile impacts to prevent Iran from improving targeting based on online data.
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In response to Iran’s attacks, Israel has dramatically expanded its air campaign. Israeli fighter jets struck dozens of military sites across Iran on Sunday and early Monday, targeting facilities associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Quds Force. Strikes were reported in Tehran, Shiraz, Parchin, and Mashhad, including on radar systems, ballistic missile production sites, and a fuel depot. One Israeli strike reportedly destroyed a refueling aircraft at Mashhad Airport, located more than 2,200 kilometers from Israel. Israeli officials described this as the most distant strike carried out in the current operation.
Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a video statement that the military had “opened an air corridor to Tehran,” and Israeli pilots were now flying hundreds of kilometers into Iranian airspace with minimal resistance. He described the campaign as “historic and unprecedented,” claiming the operation would dismantle the infrastructure behind Iran’s nuclear program and missile capabilities.
Iran confirmed that three senior IRGC intelligence officers, including Brig. Gen. Mohammad Kazemi and his deputy Hassan Mohaqiq, were killed in the strikes. Israel also claimed to have hit the headquarters of the Quds Force in Tehran, though independent verification remains limited. Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that five car bombs exploded in Tehran and that an Iranian foreign ministry building had been damaged, though Israel denied involvement in the car bombings.
The Iranian government reported that Israel’s airstrikes caused severe damage to infrastructure across multiple provinces. Water and sewage systems were disrupted in parts of Tehran following reported strikes on a gas depot and a bank near the Tajrish market. Widespread internet outages were also reported, hampering emergency services and public communication. Residents described difficulty accessing official information and took to social media to share safety advice. The attacks sparked panic, with long lines forming at gas stations and residents attempting to leave urban areas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the goal of the Israeli campaign is not regime change, but he acknowledged in an interview with Fox News that such an outcome “could certainly be the result.” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told CNN, “The goal is not regime change. That’s for the Iranian people to decide.”
Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal. We will have PEACE, soon.
Despite reports that President Donald Trump blocked a potential Israeli assassination attempt on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Israeli officials dismissed the story as “fake news.” Trump, for his part, told reporters, “Sometimes they have to fight it out,” but added that a deal could eventually be reached between the two nations. On social media, he wrote, “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal. We will have PEACE, soon.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force continues to strike missile sites in western and central Iran. The IDF said it had destroyed large quantities of missile launchers and infrastructure tied to Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said on Israeli television that Iran had targeted Israel’s energy infrastructure in recent attacks, attempting to “plunge Israel into darkness.”
Inside Iran, the civilian toll is mounting. Iranian authorities report over 1,400 wounded and at least 224 people killed since the start of Israeli strikes on Friday. Among the dead are senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, but Tehran claims that 90% of the casualties are civilians. In response to worsening conditions, Iranian officials have opened mosques, metro stations, and some schools to shelter residents. Water and power outages have been reported in parts of Tehran, and verified footage from The New York Times shows flooding and damage in residential neighborhoods following strikes on infrastructure.
Fear and confusion are spreading among Iranian civilians. Residents have described long queues at gas stations, a lack of official guidance, and widespread reliance on social media and private messaging groups to share safety tips. Some Iranians, recalling the Iran-Iraq War, have fled cities for rural areas, while others remain sheltering at home.
In the southern Israeli coastal town of Bat Yam, where missiles struck a residential building, the Israeli rescue organization ZAKA said early Monday that two more bodies had been recovered from the rubble, bringing the death toll at that site to eight. Among those killed were five Ukrainian nationals, including three minors, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
Iranian proxies in Iraq and Lebanon have thus far stayed out of the fight. The Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades stated that Iran did not need assistance but warned that it would target American interests if the US joined the conflict. Lebanese Hezbollah, still recovering from its 2024 war with Israel, has not participated in the current escalation.
As of Monday, the Israeli military said it had gained air superiority over large parts of Iran, following successive strikes that degraded Iranian radar and air defense systems. Israeli officials have emphasized that their goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Netanyahu told Fox News, “We will not have a second Holocaust, a nuclear holocaust.”
We will not have a second Holocaust, a nuclear holocaust
Whether this unprecedented conflict between Israel and Iran leads to a ceasefire or further regional destabilization remains uncertain. President Trump continues to promote a negotiated resolution, but direct talks between Washington and Tehran were canceled over the weekend. The path to diplomacy, at least for now, appears blocked by missiles and the fog of war.
