News Digest — 6/16/25
Five Dead In Iran Missile Barrage In Central Israel
Two women and a man about 70 years of age, and a man about 80, were killed early Monday morning (16th) in central Israel in a barrage of dozens of missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory shortly after 4: a.m.
Four people were found dead at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Petah Tikvah, while the fifth, a man of around 80, was killed in Bnei Brak.
Magen David Adom teams have so far evacuated 74 injured individuals. Among them is a woman around 30-years-old in serious condition, five in moderate condition and 68 in light condition. Rescue and search operations for additional casualties are ongoing at two of the four sites.
In the Haifa area, two people were lightly injured at two impact sites. Rescue teams are attempting to reach two others who are trapped.
According to the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, two high-rise buildings in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area sustained direct hits in the latest barrage.
Search and rescue teams are currently underway at all impact sites to locate additional casualties. Meanwhile, reports indicate that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were intercepted near Eilat and near Rosh Hanikra.
The Home Front Command has issued guidance permitting residents in certain areas to leave protected spaces. Rescue and emergency forces are operating at several locations across the country where missile impacts have been reported.
It was stressed to Israeli citizens that, “You are urged to continue following the instructions of the Home front Command and all official updates issued to you.”
On Sunday evening (15th), a woman was moderately injured and six others sustained light injuries when a missile struck between two buildings in Haifa. Two additional people were lightly injured in a moshav in the Lachish region.
Netanyahu: ‘Tehran Is Burning’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Israel’s recent military operations against Iran on Sunday evening (15th), highlighting what he described as significant achievements. ”Our incredible pilots are now flying above the skies of burning Tehran.” Netanyahu said. “We are determined to complete the mission of removing the dual threat.”
“He also called for national unity in these critical times. “Four of our citizens were killed in Tamra. I heard people cheering, and I am disgusted by it. Missiles do not distinguish between Jews and Arabs. They target us all. The enemy wants to destroy every one of us – and we are fighting this battle together.”
In a related interview with Fox News, Netanyahu explained the timing of the recent offensive. “We launched the attack now because we were facing an immediate and existential dual threat. First, Iran was close to using its enriched uranium to produce nuclear weapons, with a clear and explicit intention to destroy us. Second, they were racing to expand their ballistic missile arsenal.”
According to Netanyahu, Iran was on track to produce 3,600 new missiles per year. “In three years that would mean 10,000 ballistic missiles, each weighing a ton and capable of reaching our cities at mach-6 speeds – as we saw today. In six years it would have grown to 20,000. No country can withstand that, certainly not a country the size of Israel. We had no choice but to act, not only to defend ourselves but to protect the world from this dangerous regime. The most dangerous regime in the world must not possess the most dangerous weapons.”
Netanyahu confirmed that Israel eliminated the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence division, along with his deputy. “We chose to act, because we had to. We saw enough enriched uranium for nine nuclear bombs. All they needed to do was weaponize it. We stopped it through targeted strikes. We’re hitting their nuclear sites. We took out their chief nuclear scientists, just like we wouldn’t have left Hitler’s scientists untouched. Would you? Of course not. We also targeted their senior command, and I can now confirm that just moments ago, we eliminated their intelligence chief and his deputy in Tehran.”
He added that Iran is trying to conceal the extent of the damage. “Mass evacuations are happening in Iran right now, but you’re not hearing about it – because they’re hiding it.”
Chief Of Staff: ‘Citizens, I Promise Anyone Who Harms You Will Pay Dearly’
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir addressed the Israeli public on Sunday evening (15th) with a special message amid the ongoing war with Iran.
“Citizens of Israel, we are now on the third day of Operation Rising Lion. This is a historic and unprecedented military campaign aimed at delivering a significant blow to the existential threat Iran has been building for years with the goal of destroying us. We are operating according to a detailed methodical, and evolving plan. In the past 24-hours, we completed an aerial breakthrough route to Tehran and carried out an air assault. Israeli Air Force pilots are flying at great distances, hundreds of kilometers from Israeli territory, while striking hundreds of diverse targets with precision. At the same time, we are identifying and destroying missile launchers firing at our territory,” said Zamir
He continued, “From the moment we launched the campaign, we acted with surprise and deception. The opening strike eliminated the top of the Iranian military command. We will continue to increase the intensity of our operations to strengthen our security for years to come. Protecting the home front is a central part of this campaign. As I told you from the outset, there will be difficult moments. We are in the midst of a challenge unlike any we’ve faced before.”
Zamir emphasized, “We knew there would be a price to pay. That reality underscores why we had to act now, before it was too late. The IDF is utilizing its best systems, strategies, and capabilities to minimize harm, but there is no such thing as complete protection.”
He urged the public to strictly follow the guidelines of the Home Front Command. “At the start of the operation, we lost civilians to missile strikes. My heart is with the families of the dead and injured. I call on you to fully follow the guidelines. Doing so dramatically reduces the risk to your life. It’s our collective responsibility. I want to express my deep appreciation to the Home Front Command personnel and all security forces working together to save lives. Citizens of Israel, I promise you, anyone who harms you is paying and will continue to pay dearly wherever they may be,”
“We are in the midst of a multi-front war. While we strike at the Iranian regime, we continue to defend in Gaza and other arenas. IDF troops across all fronts are demonstrating extraordinary bravery and dedication. We have not forgotten, even for a moment, our moral duty to bring back our hostages held by Hamas. Tragically, we lost a soldier yesterday, Reservist Staff Sergeant Noam Shemesh of the Kfir Brigade, who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip. I send my condolences to his family. We will continue with determination and composure to fulfill the objectives of this war.”
“In its unique spirit, the people of Israel have always shown resilience and unity in decisive moments. That is exactly the moment we are in now. We are a nation that chooses life, and for the sake of our future and freedom, we are prepared to make difficult decisions. The campaign is ongoing, so with humility, unity, stability, we have faith in the justice of our cause. Our actions speak louder than words. ‘Like a lion, the people rise,’” concluded the Chief of Staff.
Air Campaign In Iran To Last ‘Weeks, Not Days’: Say Israel, US Officials
The IDF says Operation Rising Lion has made major progress, but Israeli security officials admit that “the job’s not done,” with potentially weeks of intense air strikes remaining.
Israel’s air campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, has made magnificent progress in degrading Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, American and Israeli officials say, but weeks of continued airstrikes will likely be needed for Israel to achieve its goals. On Sunday (15th) the IDF claimed that the Israeli air campaign, initiated early Friday morning (13th), has already made significant progress, citing damage to Iranian nuclear facilities and ballistic missile production, as well as the killing of senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists.
“We are not stopping attacking for a moment,” said chief IDF spokesperson BG Effie Defrin. “We have attacked more than 80 targets across Iran since last night. The Air Force attacks are focused on damaging nuclear facilities.”
“We attacked the Iranian regime’s nuclear headquarters, we attacked development and research sites for the production of raw materials and laboratories for the development of nuclear weapons, and we attacked fuel depots that assist Iranian military industries.”
Off the record, other IDF officials confirmed that the Israeli operation had already chalked up significant achievements while emphasizing that the airstrikes would have to continue to ensure that critical goals are reached.
“We have seen a lot of success in Natanz and Isfahan,” one senior military official told NBC News. “It will take them many months, maybe more, to restore the sites we have already operated on.”
“However,” the official added, “The job’s not done,” citing the need to destroy damaged nuclear facilities and to hit the Fordo uranium enrichment facility, an elaborate underground compound built under a mountain that has thus far not been struck.
According to an Israeli official and a White House official cited in a CNN report Sunday (15th), the ongoing operation is likely to last for “weeks, not days.”
The report added that the Trump administration has given its implicit approval for the Israeli attacks.
Israel To UN Security Council: “How Long Did The World Expect Us To Wait?” – Leah Schwartz
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon Told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday (13th) that the mission of Israel’s operation in Iran was to “dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, eliminate the architects of its terror and aggression, and neutralize the regime’s ability to follow through on its repeated public promise to destroy the state of Israel.”
“How long did the world expect us to wait?… Until they assembled the bomb? Until they mounted it on a Shahab missile? Until it was en route to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, like the more than 100 missiles they just sent our way?”
“When Iran marched toward nuclear capability, you said nothing. When they crossed line after line, you drew none of your own. So we acted. We acted to ensure our people live. We acted so that Jewish children in Jerusalem will not wake up to the sound of air raid sirens triggered by a nuclear launch.”
What Israel was seeking from the Security Council, Danon said, was not permission but recognition. “Recognition that Israel did what the world should have done. Recognition that the Iranian regime violated every obligation they ever undertook. Recognition that Israel had the undeniable right and duty to defend its people from extermination.” (Jerusalem Post-Media Line)
In Jerusalem After Israel Strikes Iran – Gil Troy
The threat against Israel – and the West – had been getting worse in recent months. Beyond Iran’s rush to go nuclear, there were rumors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps coordinating a multi-border invasion, which would include first deposing the Egyptian and Jordanian regimes to encircle Israel in a “ring of fire.”
Iran has repeatedly threatened Israel with destruction, unleashed lethal proxies against the Jewish state, and launched at least 500 missiles at Israel in the past 14 months. Anyone who doesn’t understand why such aggression requires a devastating response doesn’t understand jihadism, international law, or just-war theory.
Iran is a country of more than 90 million people some 1,400 miles from Israel, which has 9.5 million people. About 1.8 million Muslims live in Israel, and the country contains many major Muslim holy sites that Islamists should protect, not threaten. There is no historic enmity between Persians and Jews. Under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, there were robust economic and cultural ties, as well as many secret military exchanges.
Israel has long avoided this day, trusting diplomacy, the international community and its own efforts to contain the threat. But as Iran galloped toward atomic power and defied American pressure, Israel felt compelled to act. Our people are proud that we are making the world safer, because we’re willing to do the West’s ‘dirty work.’
The writer, a distinguished scholar of North American History at McGill University, is a Senior Fellow in Zionist Thought at the Jewish People Policy Institute. (Wall Street Journal)
(wsj.com)
