The seventh day of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran saw continued missile exchanges, mounting civilian casualties, strategic military strikes, and growing international concern over potential U.S. involvement. According to multiple reports from international and Iranian sources, both sides intensified operations overnight into Thursday, June 19.
Deutsche Welle reported that multiple Iranian missiles struck civilian targets in southern Israel, including a hospital, following the launch of dozens of projectiles. According to Al Jazeera, 240 people were injured in Iran’s latest attacks.
The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency stated that Iran’s 13th wave of missile operations was launched with “widespread destruction.” Simultaneously, IRGC drones were launched toward Israeli territory, as confirmed by several Iranian military channels.
Al Arabiya reported renewed Israeli strikes on Iran’s Arak nuclear reactor complex. Times of Israel added that the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of two Iranian villages near a major nuclear facility, a rare move indicating expectations of further escalation. According to Reuters, the IDF stated that it struck the reactor’s core seal structure, identifying it as a key component in potential plutonium production. Although Arak’s original core was filled with concrete under the 2015 nuclear deal, Tehran informed the IAEA it plans to restart operations by 2026, raising proliferation concerns due to the site’s capacity to produce weapons-grade plutonium.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei says Iran won't surrender as Trump weighs US involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict https://t.co/sJqMqDKWfL
— CNN (@CNN) June 18, 2025
Mehr, the regime’s state-run news agency, confirmed that the area around the Khondab heavy water facility had been targeted. Officials claimed the site was previously evacuated and posed no radiation risk.
Multiple explosions and anti-air activity were reported in Karaj, west of Tehran, according to pro-regime Telegram channels. Widespread flight cancellations, both domestic and international, were extended until Thursday at 2 PM.
The Ministry of Communications announced new internet restrictions, citing “enemy misuse” of digital platforms for military targeting and public destabilization. The ministry claimed the measures were temporary but necessary under “special national conditions.”
According to the Israeli military spokesperson, the IDF has hit over 1,100 targets across Iran since the beginning of hostilities. A senior advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu told the Times of Israel that Iran has launched over 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel since Friday, June 13.
Exclusive: President Trump told senior aides he approved attack plans for Iran, but is holding off on giving the final order to see if Tehran will abandon its nuclear program https://t.co/w6awI3cmMH
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 18, 2025
Bloomberg reported Thursday morning that senior U.S. officials are preparing for a potential military strike on Iran. Anonymous sources said leaders across several federal agencies had begun logistical planning. U.S. President Trump has reportedly held several phone calls with Senator Lindsey Graham, who commented, “Iran made a strategic miscalculation. The sooner we end this threat to humanity, the better.”
In a defiant and inflammatory speech, the regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for “unconditional surrender” as absurd and launched into a self-righteous justification of the regime’s position. Speaking on June 18, Khamenei claimed Iran posed no military threat when Israel launched its strikes. He openly accused the U.S. of collusion and called Israel’s attacks a “grave crime” that “must be punished.” Framing Iran as the victim and threatening “severe retribution,” Khamenei doubled down on a hardline stance, rejecting diplomacy and labeling any notion of surrender as foolish.
The regime’s Chief of Staff of the Military Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi stated that all operations so far have been “deterrent warnings,” and that a full-scale punitive response is imminent. He warned residents of Tel Aviv and Haifa to evacuate “for their own safety.”
A hospital in southern Israel has been hit in an Iranian missile strike.
@CordeliaSkyNews reports live from the scene outside Soroka Hospital📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/FCpvOARTeD
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 19, 2025
The regime’s parliament issued a statement condemning Western silence on Israel’s actions, warning of “severe, calculated retaliation” that would “go down in history.”
The regime’s Atomic Energy Organization chief, Mohammad Eslami, lashed out at IAEA Director Rafael Grossi, accusing him of “historical negligence” that allegedly enabled Israeli attacks on nuclear infrastructure.
The regime’s foreign ministry told Al Jazeera it had asked the UN Security Council to act urgently against Israeli strikes. The spokesperson claimed Israel’s actions could not have happened without U.S. approval and warned that the world “cannot afford a war with catastrophic consequences.”
The regime also threatened legal and punitive measures against citizens sharing videos or images with foreign media, calling such actions “collaboration with hostile powers.”
During a cabinet press conference, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad stated that fuel distribution across the country remains stable and well-managed, but acknowledged that “minor restrictions” may be introduced to maintain supply in the long term. The comments come amid persistent reports of fuel shortages, long queues, and panic buying in Tehran and other cities.
Day Six of the #IsraelIranConflict: Key Developmentshttps://t.co/PnEx4mqvUB
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 18, 2025
The head of the regime’s parliamentary security commission, MP Ebrahim Azizi, announced the advancement of new legislation that would criminalize sharing videos or images with foreign or opposition-linked media. He described such acts as “undermining national morale” and equated them with espionage. The law targets anyone cooperating with so-called “hostile states” through media or digital platforms and calls for severe judicial penalties.
Social media posts from June 18 showed entire districts in Tehran with shops shuttered and streets largely empty. A resident filming on Azerbaijan Street remarked that “all the shops are closed, not a single one is open.” Other users described Tehran as a “ghost town,” with visible signs of mass departure and fear among civilians.
The conflict enters its second week with no signs of de-escalation, as both military and humanitarian costs rise sharply. Thousands remain displaced within Iran, and essential services, including fuel and communication, face increasing strain.