Tensions in Middle East surge following massive Israeli air assault on Iran

(MENAFN) Tensions in the Middle East have surged following a massive Israeli air assault on Iran in the early hours of June 13. The attack, involving over 200 warplanes, struck more than 100 targets across Iran — from the capital, Tehran, and Qom, to industrial centers like Kermanshah and Hamadan. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the strikes were meant to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile production sites, logistics hubs, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command centers.

The assault dealt a heavy blow to Iran’s military and nuclear leadership. Among those killed were IRGC commander Hossein Salami, Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and General Gholam-Ali Rashid, who was responsible for key military infrastructure. Furthermore, Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, a former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, and at least six other nuclear experts were also reported to have died.

In the wake of these attacks, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made urgent leadership changes, appointing Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari as acting chief of the General Staff and General Ahmad Vahidi as the new commander of the IRGC.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Red Crescent said Israeli airstrikes impacted at least 60 locations across eight provinces, prompting the deployment of 134 rescue teams — totaling 669 people — to provide aid. Provinces affected include Tehran, East and West Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Ilam, Kermanshah, Markazi, Hamadan, Khuzestan, and Kurdistan. The full humanitarian cost of the strikes is still being assessed.

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