Iran

Dramatic Images Show Iranian Ballistic Missiles Raining on Israel as Fighting Continues

Published on: June 14, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Stefano D'Urso Stefano D'Urso
Iran Retaliation Operation Rising Lion
Israeli air defenses engage incoming Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv on June 13, 2025. (Image credit: AP/Leo Correa)

In a subsequent wave of air strikes, Israel claims it achieved air superiority in Iran and eliminated all air defenses, while Iran continues launching ballistic missiles.

At the end of the first day of Israeli attacks, Iran has finally retaliated with around 100 ballistic missiles launched against targets in Israel. Iran has vowed a massive retaliation since the first waves of attacks on its territory, with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying that Israel “started the work and started the war” and Iran “will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.”

Contents
In a subsequent wave of air strikes, Israel claims it achieved air superiority in Iran and eliminated all air defenses, while Iran continues launching ballistic missiles.The Iranian retaliationNew wave of Israeli airstrikesAftermath of the strikesU.S. involvementDisinformation and the fog of warUpdate

The first retaliation, in the morning immediately after the first Israeli strikes, only involved drones. About 100 one-way attack drones, including the Shahed 136, were launched against Israel and intercepted before they could reach their targets.

You can find our previous reporting about Operation Rising Lion here and here.

The Iranian retaliation

The first reports about the incoming Iranian retaliation arrived in the evening of June 12, when Israeli Home Front Command instructed the population to move into shelters and air raid sirens sounded across Israel and air defenses were activated. At the same time, Iranian televisions transmitted a recorded message to the nation of Khamenei.

Among the targeted areas was Tel Aviv, with air defenses lighting up the sky while engaging the incoming missiles. According to Reuters, an Israeli official said Iran fired around 200 ballistic missiles in four waves.

Most of the missiles were intercepted, but some were able to make it through. At least three people were killed and 35 have been injured, with some of them being in critical conditions.

According to the Associated Press, U.S. officials confirmed that U.S. ground-based air defense systems helped shooting down Iranian missiles flying towards Israel. Fox News additionally reported that the U.S. involvement included U.S. Army Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

New wave of Israeli airstrikes

In the hours following the attack on Israel, Israeli fighters once again struck targets in Iran. The IDF says Israeli fighters “attacked dozens of targets in Tehran,” claiming it has eliminated all air defenses and achieved full freedom of operation in Tehran’s airspace.

Among the targets hit in Tehran is Mehrabad Airport, which hosts MiG-29s and Su-24s, with multiple hangars reportedly burning. According to some report, the base might also host some of the Iranian F-14s.

Other bases which were struck are Hamadan and Tabriz, with the former hosting F-4s and the latter MiG-29s and F-5s. Some F-5s and MiG-29 were reportedly seen in flight yesterday over Iranian cities at low altitude, although there are no reports about air-to-air engagements with Israeli fighters.

Israel appears to have been using its full range of air-launched weapons, including GBU-21 JDAM, GBU-39 SDB and Spice bombs, Delilah stand-off missiles, Blue Sparrow air-launched ballistic missiles and the Rampage air-to-surface missiles.

According to reports, the strikes this time did not include only military targets, but also industrial ones. Among the ones that were allegedly struck are multiple targets in the Bushehr Province on the coast of the Persian Gulf, including the  Phase 14 Refinery of the South Pars Gas Field, the Fajr Jam Natural Gas Refinery, and the Kangan Liquid Natural Gas Port.

Aftermath of the strikes

New imagery show the damage causes by the previous strikes on Iranian targets. Among these are the satellite images of the Natanz complex, Iran’s primary Uranium enrichment facility, which shows damage to multiple buildings.

Iran claimed to have shot down an Israeli F-35I Adir, however the image provided as proof appears to be generated by Artificial Intelligence. These claims were accompanied by the claims of a pilot being captured, but the photo used by Iranian media shows a Chilean pilot.

Iran is also threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points and provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. A closure would have not only military consequences, but also economic as it would cause huge shipping disruptions.

Israeli officials claim they “can finish it in days,” although these days are “expected to be intense missile” with missile barrages from Iran and Israeli air strikes. Previously, Israeli officials said they believe Iran could have about 2,000 missiles that they could use against Israel.

U.S. involvement

In the morning of June 14 there were still claims by Israeli officials that the U.S. might still join the operation against Iran, quoting some U.S. President Donald Trump’s alleged comments before the operation was launched. The White House, however, denie these claims.

New reports emerged in the evening mention that Israel might have now officially requested the U.S. to join the operation. These reports are however not confirmed, although Israeli sources previously mentioned they would need U.S. bunker buster weapons to completely destroy Iranian underground facilities.

So far, as previously mentioned, the only U.S. involvement which was acknowledged was the help in the defense during the ballistic missile attack. There are also reports about a possible involvement in the defense during the drone attack on June 13.

There are also reports about Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner being moved to the area, with a second unnamed destroyer being alerted.

Disinformation and the fog of war

As mentioned earlier in this article, sometimes it is difficult to verify claims without factual evidence, although even the cases supported by evidence need to be investigated as some of the images and video being published online are not related to the ongoing events or are fabricated.

Here is what we wrote in a recent article about the need to validate each piece of information:

As with recent conflicts, this latest skirmish once again underscores the importance of a Zero Trust mindset not only in cybersecurity, but also in how information is processed and consumed in real-time conflict zones. With both sides pushing conflicting narratives, releasing images of questionable origin, and leveraging social platforms to shape perception, observers must apply the same principles of Zero Trust: never assume, always verify. Each photo, video, or claim should be treated as suspect until validated through independent sources. In an era where propaganda travels faster than missiles, filtering out misinformation is now as critical as missile defense in understanding and responding to modern warfare.

Update

Shortly after the publication of this article, in the evening of June 14, Iran launched another wave of ballistic missiles against Israel. It is being reported that around 40 missiles were launched.

Videos emerged online show missiles impacting near Haifa, with reports of damage and injuries in residential areas.

Reports online say Haifa’s refinery was allegedly hit by some of the ballistic missiles. Almost simultaneously, Israel was reportedly striking the Shahran oil depot in Tehran and other targets in the area.

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By Stefano D'Urso
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Stefano D'Urso is a freelance journalist and contributor to TheAviationist based in Lecce, Italy. A graduate in Industral Engineering he's also studying to achieve a Master Degree in Aerospace Engineering. Electronic Warfare, Loitering Munitions and OSINT techniques applied to the world of military operations and current conflicts are among his areas of expertise.
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