□.Iran’s Devastating Retaliation: A Shift in Regional Power
For the first time in modern history, Tel Aviv has experienced direct, devastating strikes from Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal. In a stunning escalation under the Iranian military operation codenamed “True Promise 3”, Iranian Armed Forces launched a barrage of precision missile attacks that not only overwhelmed Israel’s vaunted Iron Dome but also left parts of the city resembling a war zone, unprecedented in Israeli territory since the state’s founding.
This is not merely a symbolic retaliation. It marks a turning point in the power dynamics of the Middle East — one where Iran has asserted a new level of deterrence, capability, and strategic depth.
■.Missiles That Changed the Equation
Iran’s missile response followed ongoing Israeli aggressions, including covert operations targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure — operations often carried out with U.S. backing. Despite repeated denials, evidence from intelligence sources and military footage now confirms that Iran launched several advanced missile systems from its territory, including older Shahab variants and potentially even its cutting-edge Fattah hypersonic missile, capable of reaching speeds exceeding Mach 13, maneuvering in and outside the atmosphere, and delivering strikes with extreme precision.
The destruction of the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, an IDF-affiliated research hub critical to Israeli weapons development and AI military integration, signifies a blow not just to Israel’s military infrastructure but also to its technological edge.
■.Strategic Military Installations Targeted
Among the most high-profile targets destroyed were:
The Weizmann Institute’s Defense Labs: Once the hub for AI-guided drone programs and nuclear systems development.
Air Defense Nodes: Iron Dome batteries failed to intercept multiple missiles, with some interceptors ironically falling on urban civilian structures.
IDF Intelligence Facilities: Specific damage remains classified, but satellite images and leaks suggest heavy strikes on military tech centers.
Israel’s normally impregnable military and intelligence apparatus was left exposed, not by foreign occupation forces, but by ballistic firepower crossing from Iran’s heartland.
■.General Mousavi’s Stern Warning
On June 18, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi publicly stated that the current retaliatory operations were merely “deterrent warnings”, promising future “punitive operations” if Israeli aggression persists. His tone was clear: Iran has not yet fully flexed its strategic arsenal.
With stockpiles estimated between 20,000 to 50,000 missiles by U.S.-Israeli intelligence, and a domestic production capacity of up to 50 missiles per day, Iran holds the capability to sustain a long-term conflict — a nightmare scenario for Israeli defense planners.
■.A Broken Doctrine: Israel’s Iron Dome Fails
The symbolic and strategic collapse of the Iron Dome is perhaps the greatest shock of this confrontation. For decades, Israel’s layered air defense systems have been a psychological and operational shield. But on the night of June 17, multiple missiles penetrated its defenses, with others triggering catastrophic failures.
Civilian buildings were struck by Israeli interceptors that failed mid-air, raising serious questions about the operational integrity of Israel’s most trusted defense system, especially when facing advanced Iranian missile technology and saturation tactics.
■.Khamenei’s Message: No Submission, No Forgiveness
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a strong statement, declaring:
> “The Zionist regime and the American interventionist system have committed an irreversible mistake. They will pay a heavy, irreparable price. We will not forgive the violation of our airspace, nor forget the blood of our martyrs. War for war, bomb for bomb — we will never accept an imposed war or imposed peace.”
This echoes Iran’s long-standing posture: resistance, retaliation, and resilience — not just through proxies, but directly, with sovereign firepower.
■.A Region on the Brink
The confrontation has moved the Middle East millimeters from nuclear disaster. As reports confirm ongoing Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — allegedly peaceful and under IAEA supervision — Tehran’s retaliation signals that patience is over.
What was once feared as a hypothetical conflict scenario between Iran and Israel is now real — the battlefield is no longer in the shadows, but in daylight, with missiles, ruins, and fire.
■.Conclusion: A New Middle East Has Emerged
Iran’s response in “True Promise 3” has redrawn red lines. The myth of Israel’s regional military invincibility has cracked. The U.S.-Israeli plan to isolate and paralyze Iran through sabotage, sanctions, and stealth strikes has encountered a brutal correction.
What comes next may define the next century of Middle Eastern geopolitics — whether it escalates into full-scale war or triggers a rebalancing of power. But one fact is clear: Iran has demonstrated its capacity to strike back — not in words, but with devastating precision.
□ Eelaththu Nilavan □
19/06/2025
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Amizhthu’s editorial stance.
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