Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) greets Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prior to their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Monday. Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP hide caption
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Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
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Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across Tehran early Monday, hitting what it called “regime targets and government repression bodies” in the heart of the Iranian capital, including Evin Prison, notorious for jailing political opponents. The military also said it struck the Fordo nuclear facility, already damaged by U.S. strikes over the weekend, to obstruct access routes to the site.
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The Israeli military said its warplanes, guided by intelligence, hit command centers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the Basij headquarters and the Alborz Corps, which oversee internal security.
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Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were a response to Iranian missile fire and vowed to continue hitting “regime targets.”
The Iranian judiciary denied Israeli reports of unrest inside Evin Prison following the strikes, calling them “rumors from Mossad media,” referring to Israel’s spy agency, and said the situation was under control.
The IRGC said it responded with a new barrage of ballistic missiles and drones as part of what it called the “21st wave” of its counterattacks.
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Meanwhile, in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and publicly condemned the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. Putin accused the U.S. of “unprovoked aggression” and pledged to support Iran. The meeting underscored growing alignment between Tehran and Moscow amid escalating regional tensions.
In a briefing with reporters, Israeli former Mossad official and Iran expert Sima Shine offered a mixed verdict on the U.S. airstrikes targeting three of Iran’s key nuclear sites, including Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.
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“It’s much better than what we thought it would be,” she said, but then added, “I don’t think it’s complete destruction of the project.”
Shine suggested Iran may be hiding enriched uranium and advanced centrifuges elsewhere, and could build a bomb in secret.
NPR’s Daniel Estrin contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.
