Natanz site may have suffered underground implosion - WSJ
Israel’s recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities may have seriously damaged the underground Natanz enrichment site, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing Israeli and international officials.
An Israeli official told the paper there are early indications that the underground portion of the Natanz facility may have imploded, though further assessments are still needed. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the sudden loss of power at Natanz could have destroyed some of the site’s 14,000 centrifuges, which are highly sensitive and can be damaged if not shut down properly.
The fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles — stored at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow — remains unclear. Israeli officials said Tehran had recently signaled it might disperse those supplies, adding urgency to the timing of the strikes.
Iran on Monday executed Esmaeil Fekri, accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad, after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, state media said.
Authorities said Fekri passed classified information to Israeli agents.
The execution is the third in recent weeks related to allegations of espionage on behalf of Israel.
In April, Mohsen Langarneshin, a cybersecurity expert, was executed in Ghezelhesar prison. Rights groups and activists have said his conviction was based on forced confessions and flawed legal proceedings.
Earlier this year, Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) warned that Fekri was transferred from Ward 4 of Evin Prison to Ghezelhesar Prison on 15 February alongside Langarneshin, raising concerns of their imminent execution as hangings of prisoners held in Evin are often carried out in Ghezelhesar.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Israel on Monday of trying to topple the Islamic Republic by sparking unrest and using internal infiltrators.
“Israel fantasized it could bring people into the streets of Tehran and finally achieve its 40-year dream of eliminating the Islamic system,” Ghalibaf said in parliament. “But the will of the people and the leadership turned that plan into failure.”
He also warned that “a significant part of the enemy’s attacks are not military, but carried out through internal infiltration.”
The Israeli army announced early on Monday local time that it attacked the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Tehran.
Leading the foreign operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Quds force is responsible for projecting Iranian military might in the Middle East.
"In these headquarters, Quds operatives planned terrorist acts against Israel through the Iranian regime's branches in the Middle East," the Israeli military said on X.
Firefighters and rescue personnel work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, June 16, 2025.Firefighters and rescue personnel work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, June 16 2025.Firefighters and rescue personnel work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Haifa, Israel, June 15 2025.
An exodus of fearful Tehran residents quit the capital in droves as Israel ramped up air strikes and Iran sent another missile barrage into Israel as combat between the two Mideast foes entered a fourth day.
Israeli attacks targeted Iran’s foreign ministry, interior ministry and ministry of intelligence along with military targets across the capital Tehran and nationwide. Tehran’s historic bazaar was shut down as merchants evacuated.
US President Trump said it was time for a deal to end the hostilities but suggested letting Israel and Iran keep scrapping.
"Well I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal and we'll see what happens but sometimes they have to fight it out but we're going to see what happens. I think there's a good chance there will be a deal," he told reporters on Sunday.
Israeli attacks since Friday had killed 224 people and wounded 1,277, spokesman for Iran’s health ministry Hossein Kermanpour said on social media.
Four people were killed in the latest Iranian missile attacks on Israel's central region, medic service Magen David Adom said early on Monday local time. Live feeds showed several apparent missile impacts on the northern port city of Haifa as well.
Magen David Adom paramedics attend to the site of an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Petah Tikva in central Israel, June 16, 2025.
Tehran exodus
Traffic volume also surged at major exit points from Tehran, including the Tehran-North highway, Tehran-Qom route, and Haraz road, police said on Sunday, amid escalating war between Iran and Israel.
Israel has approved a new strike plan designed to prompt a mass civilian exodus from Tehran by targeting sites linked to the Iranian government, the Jewish state's Channel 14 reported Sunday night.
Explosions were also reported near key locations including Niavaran, Kashavarz Boulevard, the vicinity of Azadi Stadium, and the Air Force area (Nirou-Havaei) in eastern Tehran.
More attacks struck around Fatemi Square -- where the Interior Ministry is located --Valiasr Square, and downtown intersections near Alaeddin shopping mall in Jomhouri street.
Iranians from neighborhoods such as Jannatabad, Shush, Saadatabad, Punak, Ekbatan, and Chitgarhave sent Iran International video confirming missile strikes and anti-aircraft fire throughout the capital.
Around the airport area and Mehrabad, drone activity and defensive fire were also reported.
Strikes all across Iran
Beyond Tehran, the nearby city of Karaj faced drone assaults, particularly around the Azimieh area, with residents reporting heavy smoke and continuous anti-aircraft defense activity from the nearby mountains.
In the northwest, officials in Tabriz confirmed drone incursions and defensive responses but denied any explosions.
An Israeli military spokesperson also said on Sunday that they also attacked Isfahan nuclear facility.
Warning of regional escalation
Meanwhile a veteran commander mooted regional conflict and a possible eventual resort to nuclear weapons.
"Iran may be forced to take actions that could destabilize the entire region," Mohsen Rezaei, the IRGC general who commanded Iranian forces during the Iran-Iraq war, told the state TV.
Rezaei, once again seen wearing his military uniform, warned that Iran might have to cross its own red lines.
"For now, we have no plans to move towards nuclear weapons," Rezaei said.
Communications disrupted
Internet services have been disrupted in many Iranian cities, with users reporting severe difficulties accessing social media platforms like Instagram and messaging apps such as WhatsApp.
Videos shared on social media showed simultaneous fires at the Shohran oil depot and the Shahr-e Rey refinery near Tehran, with flames continuing for hours after the initial strikes overnight.
‘We have yet to strike all targets,’ Israeli military says
An Israeli military official said that a long list of Iranian targets remains untouched. Since June 13, the Israeli military has conducted approximately 170 airstrikes, striking over 720 sites across Iran.
Israel also issued a warning on Sunday, urging Tehran residents near weapons production centers to evacuate.
As the strikes continue, sounds of explosions and anti-aircraft gunfire remain frequent across Tehran and other cities.
