Iran Special Report: Strikes on Iran, June 17, 2025, Morning Edition

The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) will be publishing multiple updates per day to provide insights into the ongoing strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and key military and nuclear program leadership. We will continue to produce Iran Update special editions until the strikes conclude. We will prioritize covering Iranian and Iranian-sponsored activities in response to the attacks that threaten US forces and interests.  

We will produce two updates per day while conditions in the Middle East warrant it. This first update will focus on reports about the strike campaign and identify the areas struck between 6:00 PM ET on June 16 and 6:00 AM ET on June 17. The second update will cover all events over the previous 24 hours and refine our earlier reports about the strike campaign.

Key Takeaways

• Israel has continued striking Iranian military targets, especially sites tied to the Iranian missile program. Israel has also struck a target with ties to the Iranian chemical weapons program.
• Israel conducted a strike killing the newly appointed commander of the Khatam ol Anbia Central Headquarters, which is responsible for joint and wartime operations.
• Iran has conducted five additional missile attacks targeting Israel. All five attacks had a relatively small volume of fire, possibly demonstrating how degraded Iranian missile forces are.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has targeted military infrastructure across Iran since June 16. The IDF destroyed dozens of ballistic missile and drone storage and launch sites in western Iran overnight between June 16 and 17.[i] An Israeli analyst posted satellite imagery on June 16 that showed damage from an Israeli strike at an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) base in Ghazanchi, Kermanshah Province.[ii] The base was reportedly a ballistic missile launch site.[iii] Israeli airstrikes also reportedly targeted an unspecified IRGC base in Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, and an IRGC ammunition depot in Dezful, Khuzestan Province.[iv]

The IDF targeted infrastructure reportedly linked to the Iranian chemical weapons program. Satellite imagery from June 16 shows damage to two buildings at the Shahid Meisami Group in Karaj, Alborz Province.[v] The Shahid Meisami Group is an Iranian chemical engineering and research group that is involved in Iran’s chemical weapons program.[vi] The group is subordinate to the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), which played a leading role in the Iranian nuclear weapons research program before 2003.[vii] The IDF targeted the SPND headquarters in Tehran on June 14.[viii]

CTP-ISW is tracking several unverified reports of additional airstrikes at the Natanz Enrichment Complex in Esfahan Province.[ix] CTP-ISW will provide battle damage assessments and further analysis on the status of the Iranian nuclear program in its June 17 evening update.

The IDF announced on June 17 that it killed newly appointed Khatam ol Anbia Central Headquarters Commander Major General Ali Shadmani in an airstrike in central Tehran.[x] Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Shadmani to command the headquarters after the IDF killed former Khatam ol Anbia Central Headquarters Commander Major General Gholam Ali Rashid on June 13.[xi]

Iran has conducted five ballistic missile attacks targeting Israel since CTP-ISW's last data cutoff on June 16. Iran reportedly launched two ballistic missiles targeting central Israel in the first barrage on June 16, according to an OSINT social media account.[xii] CTP-ISW reported this attack in its June 16 evening update but did not have details about the number of missiles that Iran launched at Israel at the time. Iran reportedly launched three ballistic missiles in the second barrage two hours later.[xiii] It is unclear how many missiles Iran launched in the third barrage.[xiv] An Israeli Army Radio correspondent reported that Iran fired less than 10 ballistic missiles in the first three barrages with no reported impacts or casualties.[xv] Iran launched approximately 20 missiles in the fourth barrage. At least one missile struck a parking lot in central Israel, reportedly injuring five people.[xvi] Iran reportedly launched approximately 10 ballistic missiles in the fifth barrage.[xvii]

Iran struck the Israeli Military Intelligence School in Camp Moshe Dayan in Tel Aviv on June 17.[xviii] The strike damaged a warehouse in the compound.[xix]

The IDF has intercepted several drones that crossed into Israeli airspace since June 16.[xx] The Israeli Air Force (IAF) intercepted approximately 30 drones that were launched at Israel overnight on June 16 and 17.[xxi]