Iran Special Report: Strikes on Iran, June 18, 2025, Morning Edition

Information Cutoff: 6:00 AM ET

The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) are publishing multiple updates daily to provide analysis on the war with Iran. The morning update will focus on the exchange of fire between Iran and Israel. The evening update will be more comprehensive, covering events over the past 24-hour period and refining items discussed in the morning update.

Key Takeaways

• Israeli strikes have focused on targeting the Iranian missile program in recent hours. Israel has struck several sites tied to missile production, including a site that Iran has expanded significantly in recent years to build weapons for Russia and the so-called “Axis of Resistance.”
• Israeli strikes have targeted two centrifuge production sites around Tehran. Israel also struck the IRGC Imam Hossein University, which is controlled by the IRGC and Iranian nuclear weapons research.
• Iran downed an Israeli drone around Esfahan. This marks the first confirmed Israeli aircraft that Iran has downed since the Israeli strikes began.
• Iran conducted two ballistic missile attacks targeting Israel. The attacks reportedly included around 20 and 30 missiles.

Israel has shifted its air campaign to target Iranian ballistic missile production facilities since CTP-ISW's last data cutoff on June 17.  The IDF reported that it struck missile production sites in Tehran Province overnight on June 17 and 18 that produced raw materials and components for missile assembly.[i]  Israel struck the Khojir Missile Production Complex in Hajarabad, Tehran Province.[ii] The Khojir Missile Production Complex produces solid- and liquid-fueled missiles.[iii]  Satellite imagery captured in April 2024 showed that Iran had established 30 new buildings at the Khojir facility between August 2023 and April 2024.[iv] Reuters reported that the expansion of the Khojir complex would increase Iran’s capacity to send weapons to Russia, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.[v] The IDF previously struck the Khojir Missile Production Complex in October 2024.[vi]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed on June 18 that Israeli airstrikes targeted two centrifuge production facilities in and around Tehran.[vii] The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA) workshop in Karaj, west of Tehran, and the Tehran Nuclear Research Center (TNRC) in Tehran City overnight on June 17 and 18.[viii] The IAEA said that both sites were previously under IAEA monitoring and verification under the 2015 nuclear deal.[ix] Israeli airstrikes destroyed two buildings at the TESA workshop, which Iran used to manufacture centrifuge components.[x] Israeli airstrikes damaged a building at the TNRC that Iran used to manufacture and test advanced centrifuge rotors.[xi] The TNRC houses several nuclear research facilities and Iran has reportedly conducted undeclared nuclear activities, including plutonium separations, uranium conversion, laser enrichment, and polonium production, at the site.[xii] The IDF said that the TNRC enabled Iran to expand the scope and rate of its uranium enrichment.[xiii]

The IDF targeted infrastructure linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian nuclear weapons program. The IAF struck the Imam Hussein University (IHU) in Tehran City on June 17.[xiv] IHU is controlled by the IRGC and has reportedly been involved in experiments related to nuclear weapons technology.[xv] Several IHU professors and researchers reportedly work on Iran’s nuclear weapons program.[xvi] The United States sanctioned IHU in 2012.[xvii]

Iran downed an Israeli Hermes 900 drone near Esfahan overnight on June 17 and 18.[xviii] The IDF confirmed that Iran downed the drone and noted that “there is no fear of information leaking.”[xix] This marks the first confirmed Israeli aircraft that Iran has downed since the Israeli strikes began.

Iran has conducted two ballistic missile attacks targeting Israel since CTP-ISW's last data cutoff on June 17.[xx] Iran reportedly launched between 20 and30 ballistic missiles in the two barrages.[xxi] The attacks did not cause any impacts.[xxii]

The IDF has intercepted several drones that crossed into Israeli airspace since June 17. The IAF intercepted a total of 13 drones that were launched at Israel overnight on June 17 and 18.[xxiii]