Israeli airstrikes on Monday targeted multiple sites linked to internal security and political control in the heart of Tehran, including the administrative and courtroom sections of Evin Prison — a facility long seen as a symbol of state repression.
The strikes, carried out under the direct orders of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, focused on “regime targets and government repression bodies,” according to the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
Among the locations hit were the main gate and administrative buildings of Evin Prison.
There were no reported casualties among inmates, although several staff members were killed, according to information shared with Iran International.
Sources inside the facility confirmed to Iran International that office buildings, visitation areas, and judicial chambers were damaged in the strike.
Following the attack, families of political prisoners and local residents attempted to approach the site, according to witness accounts shared online.
Evin Prison, constructed in the 1970s, has long been associated with political detention and has housed journalists, activists, and dual nationals.
Strikes target multiple security bases
In addition to Evin, Israeli forces also struck a number of other prominent security and ideological institutions across Tehran and its suburbs.
Iran and Israel have not released an official list of the targets. Witness reports said they included the Basij headquarters, part of the IRGC’s paramilitary force, involved in controlling protests; the Tharallah Base (also known as Sarallah Base), an elite IRGC unit responsible for managing civil unrest in the capital; and the Seyyed al-Shohada IRGC base, a key provincial force in Alborz province, as well as the Intelligence Directorate of the national police.
Additionally, Iranian media reported strikes on the state media complex “9 Dey”, a technical hub for Iran’s national broadcasting system, including TV and radio transmission facilities.
Israel says goal is not regime change — but won’t rule out consequences
Israeli officials said on Monday again that the objective of the strikes is deterrence. “Our objective in Iran is not regime change,” a government spokesperson said on Monday. “But that may be the byproduct.”
Israeli Defense Minister Katz added, “For every shot fired at the Israeli home front, the Iranian dictator will be punished, and the attacks will continue with full force. We will continue until our war objectives are fully achieved.”
While Israel has previously struck infrastructure linked to Iran’s domestic security apparatus — including the headquarters of the Special Forces unit of the Islamic Republic’s Internal Security Forces and a main building of the state broadcaster IRIB — the latest campaign marks an escalation in the scope and scale of such attacks.
This wave of airstrikes has more explicitly targeted what Israeli officials describe as the “repression infrastructure” of the Islamic Republic— the institutions at the core of political surveillance, ideological enforcement, and suppression of dissent.
Tensions in the region remain high, with commercial shipping already diverting away from the Strait of Hormuz and Western governments reviewing security postures amid fears of a broader escalation.
According to data collected by rights group HRANA, 950 people were killed and 3,450 injured across Iran as of Monday. In Israel, 24 people were killed and over 2,500 injured.
