Israel's Attack on Iran - June 2025

In the early hours of June 13, 2025, Israel launched a large-scale surprise military offensive against Iran — later named the Twelve-Day War — striking nuclear facilities, military bases, air defense systems, and government infrastructure across the country. Using more than 200 fighter jets and deploying over 330 munitions against approximately 100 targets in five successive waves of airstrikes, Israel's declared objective was to neutralize Iran's nuclear program and degrade its military capacity. Iran retaliated with over 550 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 drones targeting Israeli territory. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire formally took effect on June 24, 2025.

Civilian Death Toll in Iran

The human cost to Iran's civilian population was severe and contested. Iranian government health authorities initially reported 224 deaths, stating that the majority of early casualties were civilians — approximately 90% civilians according to early UN figures. Independent tracking by the Human Rights Activists in Iran documented a substantially higher toll: by June 28, 2025, HRANA reported 1,060 people killed, including 436 confirmed civilians, 435 military personnel, and 319 individuals of unconfirmed status.

Among those killed were nuclear and civilian scientists, with Israel reporting the deaths of nine nuclear scientists. Iranian state media confirmed four additional scientists were killed. Civilians — including women and children — were documented among the dead. At least 20 children were killed according to the FIDH member organization LDDHI as of June 17, 2025.

Civilian Infrastructure Damage

In Iran, Israeli strikes hit or damaged:

• At least three hospitals in Tehran, according to Iran's state health ministry and reported by Iran's IRNA news agency
• Residential buildings across multiple neighborhoods in Tehran, including an apartment block in the Gisha district
• A five-story building in Tehran housing civilian businesses (a bakery and a hairdresser's), injuring at least five
• Iran's state television channel, killing three media workers — who as journalists hold protected civilian status under international law
• Oil, gas, and energy infrastructure
• Internet and banking services disrupted across all 28 provinces, affecting millions of civilians' daily lives

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that Israeli strikes caused "severe damage and civilian casualties in various areas of the capital Tehran," and that the targeting of civilian areas and medical infrastructure violated core principles of international humanitarian law (IHL).

International Legal and Human Rights Response

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) condemned the attacks as a "flagrant violation of fundamental principles of international law." UN experts noted that preliminary figures showed approximately 90% of early Iranian deaths were civilians and called for immediate de-escalation. They raised concerns about the extrajudicial killing of civilian scientists and media workers.

Human Rights Watch determined that at least five Iranian ballistic missiles struck populated areas of Israel — hitting civilian residences located 1.5 to 9 kilometers from military sites — and called for war crimes investigations. The FIDH stated that Israel's strikes on civilian areas and medical infrastructure violated the IHL principles of distinction, proportionality, and necessity, and could not be justified as lawful self-defense.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated there was "no justification" for strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. The Qatari Prime Minister warned that Israel's targeting of economic facilities in Iran could lead to "catastrophic regional and international repercussions."