According to reports by Anadolu Agency on Friday, June 20, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered the Israeli military to ramp up its operations against critical government and security institutions in Tehran, as the conflict between Israel and Iran enters a more aggressive phase. The directive was issued on Friday following a high-level security assessment meeting amid ongoing exchanges of missile fire and airstrikes between the two countries.
In an official statement, Gallant said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to escalate its attacks on “symbols of the regime,” specifically naming the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij paramilitary force, both central components of Iran’s internal security and military structure.
“We must strike all the symbols of government and the mechanisms of repression,” Gallant declared, adding that the new phase of operations would also target scientists and facilities associated with Iran’s controversial nuclear program. “Our goal is to destabilize the regime and deter further missile fire on the Israeli home front,” he added.
The move signals a significant broadening of Israeli military objectives, shifting from purely strategic military targets to institutions seen as central to Iran’s political and ideological power.
The announcement comes in the midst of a rapidly escalating conflict that began last Friday when Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple sites inside Iran, including military and nuclear facilities. Tehran responded with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israeli military bases and urban centers.
Israeli officials report that at least 25 people have been killed and several hundred injured in Iranian strikes since the conflict began. Meanwhile, Iranian media claim that Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 639 people and wounded more than 1,300 across several provinces.
While Israel maintains that its actions are defensive and aimed at eliminating threats from Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, Iranian leaders have condemned the strikes as acts of aggression and vowed continued retaliation.
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