Tel Aviv [Israel], June 18: Tensions between Israel and Iran surged on Tuesday as Iran claimed to have successfully shot down an Israeli drone for the first time over Isfahan, according to Iranian state media cited by The Times of Israel.
Iranian broadcaster IRIB aired footage of what appeared to be the wreckage of an Israeli Hermes 900 drone. While Iran celebrated the development, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not confirm or comment on the report. Israel has previously denied similar Iranian claims, citing a lack of evidence.
In retaliation, the Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes early Wednesday targeting five Iranian AH-1 helicopters stationed at a military airbase in Kermanshah. IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said the helicopters were preparing missions aimed at Israeli aircraft.
“These helicopters were part of an effort to harm our aircraft,” Defrin stated in a press briefing, where footage of the strikes was also released.
In a parallel escalation, Israel bombed two centrifuge production facilities in Iran. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the TESA complex in Karaj and the Tehran Research Centre were struck. These sites, which play a key role in Iran’s uranium enrichment program, had been under IAEA monitoring as part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.
According to the IAEA, advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested at the Tehran Research Centre. At the Karaj site, two buildings producing centrifuge components were completely destroyed.
The TESA facility has been a point of contention in the past. In 2021, Iran accused Israel of sabotaging the site and damaging monitoring cameras.
Since Friday, the Israeli Air Force has reportedly carried out strikes on more than 1,100 Iranian-linked assets in Iran. In addition, Israeli jets targeted over 75 locations in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, intensifying regional tensions.