Israel strikes Iran’s Evin prison as U.S. joins war, tensions surge
U.S. bunker-buster bombs and Israeli jets hit Tehran targets; Evin prison attack follows nuclear strikes.
On Monday, Israel bombed Iran's infamous Evin prison in a new escalation to its campaign, one day after the United States "joined" the war in the region by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. Images showed a significant amount of destruction around the prison, a significant symbolic gesture of the Iranian regime, as rescue workers carried away the injured.
Iranian leaders had said they would act against U.S. forces but failed to act a day and a half after U.S. bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs on underground sites. Oil prices were mostly flat, indicating a global market that was not anticipating large disruptions.
Strike hits Tehran: National situation
The Israeli attack on Evin prison, one of Iran’s most prominent political jails, followed other raids across Tehran, where power outages were reported after bombs hit an electricity station. Iran’s judiciary acknowledged the prison strike and said urgent safety measures for inmates were underway.
Video clips posted on social media showed an explosion near the prison gates. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar celebrated the attack online, calling it a blow against oppression.
International outlook: Rising tensions
While Iran continues to launch missiles at Israel, all systems have so far avoided specifically targeting U.S. assets or disrupting critical Gulf oil shipping lanes. President Donald Trump hinted at regime change in Iran while some of Iran's top military leaders warned further strikes by the U.S. or Israel would elicit a serious response.
Analysts say that despite the serious losses Iran's proxies such as Hezbollah have suffered and the fall of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Iran's options for retaliation are diminishing. While rhetoric has at times been sharpened, leaders in Tehran have not followed through with previously stated rhetoric on shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, an essential global oil transportation passage.
