“Israel just ordered residents of Tehran’s District 18 to immediately evacuate. Over 400,000 people live in this area! It is 2 am in Iran and internet access has been limited,” tweeted a woman named Bahar Ghandehari early Wednesday morning.
Israel just ordered residents of Tehran’s District 18 to immediately evacuate.
Over 400,000 people live in this area! It is 2 am in Iran and internet access has been limited.
How are people supposed to receive warnings from social media and where are they supposed to go??? pic.twitter.com/6ZcpBVKfeT
— Bahar | بهار (@BGhandehari) June 17, 2025
Tehran on Wednesday morning looked like the Gaza Strip on steroids, complete with IDF warnings and massive evacuations. One thing was clear: Iranians trust Israeli messages a whole lot more than they do those of their regime, which has been trying to talk them into staying put.
In a warning released on Tuesday, the IDF spokesperson warned that “in the coming hours, the Israeli army will operate in this area to strike the Iranian regime’s military infrastructure, as it has done in recent days around Tehran.”
The warning added: “Dear citizens, for your safety and well-being, we urge you to immediately evacuate the designated area in District 18 of Tehran.”
District 18, though relatively small in size—even by the standards of Iran’s densely populated urban regions—is home to a significant number of residents, heightening concerns over the potential impact of the planned military strikes. The district itself is subdivided into 18 neighborhoods, adding to the complexity of any evacuation efforts and the anxiety among locals following the IDF’s warning.
By the way, in a rare show of political humor, in response to the Israeli threat to Tehran’s District 18, Iranian forces issued an evacuation order for “Israeli settlers in the Neve Tzedek area.”
RELENTLESS AIR FORCE ATTACKS CONTINUE
Overnight Wednesday, dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck a centrifuge production facility and multiple weapons manufacturing sites belonging to the Iranian regime in the Tehran area, as part of Operation Rising Lion.
Guided by precise intelligence from the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate, a total of 50 aircraft carried out the strikes in recent hours, targeting key elements of Iran’s nuclear weapons development program.
The targeted centrifuge facility in Tehran was reportedly intended to enable the regime to significantly increase the scope and speed of uranium enrichment for the purpose of producing nuclear weapons.
In addition to the centrifuge site, several weapons production facilities were hit. Among them: a plant manufacturing raw materials and components used in assembling surface-to-surface missiles—like those launched at Israel—and sites producing systems and parts for surface-to-air missiles intended to down aircraft.
RELENTLESS IRANIAN MISSILES
Two volleys of roughly 25 missiles were launched toward Israel overnight Wednesday, coinciding with Israeli airstrikes in Iran. The barrage triggered air raid sirens across wide areas of the country, and loud explosions were heard as air defense systems responded. While no injuries were reported, the falling shrapnel caused several fires. In central Israel, a field ignited and approximately 20 vehicles were destroyed in the blaze.
Minutes after the first wave of missiles, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted on his official X account: “The battle begins.” The scale and intensity of the launch marked a sharp escalation, coming amid growing speculation about possible U.S. involvement on Israel’s side in the ongoing conflict.
Soon after the missile attack, the IDF issued an urgent evacuation notice to residents of Tehran.
The strike marked the most significant missile salvo in the past 24 hours, with alarms sounding in regions including the Judean Lowlands, Menashe, Wadi Ara, Samaria, the North, the Sharon, and the Dan Bloc. Unlike previous attacks involving isolated missile fire, this time two full volleys were launched. Despite the volume, no casualties have been reported so far. The widespread interceptions led to heavy explosions being heard across the country.
