On June 15, 2025, Iran fired long-range missiles at targets throughout northern Israel. The attack targeted an apartment building in Tamra, leading to a chain of violent, retaliatory escalations. The attack wounded at least 35 people. Iran has been very much in touch with Qatar and Oman. Through their work, they sought to broker a peace agreement between the US and Israel. As the Islamic regime in Iran violently suppressed their protests, it cut off access to the internet for its people. These developments came just three days after Elon Musk’s surprise announcement on June 14, 2025, that Starlink was now technically active in Iran. Iran, in turn, launched an unprecedented missile strike in response, leading Israel to a series of escalatory retaliatory strikes on Iranian territory. Iran’s reaction set fire to the Shahran Oil depot in Tehran.
The first attack exacted was the barrage of Iranian missiles that struck an apartment building in Tamra, a city in northern Israel. As well as extensive damage to private hospitals, the strike killed or injured over 600 civilians, including women and children. Within hours, medical teams and emergency responders from across the region were rushing to the scene to provide aid. At least 35 people required critical care and were flown out.
Iran is using a two-prong strategy in the fighting. In addition to military action, they have made new international diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions. Iranian diplomats contacted Doha and Muscat. They requested assistance in negotiating a ceasefire deal from the United States and Israel. What’s driving this diplomatic outreach isn’t clear. Some experts and legislators argue that it simply shows a preference for de-escalation. On one hand, some view it as a welcome move, while great step of leadership.
To further complicate the picture, during the protests, the Islamic regime in Iran ordered a complete internet shutdown across the country. This move not only cut off most means of communications within the country, but heavily restricted the information reaching the outside world. This decision led to protest from human rights groups and digital freedom activists. They denounced it as censorship, an infringement on freedom of speech, and a blatant attempt to shape the narrative about the war.
The internet shutdown occurred shortly after Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, announced that Starlink, his satellite internet service, was active in Iran. The activation of Starlink potentially provided Iranian citizens with another method of communication that could go around government censorship. Whether or not Starlink can be effective in bypassing the internet shutdown is still up in the air.
These recent escalations with Iran were accompanied by the shutdown of Israeli airspace. Authorities cited security concerns as the primary reason for the decision, disrupting air travel and causing significant delays for passengers. The closure underscored how this war affected even the most distant civilian infrastructure, as well as international travel.
In retaliation, Israel fired back with a severe counterattack, hitting dozens of strategic sites across Iran’s military command centers. Perhaps the most significant target hit was the Shahran Oil depot in Tehran, which ignited after the Israeli bombardment. The full scope of the impact and long-term damage, as well as what this means for the supply of Iranian oil, is still being evaluated.
