Yossi Schwartz ISL (RCIT section in Israel/Occupied Palestine) 19.06.2025
Minister of the War of Genocide, Yisrael Katz, announced that Israel would intensify its attacks on Iran to undermine the stability of the regime. “The prime minister and I have instructed to increase the intensity of attacks against government targets in Tehran to undermine the regime of the ayatollahs,” Katz said. “Khamenei is sitting in an armored bunker and firing at hospitals and residential buildings in Israel – these are war crimes and he will be held accountable.”
See who is talking:
“The NYT reports: An 8-year-old girl who loved dancing in a red dress at her dentist’s office. A 28-year-old national equestrian champion. A poet, one week away from her 24th birthday. A graphic designer who worked at National Geographic. Grandparents in their 80s. All are among the civilians killed during Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
Israel has said it does not target Iranian civilians, but hundreds have died in the violence. Every day since the war began, a new face, a new name, a new story of a life that ended violently and abruptly has emerged. The Ministry of Health has not updated casualty numbers since Sunday, when it said at least 224 people had been killed and nearly 2,000 injured, including women and children. Those figures are expected to grow in the coming days.” [i]
The Times of Israel reports:
“Israeli strikes have killed at least 585 people across Iran and wounded 1,326 others, a human rights group says. The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists says it has identified 239 of the dead as civilians and 126 as security personnel. This killing is in addition to more than 55000 people in Gaa. The war on Iran is the same war as on Gaza.” [ii]
The Israeli Air Force attacked a nuclear reactor in the Arak region last night. According to a statement by the Israeli army, the reactor was inactive and the attack was carried out on the component intended for the production of plutonium to prevent it from being restarted. Iranian state television reported that there was no danger of radioactive radiation and that the facility had been evacuated in advance of the attack.
On the other hand, it was reported that:
“The number of seriously injured in Holon has risen to four. Two buildings were damaged in the city, and collateral damage was caused to other buildings. Deputy Commander of the Dan Fire and Rescue Department, Boaz Rakia, said that fires broke out at two crash sites in the center, and that the firefighters had brought them under control. According to him, at this stage there is no indication of missing persons.
At the scene of the attack in Holon, the missile hit two buildings. There are 2-3 seriously injured at this stage, in addition to about 15 others. According to the Fire and Rescue Service, there are no missing persons at the scene, but the search is still ongoing.
Soroka Hospital stated that the hospital had been hit in several places and was now treating several people with minor injuries resulting from the impact. It was also reported that the old surgical building suffered significant damage.”
According to Iranian state media, the missile that hit Soroka was aimed at a nearby military base.
Twenty-four people were injured by the Iranian missile in Ramat Gan, two of them seriously. Four buildings in the city were damaged, and adjacent buildings were evacuated due to concerns about potential collapse. Magen David Adom Ambulance Service Director General Eli Bin said that yesterday it was decided to reduce attendance on the damaged floor at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva, and that this decision saved lives. Bean added that suspicion of a leakage of hazardous materials at the hospital has been ruled out, and that patients are being evacuated to Assuta and Barzilai hospitals, rather than Soroka. Three were seriously injured, one moderately, and seven were lightly wounded in Holon; several were slightly injured in Ramat Gan and Jaffa.
Netanyahu and the Zionist ruling class hope that Trump will join the attack. However, Trump is holding to the known imperialist principle: If Israel is winning the war, he will join; if Israel loses the war, he will say that he has opposed the war all the time.
The Euphoria of the Israelis after the first attack on Iran gives way to fear after Iranian missiles rain down on different cities in Israel for the fifth day. The duty of genuine socialists is to speak and act in defense of Iran without giving the regime any political support. Those who claim to be socialists, Communists, Trotskyists, and fail to defend Iran are no more than traitors to the international working class.
Endnotes:
[i] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/world/middleeast/iran-civilian-deaths-israel-strikes.html
[ii] https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israeli-strikes-have-killed-nearly-600-in-iran-rights-group-says/