DAY 2 OF WAR WITH IRAN • DAY 617 OF HOSTAGES IN CAPTIVITY: Three Killed Friday Night as Iran Launches Four Missile Barrages; Israel Continues Strikes in Iran at Will; 53 Hostages Remain in Gaza

Tel Aviv Diary, June 14, 2025

Last night, in my daily update, sent out close to 8:00 p.m., I described the day as very busy in Iran but relatively quiet in Israel. That calm ended shortly afterward. In fact, just as I was about to release the update, a missile attack warning was issued. That attack turned out to have originated from Yemen and did not include the Tel Aviv area.

Shortly after, just as we were sitting down to dinner, the Home Front Command raised the alert level. For most of the day, the guidance had indicated that there was no need to remain near protected areas. Suddenly, that guidance changed, instructing people to stay close to secure shelter, clearly signaling that a missile strike from Iran was expected.

We managed to eat dinner with our guests. I wouldn’t say it was entirely normal—although we ate faster than usual—we did finish both dinner and dessert. Then came the notification of an impending missile strike from Iran. We prepared ourselves, and as soon as the sirens sounded, we headed down to the shelter.

Shortly after arriving, we heard a very loud boom—a missile had struck very close to our home. In fact, as I look out the window of my home office, I can see the building that was damaged nearby. That moment changed the tone of the evening—suddenly, everything felt much more real.

During that same attack, several other locations were hit. These were not military targets—they were residential areas. People were wounded and, ultimately, some were killed. We remained in the shelter for nearly an hour, as Iran launched a second round of missiles during that same period.

The night went on. I tried to get to sleep a bit early—around 12:15—but at 1:00 a.m. I was woken up by another notification of an impending missile strike. Once again, we rushed to the shelter. A few minutes after we closed the heavy steel door, we heard a thunderous explosion—and what sounded like knocking against the door.

The knocking turned out to be the shockwave from the blast slamming into the steel. This explosion was also in the general vicinity of our home, though not as close as the first one—even though it sounded more powerful.

Afterward, we briefly watched the news—which was on throughout the night—before trying to get some sleep.

At 5:00 a.m., we were woken up once again by missile alerts and rushed back to the shelter. This time, none of the missiles managed to breach the defensive system protecting Tel Aviv—though one did strike a southern suburb, killing at least one person and causing extensive damage.

Altogether, the evening’s attacks killed three people, wounded 70, and caused significant damage—particularly to older buildings, some of which were nearly destroyed. Newer buildings that were hit sustained damage but remained standing. In total the Iranians fired 150 missiles in four barrages—ten of which struck targets in Israel.

The 5:00 a.m. barrage was the final one of the night. After that, I took Milo out for a walk and managed to get a few hours of sleep. The day in Tel Aviv passed quietly, and shortly after noon, the army lifted the requirement to remain near shelters.

ISRAEL GAINS CONTROL OF IRANIAN SKIES

Throughout the day, Israel continued to strike missile sites, anti-aircraft systems, and other strategic targets linked to Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli Air Force announced that it has now eliminated all anti-aircraft sites in the Tehran area, as well as those in western Iran, effectively granting it complete freedom of action over Iranian airspace.

This development enables two critical outcomes. First, the Air Force can now methodically target Iranian assets—such as missile launchers and other high-value targets of opportunity—using both drones and manned aircraft. With anti-aircraft defenses neutralized, aircraft no longer need to rely solely on standoff weapons (weapons that are fired from afar); they can operate closer to their targets. While standoff weapons are accurate, they are also more expensive and offer less target visibility than close-range strikes. Having unimpeded access to the skies over Tehran and western Iran dramatically increases the Air Force’s operational effectiveness.

Second, it’s important to emphasize how significantly this improves Israel’s ability to sustain operations. In the past—or at least until a few years ago—it was believed that the Israeli Air Force could only conduct major strike waves every few days. Now, it is launching waves of attacks every few hours. This represents a major strategic achievement, especially given the distance to Iranian territory, as it substantially enhances the Air Force’s capacity to maintain pressure on Iranian targets.

In addition to striking infrastructure, missile sites, and many senior military figures (as discussed yesterday), today, the Army published a list naming the nuclear scientists who were killed. The following is the IDF’s official statement on that matter:

In the airstrikes launched at the start of Operation “Am KeLavi” (“With a Lion’s Might”), nine senior scientists and experts who had advanced the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons program were killed. The strike was made possible thanks to precise intelligence gathered by the IDF Intelligence Directorate. All of the scientists and experts eliminated were key knowledge centers within the Iranian nuclear project and possessed decades of cumulative experience in nuclear weapons development.

Among the senior Iranian nuclear program scientists eliminated:

• Fereydoon Abbasi – Expert in nuclear engineering

• Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi – Expert in physics

• Akbar Matlabi Zadeh – Expert in chemical engineering

• Saeed Barji – Expert in materials engineering

• Amir Hassan Fakhahi – Expert in physics

• Abdolhamid Minouchehr – Expert in reactor physics

• Mansour Asgari – Expert in physics

• Ahmad Reza Dhu’alfakari Daryani – Expert in nuclear engineering

• Ali Bakhshi Katirimi – Expert in mechanics

These individuals were central to Iran’s progress toward obtaining nuclear weapons. Their elimination represents a significant blow to the Iranian regime’s ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

WHERE WE STAND/UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

There are many questions about whether Israel can actually push back the Iranian nuclear program by more than a few months. Some people believe we can—Prime Minister Netanyahu has certainly said so. Others question that capability. Personally, I’m unwilling to express a definitive opinion, because we simply don’t have enough information to know for sure.

One of the biggest questions we face is: how does this end? After speaking today with several people who have more expertise than I do, we all agree that the only real path to a positive outcome is regime change in Iran. Whether we can induce that to happen is a major question. Moreover, whether we are even working toward that goal is also unclear. It’s a question with no immediate answer.

There’s another point I want to raise—particularly regarding some of the American press coverage—where I have a few criticisms. For example, I’ve seen several articles, especially from liberal commentators, claiming that the Israeli attack reflects President Trump’s weakness. As you all know, I’m not a great fan of the current President. However, there is no doubt in my mind that Trump was in on this plan and played a role in it. This was not a case of Netanyahu bypassing Trump because the President was too weak to stop him. Trump was clearly part of the operation—for better or for worse.

I also came across a particularly absurd article in The New York Times today claiming that, despite Israel’s attack, most of Iran’s nuclear program remains intact. Of course it does. The Israeli Air Force is only so large, and after just one day of what I believe is a planned two-week—or possibly longer—campaign, it’s only natural that much of the program would still be standing. The more relevant question is how much of the program will remain intact once the full operation concludes.

Night has now fallen in Tehran, and the expectation is that with the cover of darkness, Iran will begin preparations for another barrage against Israel. It looks like we’re in for another long night. I’ll be releasing a podcast either later tonight or tomorrow morning with more commentary—and hopefully some facts—about what has happened and how it has felt.

While the threat from Iran’s missiles is immediate and very real, and the developments of the past 48 hours mark a fundamental shift in this war, we must not lose sight of the fact that the war in Gaza is still ongoing—and that 53 hostages remain in captivity. Unlike every Saturday night, tonight, we won't be able to stand in Hostage Square and raise our voices on their behalf.