The IDF struck the entrance of Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison overnight, in what Defense Minister Israel Katz described Monday as part of an “unprecedented” wave of attacks targeting key organs of the Iranian regime, including internal repression sites in the heart of the capital.
The strike on Evin — a facility long associated with the imprisonment of political dissidents and dual nationals — marks one of the most symbolically charged actions in Israel’s ongoing campaign against Iran. The prison, established in 1971 under the Shah’s rule and continued by the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution, has been repeatedly condemned by human rights organizations and is under sanctions from both the United States and the European Union.
Israeli warplanes hit the entrace to Tehran's Evin Prison
While the facility is nominally controlled by Iran’s prison authority, special units within Evin that handle political and foreign-linked detainees are operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which reports directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The prison has housed many of the regime’s most prominent political prisoners, particularly following the 2009 mass protests over disputed presidential elections. Despite efforts by Iranian lawmakers to introduce reforms — including installing CCTV cameras — allegations of torture and abuse have persisted.
Israeli airstrikes across Tehran, Monday
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar later confirmed the prison strike, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “We warned Iran time and again to stop targeting our civilians — but they persisted, even this morning.” Sa’ar also tagged Argentine President Javier Milei, posting in Spanish: “Viva la libertad, carajo!”(long live freedom, damn it!) — a rallying cry of Milei’s campaign.
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Defense Minister Katz, who observed the airstrikes from the IDF’s command center alongside the chief of staff, said images of the attack’s aftermath would soon be released to “demonstrate the extent of the damage.” He vowed continued retaliation: “For every strike on Israeli civilians, the Iranian dictator will be punished. The attacks will continue with full force.”
In addition to Evin, Katz’s office confirmed Israeli jets struck other regime-linked targets in Tehran, including the IRGC’s Basij headquarters, internal security command centers and the symbolic “Countdown to Israel’s Destruction” clock in Palestine Square.
Iranian reports also claimed the Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran — where the head of the nuclear engineering faculty was reportedly killed at the start of the war — was targeted. The full extent of damage across the Iranian capital remains unclear.
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the strikes were part of broader operations continuing Monday against missile production and launch sites, as well as IRGC headquarters across the Tehran region. “Even at this hour, the Air Force continues to strike deeply within Tehran, focusing on Revolutionary Guard command centers,” Defrin said.