True Promise III: No Respite as Iran Unleashes Shahed-136 Drones on Tel Aviv, Haifa

Saturday, 21 June 2025 1:23 AM

A building up in flames after being struck by an Iranian missile in central occupied Palestine early on Saturday, June 21, 2025.

In a new phase of Operation True Promise III in the wee hours of Saturday morning, Iranian armed forces fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at the occupied territories.

The eighteenth wave of the historic retaliatory operation started at around 3:10 am local time in Iran, with some videos circulating online showing the night sky over the occupied territories lit up by the Iranian long-range missiles.

Air raid sirens were activated as soon as the missiles arrived, forcing settlers to head back to underground bunkers, where they have been spending most of their time these days.

Israeli media reported massive explosions in the heart of Tel Aviv, indicating that the missiles yet again managed to evade three-tier air defense systems to hit their intended targets.

One of the videos showed a missile making a direct hit on a building in Tel Aviv, sparking massive blaze, after the early warning system reportedly failed to activate.

Some reports said an explosion was heard in the Krayot area near the occupied port city of Haifa, which came under massive missile and drone attack on Friday as well.

In a statement following the operation, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said the latest phase of Operation True Promise III was carried out in the central part of the occupied Palestinian territories and Ben Gurion Airport, targeting military facilities and operational support centers of the Zionist regime’s army.

The attack involved a massive deployment of Shahed-136 suicide and combat drones, along with precision-guided solid- and liquid-fueled missiles, which managed to hit and destroy pre-designated targets successfully.

The statement further noted that several squadrons of Shahed-136 drones continuously carried out missions over the skies of the occupied territories on Friday night and the most advanced air defense systems failed to intercept them.

"Combined missile and drone operations will continue in a sustained and targeted manner," the statement added.

It came hours after another strong wave of missiles and drones targeting Israeli military sites and industries as well as command and control centers and spying hubs.

A statement issued by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said long-range and super-heavy missiles as well as combat and suicide drones were used in this phase.

The spokesperson said the world must "await for our surprises," adding that the sacred defense with the support of the Iranian people will end with victory.

Despite the sweeping censorship, some videos were shared online showing smoke billowing up in the air at the Haifa port after one of the missiles made a direct impact there.

A barrage of missiles, some of them being used for the first time, also hit military targets in other parts of the occupied territories on Friday, including the cyber hub of Beer al-Sabe.

The headquarters of the Zionist propaganda outlet, Channel 14, was also successfully targeted on Friday after the prior evacuation warning issued by the IRGC.

True Promise III is a response to their Israeli aggression that started a week ago and led to the assassination of many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, civilians as well as attacks on nuclear sites and a state television building.

On Friday, following his meeting with European counterparts in Geneva, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that no talks would be held as long as the Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic continues.