Israel strikes Iran's infamous Evin Prison, Basij Headquarters, officials confirm

Evin Prison holds many Iranian political prisoners and is where many of the anti-regime protesters are sent following arrest.

Israel has struck the infamous Evin Prison in Tehran, Israeli officials confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Monday.

Footage from the attack shows one strike hitting the entrance gate to the prison.

Iran's judiciary confirmed the prison had been hit but said the situation was under control, according to Iranian media.

The strike was deliberately targeted at the entrance gate so as to avoid hitting the inmate housing, Iran International reported.

IDF’s strikes targeted several high-value locations in the heart of Tehran

According to Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, the IDF’s strikes targeted several high-value locations in the heart of Tehran. These included the headquarters of the Basij paramilitary forces, the office of internal security under the Revolutionary Guards, the ideology department, and Evin Prison — a facility known for detaining political dissidents and dual nationals.

the ‘Destruction of Israel’ clock in Palestine Square

As per the Times of Israel, Katz stated, “The IDF is currently striking with unprecedented force regime targets and governmental repression bodies in the heart of Tehran, including the Basij headquarters, the Evin Prison for political prisoners and regime opponents, the ‘Destruction of Israel’ clock in Palestine Square, the internal security headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards, the ideology headquarters, and other regime targets.”

The so-called “Destruction of Israel” clock, placed in Palestine Square in 2017, is a prominent symbol counting down to Israel’s projected end by 2040. It was also among the sites targeted.

Though Evin Prison was hit, AP reported there were no immediate indications of casualties among detainees, and reports suggested the strike may have been designed to enable escape.

Evin Prison played a role in the 1979 Revolution

Evin Prison holds many Iranian political prisoners and is where many of the anti-regime protesters are sent following arrest.

It has become infamous due to allegations of torture and sexual abuse perpetrated by prison guards, with many of the 2009 protesters in Iran directly accusing prison officials of raping male and female prisoners.

Rape has featured prominently in the Islamic Republic's prisons dating back to the 1980s, with anti-regime protesters describing it as routine. The Islamic Republic's theological view is that rape victims cannot enter Heaven.

The prison played an important part in the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when its storming led to the release of thousands of anti-Shah dissidents, fueling the ongoing revolution.

Israeli strikes on the Basiji headquarters in Tehran

Strikes also targeted the Basiji headquarters in Tehran. The Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed (Basiji) functions as the Islamic Republic's paramilitary volunteer militia. It acts to suppress opposition to the regime, often violently.

The Basiji are officially the paramilitary wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and are allegedly run directly by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son and possible successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Source: The Jerusalem Post, ABP Live, Staff, June 23, 2025

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
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— Oscar Wilde

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