At least 71 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting Evin prison in northern Tehran on Monday, according to Iran’s judiciary. The victims reportedly include administrative staff, prison guards, inmates, visiting relatives, and nearby residents.
“According to official figures, 71 people were killed in the attack on Evin prison,” judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said Sunday, describing the strike as a “calculated and targeted assault on Iranian sovereignty.”
Evin prison, long known as Iran’s most infamous facility for political prisoners, has housed activists, dissidents, and dual nationals. Among its former inmates are Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and several foreign citizens, including French nationals.
The deadly incident has drawn strong condemnation from Tehran, escalating regional tensions already heightened by a series of coordinated attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure by U.S. and Israeli forces earlier this month.
Nuclear Tensions Resurface
In a related development, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CBS News that Iran could resume high-level uranium enrichment within months. “They can have — in a matter of months — a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium,” Grossi said in an interview airing Sunday.
His remarks stand in contrast to assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that recent U.S. strikes had set back Iran’s nuclear program by years.
While Iranian authorities admit the damage to nuclear facilities was “serious,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized Iran’s resilience, warning that enrichment activities could be restored swiftly. The IAEA also voiced concerns about the fate of nearly 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity. “We don’t know where this material could be,” Grossi noted.
Iran’s parliament recently voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, further complicating efforts to re-establish monitoring and transparency.
As Tehran mourns the losses at Evin and braces for potential nuclear re-escalation, the international community watches with growing unease.
