Iran guards sky ‘day and night’ after war with Israel, air defense chief says
Iran’s top air defense commander said the country's skies are being vigilantly guarded “day and night” following the recent 12-day conflict with Israel.
Iran’s top air defense commander said the country's skies are being vigilantly guarded “day and night” following the recent 12-day conflict with Israel.
Brig. Gen. Alireza Sabahifard, who leads the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, said Iran’s air defense forces are operating with “open eyes and full strength” and will, in his words, “rub the nose of aggressors into the dirt” backed by military capabilities and “trust in God.”
The Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, Iran’s highest operational military command, oversees planning, coordination, and operational supervision of all armed forces. Its air defense base is responsible for coordinating and operating air defense activities across both the Army and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
On Sunday, Mahmoud Mousavi, the army’s deputy for operations, said Iran has replaced air defense systems damaged during last month's conflict with Israel.
"Some of our air defenses were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure," Mousavi added.
During the June conflict, Israel's air force took control of Iranian airspace, delivering a significant blow to the country's air defenses, while Iran's armed forces responded with successive waves of missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory.
Israeli military officials say that 120 air defense systems were destroyed or disabled since the first wave of attacks—around a third of Iran’s pre-war total. Long-range systems, including Russian-supplied S-300s and Iran’s Bavar-373 batteries, were among those targeted.
The most recent case involves Mahsa Shafiee, the 24-year-old sister of slain protester Parsa Shafiee, who was arrested by intelligence agents at her home in Yasuj, southwestern Iran, on Thursday, according to a source who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals.
Eighteen-year-old Parsa was killed in November 2022, during the nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Zhina Amini over an alleged hijab law violation in September that year, which triggered the nationwide uprising known as the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement.
In addition to Shafiee's detention, her father was also summoned by the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence on the same day, according to former political prisoner and rights activist Foad Choobin.
“The Shafiee family is currently under severe pressure from security institutions and has been threatened not to share information about Mahsa’s situation,” he wrote on X Sunday, adding that Mahsa’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
Last Monday, Ehsan Khazaei, the brother of slain protester Erfan Khazaei, and his wife Neda Karegar were arrested in Tehran. According to Norway-based rights group Hengaw, more than 60 security agents stormed their residence, beat family members, and confiscated mobile phones. US-based rights group HRANA reported that the couple was later released on bail.
On June 23, Suleiman Qader Galwan, the brother of slain protester Abdulsalam Qader Galwan, was arrested in Oshnavieh, a city in West Azarbaijan province, following a raid by intelligence agents.
Ali Mohammadi, the father of slain protestor Shahriyar Mohammadi, was arrested on June 21 in Bukan, also in West Azarbaijan province, his daughter Asrin told Iran International.
Asrin said that her father was beaten during interrogation and lost consciousness, after which he was briefly hospitalized. Asrin added that her father is being denied independent legal representation.
On June 19, security forces also arrested Majid Naderkhani, whose son Matin was detained during the 2022 protests and shot dead months after release from prison.
In Yasuj, Feyzollah Azarnosh, the father of 18-year-old slain protester Pedram Azarnoosh, was arrested on June 18 and transferred to Yasuj Central Prison following questioning, according to a report by Hengaw.
That same day in Bukan, Karim Qaderpour, the father of protest victim Awat Qaderpour, was detained and taken to an undisclosed location.
Earlier this month, United Nations experts urged Iranian authorities to end a post-ceasefire crackdown marked by executions, mass arrests, and hate speech, warning that the country risks repeating past cycles of repression.
Last month, HRANA reported that 823 Iranian citizens were on political or security-related charges since the outbreak of the war.
According to the report, 286 people were detained for their online activities, including sharing content about Israel’s attack on Iran.
