Israel is buying two more aerial refueling aircraft to boost its long-range strike capability against Iran, Israeli outlet Ynet reported, as the Revolutionary Guards’ chief warned Saturday of harsher retaliation in any renewed conflict.
Israel ordered two more Boeing KC-46 refueling aircraft as part of a $500-million deal with Boeing to expand its future fleet to six, the report said.
"The move aims to enable sustained air operations deep into Iran and shorten future combat rounds against Tehran,” according to the Ynet report.
The KC-46s will replace Israel’s current refueling fleet which were used in operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen and during the 12-day war with Iran in June.
During the 12-day war, the Israeli air force achieved air superiority over Iran, according to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.
Israel launched a surprise military campaign on June 13 targeting Iran's military and nuclear sites, killing 1,062 people including 276 civilians.
Iran responded with missile strikes that killed 31 civilians and one off-duty soldier, according to official figures published by the Israeli government.
Despite a US-brokered ceasefire in late June, Iran and Israel’s armed forces have been preparing for a possible resumption of conflict, with military leaders on both sides vowing readiness for further strikes.
Iran vows crushing response
In Tehran, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour warned of harsher strikes on Israel if the war resumes.
“If aggression is repeated, Israel will face a crushing response that will make it regret it,” he said.
Earlier this week, the Islamic Republic's top security official Ali Larijani said Tehran must remain prepared for a fresh round of conflict as the war with Israel is not over.
The Islamic Republic needs to "create capacities so that the enemy will not be tempted to take action again," Larijani said in an interview with the Supreme Leader's official website, published on Friday.
"Right now, since we are engaged in a war currently paused by a ceasefire, this is therefore an important matter that we must pay attention to."
“A review of the documents on these individuals' activities shows that they defied (mandatory) hijab laws, incited students to leave classes, and even procured solar panels and supplies for armed (opposition) elements,” Fars News Agency wrote.
The acknowledgment followed days of concern from unions and civil society groups, which said teachers were being targeted under broad security pretexts.
“According to the confessions of these teachers and the documents available, they not only played a role in the 2022 unrest but were also in contact with the PJAK militant group and provided them with food and equipment,” Fars reported citing an informed source.
PJAK, a PKK-affiliated group designated as a terrorist organization by Iran, Turkey, and the United States, seeks self-determination for Iran's Kurdish minority.
“These individuals, by abusing their job positions, have tried to create unrest and disrupt the educational process by closing schools, threatening other teachers, and organizing illegal sit-ins," the Fars report said.
However, a former teacher in Iran's Kordestan province says the crackdown targets teachers for their civil activism and their defense of students and their rights.
"At least six teachers have been fired, two suspended, several forced into early retirement, and one sent into exile — all because they refused to 'repent' for their civil activities and for standing firm in defending their students," Shahed Alavi told Iran International.
"This is the outcome of their resilience and defiance," he added.
Teachers’ unions denounce expulsions
Three professional associations of teachers in Kordestan and Kermanshah issued statements condemning the expulsions and disciplinary measures on Friday. They warned that the policies amounted to organized repression and would deepen the educational crisis while threatening the future of students.
The Kordestan Teachers’ Union described the dismissals as “unjust and vindictive,” calling them proof of the state’s “repressive policies.”
It further warned of consequences for the authorities, arguing that the expulsions represented the beginning of a new phase of resistance.
“Teachers in the province had long been subjected to pressure and discrimination, which intensified after the nationwide protests of 2022,” read the statement.
The 2022 protests in Iran, also known as the Woman Life Freedom Movement, erupted in September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa "Jina" Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police.
Her death sparked widespread outrage, with demonstrations quickly spreading across dozens of cities. Protesters—many of them women and young people—called for greater freedoms, the abolition of mandatory hijab laws, and broader political reforms.
The movement soon evolved into one of the largest waves of dissent in Iran in decades, with workers’ strikes, university demonstrations, and global solidarity rallies amplifying the calls for change.
The government responded with a harsh crackdown, including mass arrests, internet shutdowns, and deadly force against demonstrators, drawing international condemnation.
