US media: Iran’s June 13 missile strike exposed Israel’s secret military bunker in central Tel Aviv
Tehran - BORNA – A recent investigative report by the U.S.-based website The Grayzone has revealed the existence of a secret Israeli military command bunker hidden beneath a luxury residential complex in the heart of Tel Aviv — a site believed to have been among Iran’s primary targets during its June 13 retaliatory missile strike.
According to The Grayzone, the covert facility, codenamed “Base 81”, is believed to serve as a joint U.S.-Israeli intelligence command and control center, located beneath the “Da Vinci Towers,” a high-end residential complex situated in one of Tel Aviv’s most densely populated districts.
The report, citing leaked emails, construction blueprints, and Israeli media disclosures, indicates that the underground facility was built with U.S. financial and technical support as part of a broader security expansion project covering roughly 6,000 square meters. The bunker reportedly features advanced electromagnetic shielding and highly restricted access, designed to ensure uninterrupted communications and resistance against electronic or kinetic attacks.
Following Iran’s precision missile strikes on June 13 — launched in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and the Tel Aviv regime’s direct role in recent regional escalations — Israeli authorities immediately cordoned off a large area of central Tel Aviv, barring journalists from filming or approaching the sites near the Defense Ministry and the adjacent Azrieli Center complex.
The Grayzone investigation suggests that “Base 81” is most likely connected to Israel’s older underground military hub, known as “The Pit,” which has been gradually expanded into a far more fortified complex referred to internally as “Fortress Zion.” The report also notes that these underground centers are designed to ensure the Israeli command’s operational continuity during large-scale wars or direct strikes on Tel Aviv.
The exposure of this secret facility comes amid growing criticism that Israel systematically embeds its military infrastructure within civilian areas, a tactic that violates international humanitarian law. This pattern has been widely documented by independent analysts, who argue that such practices place civilians at grave risk while allowing Tel Aviv to accuse its adversaries of using “human shields.”
Experts cited by The Grayzone emphasize that the discovery of a U.S.-supported underground military site in a populated urban zone further blurs the line between civilian and military targets. They note that if confirmed, this revelation could raise serious legal and ethical concerns under the Geneva Conventions, particularly regarding the protection of noncombatants during armed conflicts.
The Israeli government has so far declined to comment on the report, while U.S. officials have also refrained from confirming or denying any involvement in the construction or operation of “Base 81.”
Meanwhile, Iranian media and regional observers view the exposure as evidence of Israel’s vulnerability and the accuracy of Iran’s intelligence and missile targeting systems during the June 13 operation — an attack that, according to Tehran, was conducted strictly in self-defense and in compliance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
End Article
