Twelve-Day War · Jang-e Davazdah-Ruzeh

Culture of origin: Iranian · Historical

Holiday sources: Iran

Israel struck in answer to Iran's attacks on Israel in April and October 2024, more than 500 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, and to its nuclear programme. Its first waves killed about 30 generals and nine nuclear scientists, among them the Revolutionary Guards' commander Hossein Salami, the armed forces' chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, Gholam Ali Rashid of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters and the Aerospace Force commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh; Rashid's successor Ali Shadmani and the Guards' intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi were killed within days. Iran answered with ballistic missiles and drones, and the war ended in a ceasefire on 24 June, after US strikes on three nuclear sites. Between 1,060 and 1,190 people were killed in Iran, at least 436 of them civilians, and Iranian missiles killed 28 people in Israel. From the first day of the war to September, the Iranian authorities arrested more than 20,000 people and executed at least nine men on political or espionage charges.