In June 2025, a wide military confrontation erupted between Tel Aviv and Tehran in what became known as the Twelve Day War. It involved intense Israeli and American strikes targeting nuclear, missile, and civilian facilities deep inside Iran. Tehran responded by launching barrages of ballistic missiles.
The strikes caused severe damage to Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure, temporarily disrupting Tehran’s capabilities. In the aftermath of that war, and with renewed tensions emerging in early 2026, Hebrew and international media outlets began speaking of a new and updated target bank inside Iran.
Recent reports indicate that the US administration under President Donald Trump has put the final touches on a decisive military plan that includes a list of potential targets, while keeping its threats deliberately ambiguous in public.
Targeted Leadership Figures
The 2026 target bank reportedly includes a number of senior Iranian regime figures, with the aim of crippling Tehran’s ability to manage any organised response. According to what was published by Israel Hayom, the most prominent names include:
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader. He is the ultimate decision maker in Iran’s nuclear programmes and regional militia support. Hebrew media have placed him at the top of the target list as the number one objective. Reports suggest that his assassination would constitute an earthquake shaking the foundations of the Iranian system, particularly amid recurring reports that he has been sheltering in fortified bunkers in recent months in anticipation of a possible strike.
Mohammad Bagheri, the new commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. He assumed his post after the previous Guard leadership was eliminated during the 2025 war. He is now considered one of the most significant military targets, as his removal would create a leadership vacuum within the elite forces. Alongside him, several generals close to Khamenei are also mentioned, including Gholam Ali Rashid, Amir Hatami, and Abdolrahim Mousavi. Reports indicate that they have been added to the target list to cause tactical paralysis within Iran’s armed forces command.
Gholam Reza Soleimani, commander of the Basij forces, the civilian militia affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard. His name has been placed on the US assassination list due to his central role in suppressing popular protests inside Iran. Targeting him is intended to undermine one of the regime’s most important tools of internal control.
Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force, the external arm of the Revolutionary Guard responsible for Iran’s operations beyond its borders. The newspaper included him in the target bank as well, despite some mocking his limited capabilities compared with his predecessor Qassem Soleimani. Analysts believe that assassinating Qaani would weaken Tehran’s ability to manage allied militias in the region and carry out external retaliatory actions.
Ali Shamkhani, one of the Supreme Leader’s most prominent advisers and the official responsible for security and nuclear policy files. He has been described as the architect of the nuclear file and one of Khamenei’s closest associates, making him a potential target in the American plan. He survived an assassination attempt during the twelve day confrontation after being wounded in an Israeli strike, which keeps him on the current target list.
Strategic Sites Under Threat
In addition to individuals, the updated target list includes vital sites and strategic facilities whose destruction would weaken the regime’s military and economic capabilities.
Government and security headquarters in Tehran. These include the headquarters of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, command centres of the Revolutionary Guard, the Basij, police and intelligence services, as well as the headquarters of the National Iranian Oil Company. These sovereign sites lie in the heart of the capital and are considered among the most prominent potential targets in any strike, as they represent the core of the regime’s security and economic decision making.
Oil infrastructure. This includes oil reserves and energy facilities in western Iran, particularly in Khuzestan province near the Iraqi border. Targeting these vital installations features in discussed scenarios, as it would inflict severe damage on Iran’s already strained economy. Estimates suggest that striking oil stockpiles could dangerously exacerbate Iran’s economic crisis, adding a major pressure card against Tehran.
Nuclear sites under rehabilitation. Despite previous strikes, Iran’s nuclear facilities remain an urgent focus for military planners in Washington and Tel Aviv. Most notably, the Parchin military base southeast of Tehran, associated with nuclear technology development. Recent satellite images have revealed suspicious engineering activity suggesting attempts to develop nuclear bomb detonation mechanisms at the site.
Although Tehran has repaired some of the damage to its nuclear facilities following the 2025 war, the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington reported that Iran faces real difficulties in restoring its full previous capabilities. This leaves enrichment and nuclear manufacturing facilities such as Fordow and Natanz among the most pressing targets for any comprehensive preventive strike.
Ballistic missile bases and facilities. US plans also place Iran’s growing missile capability firmly in sight. In recent months, Tehran has worked to develop its ballistic missile arsenal, particularly after vulnerabilities were exposed in the previous war. Reports indicate that missile launch platforms and production factories fall within the circle of targeting in any potential American strike. During the 2025 war, the Israeli air force struck several missile launch sites in western Iran. The United States is now considering a broader strike that would hit these and other locations to prevent Iran from using its ballistic missiles in any wide scale retaliation.
Previous Target Bank: Sites Already Hit
A number of Iranian sites that were previously considered high priority targets may now be partially or fully removed from current calculations after being destroyed or disabled during earlier confrontations. Alternatively, they may be targeted again amid uncertainty over the extent of the damage sustained. أبرز هذه المواقع include:
The Fordow uranium enrichment facility, located underground near Qom, which was struck in June 2025, with assessments differing over the scale of the damage.
The Natanz nuclear facility, the largest uranium enrichment site in central Iran. It was targeted by a series of intense strikes in 2025 that crippled a large part of its operational capacity and set Iran’s nuclear programme back by years, according to official US statements.
The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre, a research and industrial complex linked to the nuclear fuel cycle, which was also bombed during the 2025 war as part of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
The Arak heavy water reactor, an incomplete nuclear reactor used for plutonium production, which was hit in the last confrontation, significantly delaying its completion.
Ballistic missile production and storage facilities. Several factories and weapons depots belonging to the Revolutionary Guard were destroyed during the 2025 war. Although these attacks reduced the missile arsenal, they did not entirely prevent Tehran from launching retaliatory missile strikes during the conflict.
In conclusion, the current target bank appears focused on the apex of Iran’s leadership and on sensitive sovereign and military installations that have not yet been destroyed. Information drawn from Hebrew and foreign media suggests that any new escalation could involve striking these remaining assets in order to cripple Iran’s nuclear or missile escalation capabilities and deter it from launching any counter attack.
