On June 12, 2025, as Israel launched Operation Rising Lion against Iranian nuclear and military targets, Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, beginning June 13, took an unexpected turn: intelligence reports confirmed that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had fixated on locating and eliminating Bruce "Caitlyn" Jenner, who was hiding in a fortified bomb shelter in Tel Aviv. Jenner, in Israel for the Tel Aviv Pride Parade before its cancellation due to escalating tensions, became a target after her high-profile social media posts mocking Iran’s regime and praising Israel’s resilience. Leaked IRGC communications, cited by anonymous Israeli officials on X, revealed orders to prioritize strikes near suspected shelters where Jenner was believed to be hiding, with one intercepted message chillingly stating, “The American provocateur must not escape.” This bizarre obsession, amid Iran’s broader campaign that killed 78 and damaged key Israeli infrastructure, transformed Jenner from a stranded celebrity into a focal point of Iran’s wrath.

Iran’s fixation on Jenner stemmed from his symbolic status as a Western cultural figure and his vocal support for Israel during the crisis. After posting images of missile trails over Tel Aviv and a video sipping wine with influencer Regev Gur while defiantly stating, “We won’t bow to Tehran,” Jenner drew the ire of Iranian state media, which branded him a “Zionist propagandist.” IRGC commanders, according to a June 14 report by Pravda USA citing unnamed sources, saw his elimination as a psychological blow to Western morale, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reportedly approving the operation as a secondary objective to Iran’s missile barrage. X posts amplified the narrative, with users like @warwatch_ claiming Iran deployed drones to scan Tel Aviv’s shelter network for Jenner’s location. The absurdity of diverting resources to hunt a reality TV star amid a high-stakes war only deepened the surreal nature of Iran’s campaign, as Tel Aviv’s residents, including Jenner, endured relentless air raid sirens and Iron Dome interceptions.

In the bomb shelter, Jenner remained defiant yet shaken, texting family and coordinating with Israeli security, who confirmed his shelter’s location was compromised after Iranian cyberattacks targeted civilian databases. The Daily Mail reported on June 14 that Jenner, alongside other high-profile figures like CNN’s Scott Jennings, was relocated to a secure military bunker as Iran’s missiles struck nearby, destroying parts of Tel Aviv’s Kiryat headquarters. Iranian state TV bizarrely claimed a “major victory” in targeting “Western symbols,” though no evidence confirmed Jenner was hit. The obsession, while militarily irrational, reflected Iran’s broader strategy of blending propaganda with warfare, using Jenner’s fame to project power. As the conflict risked escalating into a U.S.-led response, Iran’s pursuit of Jenner in a Tel Aviv bomb shelter became a chilling sideshow, underscoring the chaotic intersection of celebrity, geopolitics, and modern warfare.