On June 13, 2025, the Israeli Defence Forces launched a massive air campaign—codenamed Operation Rising Lion—against Iran, marking the heaviest military blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution. Strikes hit over 100 targets, including the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, key ballistic missile factories, residences of senior commanders, and more than two dozen nuclear scientists. Israel defended the operation as a preemptive step to thwart what it calls an existential threat posed by Tehran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
Historical Covert Operations & Build-Up
For years, Israel has waged a shadow war aimed at delaying Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In 2010, the Stuxnet cyberattack—widely attributed to Israel and the United States—temporarily crippled Iran’s uranium-enrichment centrifuges. Between 2010 and 2020, a succession of targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists culminated in the 2020 killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, widely regarded as the father of Iran’s bomb programme. In April 2024, suspected Israeli jets bombed Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus, killing seven IRGC advisers, further escalating tensions on Israel’s northern flank.
Opposition to the 2015 Nuclear Deal & International Constraints
Israel vehemently opposed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), arguing the deal left loopholes, particularly around ballistic missiles, that allowed Iran to pursue weapons-grade enrichment under a civilian guise. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu campaigned relentlessly against the pact, influencing the Trump administration’s 2018 withdrawal. Despite public support for strong action, previous U.S. administrations, including President Trump’s team, blocked Israeli plans to strike Iranian nuclear sites, opting instead to revive negotiations.
Operation “Rising Lion”: The June 13 Strikes
In the early hours of June 13, over 200 Israeli aircraft executed coordinated sorties, delivering more than 330 munitions across Iran. The operation zeroed in on the Natanz enrichment plant and multiple missile factories, while special Mossad teams allegedly sabotaged Iranian air defences to secure air superiority for the Israeli Air Force. Prime Minister Netanyahu framed these strikes as a fulfilment of Israel’s “never again” ethos, invoking the Holocaust to justify preemption.
Targets, Casualties & Iran’s Response
Iranian sources confirm that at least 20 senior commanders, including IRGC chief Hossein Salami and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri, were killed. Sixteen nuclear scientists—among them high-level enrichment experts—died when their laboratories and homes were struck. State TV in Tehran broadcast scenes of burning buildings and frantic rescue efforts, prompting the UN Secretary-General to call for restraint and major powers like France and Turkey to urge de-escalation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the strikes as a “declaration of war,” vowing a “severe punishment”.
Global Reaction & Strategic Implications
The assault has already reshaped the regional security landscape: airlines are rerouting to avoid Iranian airspace, while Iraq and Jordan have closed their skies amid fears of spill-over. U.S. President Donald Trump distanced Washington from direct involvement, warning of “brutal” consequences if Iran retaliates yet urging renewed nuclear talks. Gulf states, long uneasy under Tehran’s shadow, face a delicate choice between supporting Israel’s security and avoiding all-out war. Analysts caution that this operation, if met with large-scale retaliation, could engulf the Middle East in a far broader conflict, upending global energy markets and non-proliferation regimes for years to come.
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