In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, Israel has carried out widespread airstrikes against Iran, hitting multiple targets tied to Tehran’s nuclear program. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation, dubbed Rising Lion, was initiated because Iran had begun the process of assembling nuclear warheads. The offensive, which Israel says will last several days, aims to halt what Netanyahu described as an existential threat to the country.
According to Israeli authorities, dozens of sites were targeted, including Iran’s primary nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, ballistic missile installations, and homes of top scientists and commanders. Netanyahu claimed that key figures in Iran’s nuclear program were deliberately targeted, stating: “We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponisation programme.”
In a televised address, Netanyahu warned that Israeli citizens may need to stay in bomb shelters for extended periods. He emphasized that the strikes were meant to prevent Iran from achieving the capability to produce a nuclear weapon, citing intelligence reports indicating Iran was taking steps beyond enrichment to weaponization.
Iran’s response was swift. The country launched approximately 100 drones toward Israel, according to Israeli defense sources, while Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened severe retaliation. Iranian state media reported the deaths of high-ranking military officials, including Gen. Hossein Salami, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and Maj. Gen. Gholamali Rashid, along with six prominent nuclear scientists such as Fereydoun Abbasi, a former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.
The attacks reportedly also struck residential areas in Tehran, with civilian casualties, including children, confirmed in at least one incident. Rescue operations were ongoing amid widespread damage.
Neighboring countries have been affected as well. Iraq reported that over 100 Iranian drones passed through its airspace, and Jordan claimed to have intercepted several missiles and drones that crossed into its territory, fearing collateral damage.
US President Donald Trump stated he was not caught off guard by Israel’s actions, though he had previously urged restraint while negotiations with Iran were ongoing. “Iran cannot be allowed to build a nuclear bomb,” he told Fox News, while assuring the public that the US remains committed to defending its interests and allies.
US military preparations appear to have been underway before the attack. Reports indicate that an American F-15 squadron was deployed to Jordan weeks earlier, and Israel’s Iron Dome system was recently replenished with US-supplied interceptors.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed damage to the Natanz site but said no radiation leak had been detected. Meanwhile, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport has suspended all flights as the country braces for possible retaliatory strikes.
Khamenei vowed that Iran would respond decisively: “With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared a bitter and painful fate for itself – and it will undoubtedly receive it.” Iran’s foreign ministry also held the United States responsible for backing Israel and warned of global consequences.
Israel’s military confirmed that over 200 jets participated in the first wave of coordinated attacks, describing it as a pre-emptive and precise mission aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.
Netanyahu insisted that Iran had stockpiled enough enriched uranium for multiple nuclear warheads and was now taking concrete steps toward bomb production. He drew historical parallels, suggesting that like the failure to stop Nazi Germany in the 1930s, inaction now would be catastrophic.
The strikes came just days before a scheduled new round of US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman. President Trump had previously acknowledged the potential for Israeli action and warned it could destroy hopes for a diplomatic resolution.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the US was not involved in the strikes and would focus on safeguarding American personnel in the region. Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy criticized the attack as a deliberate move to derail US diplomacy, calling it a sign of diminished global confidence in Trump’s leadership.
In his closing remarks, Netanyahu positioned Israel’s actions as not only self-defensive but also protective of the broader international community. “We will not allow the most dangerous regime to acquire the most dangerous weapons,” he declared, warning that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat not just to Israel but to cities across Europe and America through its expanding missile capabilities.
