Massive Israeli Strike Hits Iranian Nuclear Sites, Senior Commanders Killed in Pre-Dawn Offensive
In a stunning escalation of Middle East tensions, Israel launched a wide-ranging military assault on Iran in the early hours of Friday, striking critical nuclear facilities and high-ranking military officials in a move Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “preemptive strike to safeguard Israel’s survival.”
Codenamed Operation Rising Lion (Am KeLavi), the coordinated air and intelligence-led offensive was the most extensive Israeli attack on Iranian soil since the Iran–Iraq War. The operation, carried out jointly by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Mossad, targeted over a dozen nuclear-related and military installations across Iran, from the capital Tehran to deeply buried enrichment sites in Isfahan province.
Israel strikes Iran.
Said “ we have started operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear Program” pic.twitter.com/PIAIbcmhBa— vyas laxminarayana(lakhan vyas)🚩 (@VLN4BJP) June 13, 2025
Nuclear Facilities Targeted Across Iran
Among the primary targets were Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility, Khondab Heavy Water Plant, and a uranium enrichment site in Khorramabad. Massive explosions were reported in Isfahan province, home to Natanz, where both the Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) are located. Iranian state TV confirmed a series of “loud blasts” near the site, believed to be pivotal to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
While Iran has not disclosed the full extent of the damage, international atomic experts have expressed concern over the potential compromise of nuclear materials. Satellite imagery reviewed by defense analysts showed extensive structural damage at Natanz, with plumes of smoke rising for hours after the initial wave of strikes.
High-Profile Iranian Deaths Reported
The offensive also claimed the lives of several top Iranian military officials. Iranian state media confirmed the death of Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salami, a key figure in Tehran’s military posture against Israel and the West.
The IDF further claimed that Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, was killed in the strikes. Though Iranian official channels denied the claim, the semi-official Fars News Agency corroborated the report, adding that Bagheri was present at a command facility in eastern Tehran struck by Israeli missiles.
Additionally, nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, a former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a top nuclear physicist and university chancellor, were reported killed by Iranian media.
Other casualties reportedly include IRGC General Gholam Ali Rashid, and Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is said to be in critical condition.
Tehran Erupts in Chaos
Multiple explosions rocked eastern Tehran, particularly the upscale Shahrak-e Mahallati neighborhood, home to several high-ranking Iranian military officials. Witnesses described fiery orange skies and continuous secondary blasts. The IRGC headquarters in Tehran was reported to be engulfed in flames.
Flights at Imam Khomeini International Airport were suspended amid fears of further attacks or Iranian retaliation. Authorities issued a nationwide air defense alert, though no immediate Iranian counteroffensive was confirmed as of 5:00 AM local time.
Israeli Justification: “Imminent Threat”
Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a nationwide state of emergency in Israel shortly after the strikes commenced, citing intelligence assessments that Iran was days away from assembling multiple nuclear warheads. “This was not a choice—it was a necessity,” Katz said, warning of possible missile retaliation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Iranian nuclear program as a “clear and present danger,” noting that Tehran could be “months or even weeks away from building a nuclear bomb.” He insisted that Israel had informed the United States ahead of the strike and would continue the campaign “for as many days as it takes.”
According to Israeli officials, the Mossad also executed coordinated sabotage missions targeting Iran’s missile launch systems and air defense radars, reportedly catching Iranian defense forces off guard.
Global Fallout and Strategic Calculations
The airstrike follows weeks of heightened tension between Iran, the United States, and regional actors. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had just days earlier declared Iran non-compliant with its nuclear obligations for the first time in two decades. Iran responded by accelerating enrichment and threatening U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
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The Trump administration, which returned to power in 2025, has held months of indirect talks with Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear agreement. Those talks faltered amid Iran’s continued defiance and escalating rhetoric from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who recently described Israel as a “cancerous tumor.”
Though the U.S. officially did not participate in the operation, officials confirmed that Israel notified Washington in advance, and CENTCOM had been preparing contingency plans in case of regional escalation. The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem had already restricted staff movements days before the strike.
As of Friday morning, there were no confirmed Iranian missile launches against Israeli targets, but both countries remain on high alert. International observers now fear that the region may be on the cusp of a full-scale conflict, with global energy markets already reacting to the prospect of prolonged instability in the Middle East.
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