In a massive early-morning strike, hundreds of Israeli fighter jets struck several Iranian nuclear weapons facilities and eliminated Iran’s top military brass, including the regime’s military chief and the head of the Islamic Guard (IRGC) terrorist group.
According to Iran’s state-run media, multiple military bases along with the regime’s main nuclear weapons facility in Natanz were hit in the strikes. “Reports in Iran claim six military bases around Tehran, including the complex at Parchin, were attacked,” the Israeli news website YNET reported. “State TV shows smoke rising over Natanz nuclear site.”
The head of IRGC Hossein Salami and several of Iran’s top military commanders were eliminated in the strike. “Iranian state media confirmed on Friday the killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami in an Israeli strike,” Reuters reported.
Iran’s military chief, Mohammad Bagheri, was also reported killed. “An Israeli airstrike killed Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces,” the Associated Press reported, citing Iranian state TV. “Bagheri is a former top commander within Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.”
The IDF disclosed that over 200 fighter jets participated in the aerial operation named the ‘Rising Lion.’
“Over 200 Israeli Air Force aircraft were involved in the opening strikes on Iran early this morning, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference,” The Times of Israel reported. “He says fighter jets dropped over 330 munitions on some 100 targets in the strikes.”
The Israeli military confirmed the elimination of “Chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Commander of the IRGC and the Commander of Iran’s Emergency Command” in the strike.
“Israel has called its military operation against Iran “Rising Lion”, taking the name from a biblical verse that promises a victorious future for a powerful Israel, ” Reuters noted.
The strikes were not limited to taking out these three top commanders, the Israel Hayom newspaper observed:
Reports from Iran indicate a string of eliminations among the upper echelons of the Islamic Republic’s leadership during the Israeli strikes on Iran’s capital, Tehran. (…)In addition, Iranian sources report that the commander of the “Khatam al-Anbiya” complex in Tehran, Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, was also killed in the strike.According to these sources, Dr. Fereydoon Abbasi, a former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, was also killed in the attacks.
The operation took years of planning. Iranian targets were hit by Israeli drones planted inside its country, news reports reveal.
The Israeli news website YNET reported:
The operation, which officials say was years in the making, combined meticulous planning, extensive intelligence gathering and the covert deployment of advanced capabilities deep inside Iranian territory.At the heart of the operation was close cooperation between Mossad and the military’s Intelligence Directorate, which prepared detailed intelligence files enabling precision strikes that eliminated key figures in Iran’s security establishment and nuclear program. Alongside these efforts, a parallel covert campaign targeted Iran’s strategic missile arsenal and its air defense systems. The operation, long in development, unfolded along three principal axes.
The IDF revealed the details of initial strike in a statement earl morning Friday:
A short while ago, following the directive of the political echelon, the IDF launched a preemptive, precise, combined offensive based on high-quality intelligence to strike Iran’s nuclear program, and in response to the Iranian regime’s ongoing aggression against Israel. A short while, dozens of IAF jets completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.
Israel was following up the initial strike with ‘broad attacks’ on Iranian military targets, The Jerusalem Post reported Friday morning:
Dozens of Israeli aircraft participated in an initial wave of strikes on dozens of military targets and Iranian nuclear sites early on Friday morning.Warning sirens have been set off to get the public ready for potential Iranian counterattacks of ballistic missiles on Israel.The IDF had not stopped attacking since the initial wave. Rather, as of 4:30 a.m., the IAF was still carrying out broad attacks, and there were no specific signs of stopping.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Iran is gearing up to produce tens of thousands of ballistic missiles, which could kill millions of Israelis even without nuclear weapons, but imagine if any of them had nuclear weapons on them.Further, Netanyahu stated Iran may only be a few months away from being able to actually make a nuclear weapon, and not just have enough uranium.
The preemptive strike was conducted as Iranian regime was rapidly advancing its rogue nuclear weapons program, the IDF revealed a statement Friday:
The IDF is revealing for the first time that the Iranian regime is advancing a secret plan for the technological advancement of all parts of the development of a nuclear weapon. In the framework of this plan, senior nuclear scientists in Iran have been working to secretly develop all components needed for developing a nuclear weapon.In recent months, this program has accelerated significantly, bringing the regime significantly closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon. This is clear evidence that the Iranian regime is operating to obtain a nuclear weapon.The State of Israel has been left with no choice. The IDF has the obligation to act in defense of the civilians of Israel and will continue to do so.
Israeli fighter jets also struck regime’s largest Uranium elenrichment site in the Natanz region, the IDF said in separate statement Friday morning:
Overnight, Israeli Air Force fighter jets, guided by precise intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate, struck the Iranian regime’s uranium enrichment site in the Natanz area. This is the largest uranium enrichment site in Iran, which has operated for years to achieve nuclear weapons capability and houses the infrastructure required for enriching uranium to military-grade levels.As part of the strikes, the underground area of the site was damaged. This area contains a multi-story enrichment hall with centrifuges, electrical rooms, and additional supporting infrastructure. In addition, critical infrastructure enabling the site’s continuous operation and the Iranian regime’s ongoing efforts to obtain nuclear weapons were targeted.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei declared that his regime was “planning a severe response” amid reports that Iranian drones were approaching the Israeli airspace.
The NBC News reported:
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed “severe punishment” for an Israeli attack that he called a crime.
“The evil and bloody hand of the Zionist regime committed a crime in our beloved country at dawn today, once again revealing its wicked nature by targeting residential areas. This regime must await severe punishment,” he said in a statement hours after Israeli strikes.
“By [Allah’s] will, the powerful arm of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces will not let it go unpunished,” he said.
“In the enemy’s attacks, a number of commanders and scientists were martyred. Their successors and colleagues will immediately continue their duties, [Allah] willing,” he said. “With this crime, the Zionist regime has brought a bitter and painful fate upon itself, and it will certainly face it.”
Iran launched a swam of around 100 drones towards Israel following the initial IDF strike, Israeli news reports say Friday morning.
“Over 100 drones were launched by Iran at Israel in the last few hours, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says,” The Times of Israel reported. “He says the IDF is working to shoot them down.”
Israeli air defense systems were intercepting Iranian drones, the military confirmed.
“The Israeli Air Force continues to operate to intercept UAVs launched from Iran toward the State of Israel,” the IDF said in press release Friday noon.
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