In the early hours of Friday morning, Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion,” a massive preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, military installations, and senior leadership. The operation began at 3:00 AM Israel time on Thursday night, marking a dramatic escalation in the conflict that began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
Over 200 Israeli Air Force fighter jets participated in the opening strikes, dropping more than 330 munitions on approximately 100 targets across Iran. The operation was guided by precise intelligence from Israel’s Intelligence Directorate, which had identified an imminent nuclear threat from the Islamic Republic.
“We launched the operation at the most appropriate time — we identified that the regime was racing toward a nuclear bomb,” stated IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin. Israeli intelligence had discovered that Iran was advancing a secret nuclear weapons program and was approaching “the point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear capabilities.
The strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz, one of two underground nuclear sites in the country. Iranian state television confirmed that “the Natanz enrichment facility has been hit several times,” showing footage of heavy smoke billowing from the site. The other major nuclear facility at Fordo was also reportedly targeted.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel had “no choice but to attack Iran,” emphasizing the existential nature of the threat. In a video statement released in both Hebrew and English, Netanyahu warned that Iran had enriched enough uranium to build fifteen nuclear bombs and was taking unprecedented steps toward weaponization.
“We can’t leave these threats for the next generation, because if we don’t act now, there will not be another generation,” Netanyahu stated. “If we don’t act now, we simply won’t be here.”
The operation successfully eliminated key Iranian leadership, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami and Iran’s military chief Mohammad Bagheri. Six nuclear scientists were also confirmed killed, dealing a severe blow to Iran’s nuclear program infrastructure.
Israeli officials indicated that the operation was expected to last several days, with the military preparing for heavy retaliatory fire from Iran. However, they expressed confidence that “at the end of the operation, there will be no nuclear threat” from the Islamic Republic.
The strikes came after decades of Israeli warnings about Iran’s nuclear program and followed intelligence indicating that Tehran was coordinating with Hezbollah and Hamas for precision strikes intended to pave the way for an invasion of Israeli territory.
