Israel in an unprecedented escalation, has launched a wave of coordinated airstrikes on Iranian territory, targeting key nuclear and military installations in what it dubbed “Operation Rising Lion.” The offensive, which Israeli officials described as a “pre-emptive, precise, combined assault” based on high-level intelligence, marks a dangerous new phase in the long-running shadow war between the two regional arch-rivals.
According to a statement from the Israeli military, “dozens of Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets” penetrated Iranian airspace overnight, striking critical military infrastructure, suspected underground nuclear facilities, and defense complexes across multiple Iranian provinces. The coordinated blitz reportedly took place in the early hours of Friday, catching Iranian defenses off guard and sparking a wave of explosions that rocked areas near the capital, Tehran, as well as military zones in Isfahan, Natanz, and Kermanshah.
High-Profile Iranian Casualties Confirmed
Iranian state media confirmed that several high-ranking figures in Iran's military and scientific community were killed in the strikes. Among the dead are:
Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), widely regarded as one of the most powerful military figures in Iran.
Fereydoun Abbasi, a prominent nuclear physicist and former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a theoretical physicist and senior figure in Iran’s nuclear research.
Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates joint military operations.
These figures were central to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile development programs and represented key components of what Israeli intelligence has long viewed as the backbone of Tehran’s strategic threat to Israel.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that explosions struck military and nuclear-linked facilities near Tehran’s Mahalati complex, an area known to house sensitive defense infrastructure. Reports also indicated that a command center affiliated with the IRGC was among the first targets destroyed in the strike.
Netanyahu: “This Is About Our Survival”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation shortly after the first wave of strikes concluded, describing the operation as a “historic and necessary action to neutralize the existential threat posed by Iran.”
“The Islamic Republic has crossed every red line. Operation Rising Lion is a message to Tehran and to the world: Israel will not wait to be attacked. This is not a war of choice, but a war of survival. We will continue this campaign for as many days as necessary to eliminate the threat,” Netanyahu said in a nationally televised address.
Israel's defense establishment reportedly convened an emergency security cabinet meeting following the success of the first phase of the mission, with military chiefs warning that retaliatory missile or drone attacks from Iran or its regional proxies—including Hezbollah in Lebanon and militias in Syria and Iraq—could follow within hours or days.
Iran Vows “Severe Punishment”
In a swift and furious response, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned the attacks, accusing Israel of targeting civilian areas and promising retribution of the “harshest kind.”
“In this heinous aggression, the enemy martyred a number of our top commanders and scientists. But their successors are already in place, and our resistance will only grow stronger. Iran will respond with severe punishment, at the time and place of our choosing,” said a statement published by Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC.
Iran’s Defense Ministry reported that several air defense batteries had been activated during the attack, but acknowledged that Israeli jets managed to evade much of its radar systems using electronic warfare and possible stealth technology.
Social media footage from residents in Tehran and Isfahan showed fireballs in the sky and the sound of anti-aircraft guns echoing through the night, adding to the growing panic among civilians. Air raid sirens reportedly blared across parts of the Iranian capital for the first time in years.
International Reactions Mixed
The global response to the Israeli offensive was swift and mixed. While the United States has not officially confirmed any involvement, senior administration officials told media outlets that Washington was “closely monitoring the situation and in active contact with both Israeli and Iranian officials.”
A statement from the European Union expressed “grave concern” over the escalation and called on both parties to “exercise maximum restraint and avoid dragging the region into a full-scale war.”
In the Arab world, reactions were sharply divided. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE have not officially commented, analysts note that the operation may align with the interests of Gulf countries increasingly concerned about Iran’s regional influence and missile capabilities.
Russia and China, two of Iran’s closest allies, condemned the Israeli strikes and urged an emergency session of the UN Security Council, warning that unilateral military action risks sparking a regional war with global consequences.
A New Chapter in Middle East Tensions
Israel’s operation represents its most direct and expansive strike on Iranian soil to date, marking a dramatic shift from its previous covert operations, assassinations, and sabotage efforts aimed at slowing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The attack raises the specter of an all-out war in the Middle East, with military analysts warning that retaliatory action by Iran or its proxies could ignite conflict stretching from the Persian Gulf to the eastern Mediterranean.
As the world watches with bated breath, one thing is clear: Operation Rising Lion has shattered the uneasy status quo and ushered in a dangerous new era in the long-simmering confrontation between Israel and Iran.
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