This article is from SRN News
Israel Strikes Iran in Largest-Ever Air Assault on Nuclear Targets
Israeli warplanes hit dozens of Iranian nuclear and military sites as officials warn of an imminent retaliatory attack
By Steven Ganot/The Media Line
Israel launched a massive airstrike on Iranian territory early Friday morning, targeting nuclear facilities, missile sites, and senior Iranian military leaders in what Israeli officials are calling Operation Rising Lion. The coordinated assault, which involved dozens of Israeli aircraft, marks the most direct confrontation yet between the two regional powers and is being framed by Israel as a last-ditch effort to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The opening wave of strikes began at approximately 3 a.m. local time and triggered nationwide emergency alerts in Israel and retaliatory air defense deployments in Iran. Explosions were reported in several major Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Arak. Initial assessments suggest that Israel’s primary targets included command centers, air defense systems, and sites tied to Iran’s nuclear development and long-range missile programs.
Iranian state media confirmed that the country’s air defenses had been activated and that flights at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport were suspended. Civilian aircraft were cleared from Iranian skies, and multiple sources reported widespread fires and structural damage in the capital. Reports also indicated that a compound housing senior officers, including Iranian Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, was struck, with preliminary intelligence suggesting Bagheri and several senior nuclear scientists may have been killed in the attack.
In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Our objective is to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities and military capabilities until we remove the threat to us.” He added, “Iran is preparing to produce tens of thousands of ballistic missiles that could kill millions of Israelis even without nuclear warheads—but imagine if any of them carried nuclear weapons.”
Netanyahu said that intelligence assessments showed Iran was only months away from being able to manufacture an actual nuclear weapon, not just enrich uranium. “Iran has enriched enough uranium for nine nuclear bombs and taken steps toward full weaponization,” he said. “These steps moved Iran dangerously close to achieving a nuclear weapon within a short amount of time.”
Speaking emotionally, the prime minister warned that delay was no longer an option. “We cannot leave these threats to the next generation. Because if we don’t act now, there may not be a next generation. If we don’t act now, we may not be here at all,” he said. Concluding with a reference to the Holocaust, he added: “‘Never Again’ is now. We have internalized the lessons of history. When an enemy says he intends to destroy you, believe him. When the enemy develops the capabilities to destroy you, stop him.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation, saying it was intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and to the wider world,” the IDF said in a statement. An Israeli security official added that the main objective was to neutralize nuclear sites, but secondary targets included top commanders and research personnel tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the IDF’s chief spokesman, said: “Today, Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. The State of Israel has the obligation to act in defense of its citizens and will continue to do so everywhere it is required, as we have done in the past.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a “special emergency” across Israel, warning that a retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attack is expected “in the immediate timeframe.” He urged the public to comply with all Home Front Command directives, describing them as life-saving. Under the new guidelines, all educational institutions have been closed, large gatherings have been banned, and only essential workplaces are permitted to operate.
The IDF, which expects the operation to last for several days, stated that the goal is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat entirely. “We are in the window of strategic opportunities,” one military official said. “We have reached the point of no return, and there is no choice but to act now.”
Israeli officials emphasized that the attack was not aimed at regime change but rather focused on degrading Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. Still, the high-profile targeting of military leadership, including what some sources describe as an assassination attempt on Bagheri and other IRGC figures, suggests a broader effort to decapitate Iran’s strategic command.
Unconfirmed reports from Tehran and Western intelligence sources suggest that the opening wave of attacks may have succeeded in eliminating much of Iran’s General Staff. Iranian media linked to the IRGC acknowledged multiple explosions near military and research installations and broadcast images of fire and smoke rising from damaged buildings.
In Washington, US officials stated unequivocally that the United States had no involvement in the strike. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
President Donald Trump said Thursday that while he was aware an Israeli attack was likely, he had advised against it. “I think it would blow it,” he said, referring to the possibility of reaching a diplomatic agreement with Iran. “But it might help it, actually.” He added that his administration remained open to negotiations with Tehran, but talks had recently stalled.
Despite this public restraint, US and Israeli sources said the operation had been planned for months. A campaign of misdirection—including Netanyahu’s announcement of a planned weekend vacation—was designed to mislead Iranian intelligence about the timing of the strike. Israeli intelligence officials reportedly coordinated logistics with the United States but launched the operation independently.
A US defense official confirmed that more than 40,000 American troops stationed across the region were on heightened alert. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, currently deployed in the Arabian Sea, was reportedly repositioned, and American air defenses were deployed across multiple bases to guard against potential retaliation.
As air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other cities, thousands of Israelis rushed to bomb shelters. In the capital, entire neighborhoods took refuge in underground parking structures. Commercial airspace was closed, and Ben Gurion Airport suspended all inbound and outbound flights.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted on social media early Friday morning that he was monitoring the situation from the embassy in Jerusalem. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” he wrote.
Iran has not yet confirmed casualties or provided a damage assessment, but the scale of the strike suggests it may take time to fully evaluate the losses. A journalist in eastern Tehran reported hearing five large explosions. Civilians in other areas of Iran also reported loud booms and saw flames rising in the distance.
During the attack, more than 1,000 Iranians were participating in a virtual town hall discussing diplomacy with the United States. One participant said that Tehran’s skyline lit up with back-to-back blasts and that terrified residents had swarmed into the streets.
Oil markets reacted sharply. Benchmark US crude prices rose nearly 6%, surpassing $72 a barrel on fears of disruption in Iranian supply lines. Iran is responsible for roughly 3% of global oil output, and traders fear that escalating violence could destabilize shipping routes in the Persian Gulf.
While global leaders have urged restraint, the world now faces the possibility of a broader conflict if Iran retaliates. Whether Israel’s gamble will prevent a nuclear-armed Iran—or instead ignite a wider war—remains to be seen.
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