In a dramatic escalation of regional tensions, Israel on Friday initiated a full-scale aerial assault on Iran, striking numerous military and nuclear locations.
The mission, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, targeted over 100 Iranian sites, including key nuclear enrichment centres, missile production facilities, and high-ranking military officials.
According to Brigadier General Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israeli military, approximately 200 fighter jets were deployed, with one of the primary targets being the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz.
“This operation will go on for as long as necessary to eliminate this danger,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a televised message.
“He referred to the strike as a “defining moment” in the country’s history.
Iran strikes back amid rising casualties
Iran countered by unleashing roughly 100 drones toward Israeli territory, though several were intercepted, according to Defrin.
Iranian state media reported multiple blasts in cities including Natanz, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed there was “no increase in radiation levels,” based on Tehran’s data.
Among the most high-profile casualties was the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami.
Reports from Iranian outlets also revealed that two top nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, were killed along with at least six others in separate attacks on Tehran.
Strikes in a residential neighbourhood in Tehran reportedly led to the deaths of several children.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned the offensive, branding it a “heinous and bloody act” and warning that it would result in a “bitter reckoning” for Israel.
International consequences, Washington’s role
The aerial campaign triggered widespread disruptions in regional air travel. Airspaces over Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel were cleared, while Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport suspended operations. Tehran also closed its airspace in response.
While the United States officially denied any direct involvement, Israeli media outlet Kan TV claimed the attack was carried out with prior coordination with Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stern warning, stating, “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, expressed hope for renewed diplomatic engagement.
“We will see,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News. “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb.”
The White House also confirmed that President Trump would convene a National Security Council meeting on Friday to address the developments.
Meanwhile, an Axios report cited an Israeli official saying that Mossad had carried out covert sabotage missions alongside the aerial assault, targeting Iranian missile systems and air defences.
Iran’s National Oil Refining and Distribution Company announced that oil refining and storage facilities had not been impacted by the strikes.
Despite the tension, diplomatic sources confirmed that a scheduled sixth round of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran in Oman would still go ahead on Sunday.
Israeli intelligence cited new evidence that Iran was nearing a critical stage in its nuclear program.
However, U.S. assessments still hold that Iran hasn’t resumed a nuclear weapons program since halting it in 2003.
Iran’s military warned of severe consequences, accusing Israel and the U.S. of provoking a wider war.
Global stock markets reacted instantly, with significant declines reported during Asian trading hours.