In a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East, Israel attacked Iran in the early hours of June 13, 2025, under what it has named Operation Rising Lion. The surprise assault, coordinated by the Israeli military and intelligence agency Mossad, targeted a wide range of Iranian military and nuclear facilities, marking the most aggressive Israeli strike on Iranian soil in decades.
According to reports from regional officials and international observers, Israeli fighter jets struck more than 100 targets across Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, a site long suspected of being at the core of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Explosions were also reported near Khondab, Khorramabad, and even outside the capital, Tehran. The Israel attacks Iran operation was reportedly executed with over 200 aircraft, accompanied by electric warfare unites and cyberattacks that disabled parts of Iran’s air defense systems.
Iranian authorities confirmed the death of several high profile figures, including Major General Hossein Selami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri. Multiple nuclear scientists were also believed to be among the casualties, though the Iranian government has not disclosed specific names. Medical teams and civil defense unites were deployed throughout Tehran and other cities as fires raged at missile storage and radar installations.
In response, Iran launched more than 100 drones aimed at various Israeli targets, though the Israeli military claimed to have intercepted nearly all of them using its Iron Dome and Arrow defense systems. Sirens blared across Tel Aviv, Haifa, and southern Israeli cities, but no civilian deaths were reported.
This latest Israel attacks Iran conflict has drawn global alarm. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed deep concern over the targeting of nuclear infrastructure, warning that the strikes could destabilize an already fragile region. Meanwhile, airspace over Jordan, Iraq, and much of the Eastern Mediterranean were temporarily close, and global oil markets reacted with sharp increases, reflecting fears of broader war.
