TEHRAN, Iran – June 13, 2025** – In a significant escalation of regional tensions, Israel launched a series of widespread airstrikes across Iran early Friday, targeting critical nuclear facilities, ballistic missile production sites, and military command centers. The attacks, which Israel described as a "preemptive strike" to neutralize an existential threat, have been met with outrage from Tehran and fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East.
Multiple reports from Iranian state media confirmed explosions in the capital, Tehran, and other cities including Natanz, Tabriz, and Isfahan, which are home to key nuclear and military installations. Initial reports from Iran indicate that several top military officials, including the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami and Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, were killed in the strikes, along with nuclear scientists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a prerecorded address, stated that "Operation Rising Lion" was a "targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival." He asserted that Iran's nuclear program had reached a "point of no return" and that the country was close to developing nuclear weapons. Netanyahu vowed the operation would continue "for as many days as it takes to remove this threat."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Israel's strikes hit Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and is closely monitoring radiation levels.
The United States has stated it was not involved in the strikes, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming that Israel acted unilaterally. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry has vowed a "harsh response" and indicated it views the U.S. as complicit given its close ties with Israel.
This direct military engagement marks a severe intensification of the long-standing shadow war between Israel and Iran, which has previously seen covert operations, cyberattacks, and proxy conflicts across the region. The attacks come after a period of heightened tensions, including previous exchanges of strikes in April and October 2024, and alleged assassinations of Iranian and Hamas officials.
Airspace over Israel, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan was temporarily shut down as a precaution, and Israel has issued emergency alerts to its citizens, anticipating Iranian retaliation. The international community is closely watching the unfolding situation, urging de-escalation to prevent a full-scale regional war.
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