In a stunning escalation that has shaken the Middle East, Israel launched a full-scale military operation against Iran early Friday, targeting key nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and high-ranking military commanders.
The bold move, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, is being called the most significant military action between the two nations in decades—and it might only be the beginning.
Explosions rocked several Iranian cities, including at the country’s main uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. Iranian officials confirmed major damages to military and nuclear infrastructure, as well as casualties among their senior leadership. Among those reportedly killed was Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, with state media claiming that the IRGC headquarters in Tehran was directly hit. In a tragic twist, strikes also claimed the lives of civilians, including children in residential areas of the capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the operation a “decisive moment in Israel’s history,” stating that it would continue “as many days as it takes” to eliminate the nuclear threat posed by Tehran. An Israeli military source said new intelligence revealed Iran had accumulated enough material to potentially build 15 nuclear bombs within days—a red line Israel says it could not ignore.
According to Israeli officials, covert Mossad operations inside Iran helped disable missile bases and air defense systems before the strikes began. Alongside air raids, sabotage missions further crippled Iran’s military infrastructure. Nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were confirmed among the dead, intensifying fears over the long-term implications of the assault.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stern warning, calling the strikes a “bloody crime” and vowing that Israel would “face a bitter fate.” Iran’s armed forces accused both Israel and the United States of orchestrating the attack, even though U.S. officials denied involvement. “We are not part of the strikes,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while emphasizing that American forces in the region remain on high alert.
Despite U.S. distancing itself from the conflict, reports suggest that Israel coordinated with Washington in the lead-up to the operation. Former President Donald Trump, speaking to Fox News, said Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and reiterated hopes for renewed talks. A sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S. is still expected to take place in Oman this Sunday.
On the home front, Israel declared a state of emergency, closed Ben Gurion Airport, and called up tens of thousands of troops in preparation for Iranian retaliation. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of imminent drone and missile attacks on Israeli cities.
The assault sent shockwaves through global markets—oil prices surged, gold spiked, and investors fled to safe assets like the Swiss franc. The United Nations urged both sides to show restraint, warning that the region was teetering on the edge of a wider war it can ill afford.
As nuclear war threat rises, the world watches closely. Israel insists its actions are preemptive and necessary for survival. Iran vows revenge. The Middle East, already battered by years of tension and proxy conflicts, now faces its most dangerous flashpoint in years.
