Israel Conducts Strikes On Iran, Eliminates Military Generals, Destroys Long-Range Missiles And Nuclear Sites

Israel has launched a large-scale and unprecedented wave of airstrikes inside Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, long-range missile sites, and senior Iranian military leaders.

The operation, named Operation Rising Lion, began early Friday morning and has been described by Israeli officials as a decisive move to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The strikes, which started around 3 a.m. local time, involved dozens of Israeli fighter jets and triggered emergency responses in both nations. Explosions were reported in major Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Arak. The key targets included command centers, air defense systems, nuclear enrichment facilities, and missile development sites.

Iranian state media confirmed that air defense systems were activated and all flights were suspended from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.

Civilian planes were ordered out of Iranian airspace amid reports of widespread fires and structural damage. The headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was reportedly among the destroyed targets.

Among the high-profile casualties were Iranian Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami, two of the most powerful figures in Iran’s military hierarchy.

Bagheri was regarded as the chief architect of Iran’s ballistic missile program, while Salami had led the IRGC’s internal crackdowns and regional military campaigns. Their deaths mark a major setback to Iran’s strategic command.

Also among the prominent figures killed were Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, who commanded Tehran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military complex, along with two senior nuclear scientists—Dr. Fereydoon Abbasi, a former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, and physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.

In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated:

“Our objective is to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities and military capabilities until we remove the threat to us. 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 warned that intelligence showed Iran was just months away from developing nuclear weapons.

 “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.”

He concluded with a chilling warning:

“We cannot leave these threats to the next generation. Because if we don’t act now, there may not be a next generation. ‘Never Again’ is now. We have internalized the lessons of history. When an enemy says he intends to destroy you—believe him. When he develops the capability—stop him.”

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the mission aimed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the critical infrastructure sustaining them. A senior security official emphasized that the operation targeted both the physical sites and the key individuals behind Iran’s strategic initiatives.

Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, IDF spokesperson, stated:

“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.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu:
“Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.

This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.” pic.twitter.com/3c8oF1GCYa

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 13, 2025

🚨BREAKING: Israel has launched a preemptive strike on Iran. Massive explosions are being reported in Tehran.

Israel has declared a state of emergency.
pic.twitter.com/zWlaMZvDQW

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 13, 2025

Israel is currently striking Iran’s capital, Tehran.

Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/YzYr0CneRz

— AF Post (@AFpost) June 13, 2025

BREAKING:

Initial reports say Israel has been able to kill the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Bagheri, in a decapitation strike pic.twitter.com/nDUONCZEor

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 13, 2025

NOW – Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility is on fire. pic.twitter.com/LCzXRgvza6

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) June 13, 2025

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared a nationwide “special emergency,” warning of an imminent Iranian retaliation involving drones and missiles. Schools have been closed, public gatherings prohibited, and only essential services remain active throughout Israel.

Military sources indicated the operation could extend for several days or longer. “We are in a window of strategic opportunity,” a senior IDF officer stated. “We have reached the point of no return. There is no choice but to act now.”

Although Israeli officials maintain the mission is not intended to bring about regime change, the targeted assassination of top Iranian military leaders suggests a wider objective to weaken Iran’s regional influence. Tehran has vowed to retaliate, and reports of air-to-air combat emerged as Iranian jets attempted to intercept Israeli aircraft.

Eyewitnesses in Tehran reported widespread panic, with loud blasts, fireballs lighting the sky, and thick smoke rising from multiple areas. While the extent of the destruction is still being determined, experts caution that the situation could escalate into a broader and more volatile conflict in the region.