In a major escalation of Middle East tensions, Israel carried out multiple airstrikes across Iran early Friday, targeting what it described as the “heart” of Iran’s nuclear programme. The strikes, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, reportedly hit key military and nuclear sites, including the Natanz enrichment facility.
Explosions rocked the Iranian capital, Tehran, around 3:30am local time, with blasts also reported northeast of the city. Iranian state media confirmed that residential areas were among those affected. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later verified that the Natanz nuclear site had been struck and said it was working with Iranian authorities to assess potential radiation risks.
Among those killed, according to Iranian media and confirmed by the Israeli military, were top Iranian military leaders including Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Gholamali Rashid, head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Command; and Iran’s Chief of Defence Staff, Mohammad Bagheri. Two nuclear scientists – Fereydoon Abbasi and Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi – were also reportedly killed in the assault.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the operation as necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. “If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time,” he said. “This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”
Shortly after the strikes, Iran launched over 100 drones toward Israel in retaliation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were actively intercepting the drones, while declaring a state of emergency across the country.
A senior Iranian military spokesperson warned that Israel and the United States would “pay a heavy price” for the attack. The US, however, denied any involvement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that America’s top priority remained the safety of its troops in the region.
Australia and other international actors have called for calm, warning that the escalation could further destabilize an already volatile region.
The IAEA this week formally declared Iran in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation commitments, citing its growing stockpile of enriched uranium – enough, experts say, to potentially build several nuclear weapons within months.
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