Israel has launched a major offensive against Iran. During the night of Thursday to Friday, as informed by the IDF, “In a targeted operation, more than 100 targets across the country were attacked. Leaders of the nuclear program were hit and senior leaders and commanders were eliminated.”
“We have launched Operation Rising Lion, to counter the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced shortly thereafter. ”We will continue for as many days as necessary to remove this threat. We have struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. For decades the tyrants in Tehran have brazenly and openly called for our destruction.”
“Missile and drone attacks are expected against the State of Israel and its civilian population in the near future,” further explained Defense Minister Israel Katz who declared a special state of emergency throughout the country. According to local authorities, Tehran will respond to the attack in the coming hours by launching more than 100 drones.
Overnight, the Israeli Air Force launched two waves of strikes that fell on eight major Iranian cities. The more than 200 Israeli warplanes struck the Natanz nuclear facility, south of Tehran, and several military positions near the capital. The city of Tabriz, home to major refineries, Esfahan, Arak, Kermanshah, Ilam and Avaz were also attacked.
According to initial reports, five people died as a result of the shelling and 50 were injured. The victims include Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, Khatamolanbia base commander Gholamali Rashid, nuclear scientist Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi and former head of the Atomic Energy Organization Fereidoun Abbasi.
“The Zionist regime has procured for itself a bitter and painful fate”: these were the first words released by Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who added that the state will now face ”harsh punishment.” “The Zionist regime’s aggressions could not be conducted without the coordination and authorization of the United States, as Israel’s main supporter,” the local Foreign Ministry later reported.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also spoke on the matter, explaining: “Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region”. Earlier in the week, U.S. officials had foretold that the Jewish state would soon launch its offensive against Tehran: and indeed, things turned out just that way.
After the attacks, President Trump convened a cabinet summit at the White House. The U.S. leader also explained that he was aware of Israel’s plan, adding, “Iran cannot not have a nuclear weapon. We will see what happens.”
