Tehran – Israel launched hundreds of air and missile strikes across Iran early Friday, targeting senior security leaders, nuclear scientists, and key military installations in what is considered one of the most extensive Israeli operations against Iran to date.
Israeli army spokesperson Effie Defrin said that the ‘Rising Lion’ operation resulted in the killing of “senior members of the Iranian regime’s security leadership”. The operation involved 200 fighter jets and dropped over 330 bombs.” He confirmed that the Israeli army is still conducting attacks inside Iranian territory, and that Iran had responded by launching drones toward Israel.
Defrin further stated, “We killed the head of the Revolutionary Guard, the Chief of Staff, his deputy, and other key figures whose names will be announced later.” Israeli Channel 12 reported that more than 10 Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated, and over 300 targets were hit.
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Israeli media also reported that the Israeli Air Force had begun intercepting drones launched by Iran, coinciding with announcements by the Jordanian army that it had intercepted several missiles and drones that had entered Jordanian airspace.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on X, “ 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.”
U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News that his administration was aware of the Israeli strike on Iran days in advance. “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see. There are several people in leadership in Iran that will not be coming back,” he said.
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A security source told Israeli Public Broadcasting that Mossad agents smuggled specialized weapons into Iran and deployed them across the country, launching them with precision at designated targets when the attack began.
Additionally, Mossad teams placed precision-guided weapons in open areas near Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems to disrupt Iranian defences and facilitate Israeli air operations.
