JERUSALEM June 13 (Alliance News): Israel launched a series of widescale military strikes on Iran early Friday, targeting nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and key military command centres, including the headquarters of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation — dubbed “Operation Rising Lion” — as a decisive effort to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat, calling it the beginning of a prolonged military campaign.
Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions at multiple sites, including the highly sensitive uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. In response to the anticipated retaliation, Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency.
The Israeli military claimed dozens of nuclear and military targets were struck, with officials warning that Iran possesses enough fissile material to produce 15 nuclear bombs within days.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Israeli assault, calling it a “wicked and bloody crime” and vowing that Israel would face a “bitter fate.”
Iranian officials confirmed the death of top Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami and reported strikes on residential areas in Tehran, where children were among the casualties.
State media said two prominent nuclear scientists — Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi — were also killed in Israeli airstrikes in the capital.
An Israeli military spokesperson said the attack was based on new intelligence showing that Iran was nearing a critical point in nuclear weapons development.
The military stated that the pace of Iran’s programme had increased dramatically in recent months, though did not reveal specific evidence.
Israeli intelligence agency Mossad also carried out sabotage operations on strategic missile and air defence sites inside Iran, according to Axios.
Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport was shut down indefinitely, and the country’s air defences were placed on high alert. Defence Minister Israel Katz said a missile and drone retaliation from Iran was expected imminently.
Military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir confirmed the mobilisation of tens of thousands of Israeli troops across multiple borders, calling the campaign “a historic operation to eliminate an existential threat.”
The United States, while attempting to distance itself from the Israeli actions, warned Tehran not to target American interests.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. was not involved in the strikes and reiterated that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon.
Trump plans to convene the National Security Council, and U.S. military officials confirmed they are preparing contingency plans, including the potential evacuation of American civilians from the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that Israel acted unilaterally and the top priority of the U.S. remains the safety of its personnel.
The State Department issued a directive for all U.S. government employees in Israel and their families to shelter in place. Despite this, Israeli sources indicated coordination with Washington occurred prior to the strikes.
Global markets reacted swiftly to the escalation. Stock prices dropped sharply in Asia, oil prices spiked, and investors turned to safe-haven assets like gold and the Swiss franc.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the military escalation, urging both sides to exercise maximum restraint to prevent a broader regional conflict. He warned that the Middle East could not afford a descent into full-scale war.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Iranian officials are still scheduled to hold a sixth round of nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday, despite the conflict. A U.S. official confirmed the meeting, which will address Tehran’s uranium enrichment, remains on schedule.
However, a source familiar with American intelligence assessments noted there has been no recent shift in U.S. belief that Iran is actively building a nuclear weapon, nor has Ayatollah Khamenei authorised the reactivation of Iran’s defunct nuclear weapons programme.
