On June 13th, 2025, Israel launched a scorching attack on Iran’s Nuclear and Military Structure. As per the Israeli military, about 200 aircraft were involved in the initial attack on about 100 targets. In the attack, Israel targeted key facilities and killed top generals and scientists. In Tehran’s residential area, 78 people had been killed and 329 injured. Later in the evening, two explosions were heard near the Fordo nuclear enrichment site, which is buried deep underground. The Israeli army also said it struck Iran’s nuclear facility in Isfahan.
Iran said, “The gates of hell will open” in retaliation, while Israel said the strikes were only the start of its campaign.
Who got killed?
Israel launched Operation Rising Lion and killed key military commanders and nuclear scientists of Iran. In an interview with ABC News, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, Iran’s Nuclear Scientists were targeted by IDF – “It’s basically Hitler’s Nuclear team”
- Hossein Salami: He was the commander-in-chief of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). He was appointed as Head of the IRGC in 2019.
- Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh: Hajizadeh was head of the Revolutionary Guards’ missile programme and oversaw its ballistic missile arsenal.
- Major Gen. Mohammad Bagheri: A former IRGC commander, Bagheri was the chief of staff of the armed forces from 2016. He joined the IRGC in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War.
- Major Gen. Gholamali Rashid: He was head of the IRCG’s Khatam al Anbia headquarters. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. He also fought in the 1980s Iran-Iraq War.
- Mohammad Kazemi: Kazemi was the intelligence Chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). As per the report, two other senior officials were killed, Kazemi’s deputy, Hassan Mohaghegh, along with Mohsen Baqeri.
- Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani: A nuclear scientist who served as head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization from 2011 to 2013. Abbasi was a member of Parliament from 2020 to 2024.
- Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi: Tehranchi was a nuclear scientist and head of Iran’s Islamic Azad University in Tehran.
- Other Scientists who were killed were Abdolhamid Manouchehr, Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feghi, and Motalibizadeh.
- Ali Shadmani: Shadmani was the Chief of Staff and Iran’s senior-most military official. He was also the closest military advisor of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed on June 17th in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran.
Why Israel Targeted the Natanz Uranium Facility?
In 2002, it was revealed that approximately 250 km. south of Tehran, Iran bunkered main uranium enrichment site at Natanz. Natanz is the key site for a large-scale uranium enrichment facility. It is the process that produces materials for the use of military and civilians. Natanz operates nearly 70 cascades of centrifuges at its two enrichment plants (One is underground). A cascade is a series of centrifuges, machines that are used in the process of enriching uranium. In April 2021, Natanz was damaged in an attack, and according to Iran, it was an act of sabotage by Israel.
Why the Fordo Plant is crucial for Israel?
Iran’s second nuclear enrichment facility is the Fordo Plant after Natanz. The Fordo is built on the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, which is around 95km southwest of Tehran. Additionally, it is estimated that the plant is 80 meters under rock and soil. As per the reports, the site is protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems.Israel said, if the US decides to support Israel on Iran attack, then to damage the Fordo Nuclear fuel enrichment plant, a “bunker-buster” bombs to be provided.
“The entire operation…really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordo”
By Israel Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter (Source)
Top Leaders’ Thoughts on the Israel Attack
US President Donald Trump urged Iran to make a deal or face even more brutal. What else do US President and other World Leaders have to say about the attack?
“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to “just do it”, but no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, By Far, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happened. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, No more destruction. JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE”.
By US President Donald Trump (Source)
“The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region. Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy,”
By UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer (Source)
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate or even spill over, the other countries in the Middle East will inevitably bear the brunt,”
By Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Guo Jiakun (Source)
Declaration of War by Iran
On the Israel strike, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel, saying it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attacks. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, labelled the attack, “declaration of war”.
“The Iranian nation and the country’s officials will not remain silent in the face of this crime, and the legitimate and powerful response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act”.
By Iran President, Masoud Pezeshkian (Source)
“In retribution for the blood of our fallen commanders, scientists and citizens, the gates of hell will soon be opened upon this child-killing regime.”
By Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),Mohammad Pakpour (Source)
Why did Israel attack Iran?
The nuclear-armed Iran remains a threat to Israel. The allies of Iran, Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and Syria (Now the ousted government President Bashar Assad) openly called for Israel’s destruction.
In the ongoing war, the military capabilities of Hamas have been decimated, and Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians situated at the Gaza Strip. Israel planned a sophisticated attack on Hezbollah that involved Pager and Walkie-talkies that targeted most of the prominent leaders. Southern Lebanon was devastated by an air and ground campaign. With the downfall of Hizbollah, the government of Syria got crushed. This gives chance to Israel to conquer Southern Syria; thus, Israel carried out strikes that destroyed much of its military assets. With the fall of allies and exchange of fire with Israel, Iran was weakened.
Iran has advocated the Palestinian cause and portrayed Israel as a malicious Western encroachment on the Middle East. Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful, but the International Atomic Energy Agency and Western Nations access Iran has an organized nuclear weapons. The UN atomic agency warned that Tehran is still enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels to make several nuclear bombs, if required.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has long identified Iran’s nuclear programme as a great threat. But why did Israel decide to strike now? As per the Israeli PM, the time was running out to strike Iran, alleging Iran had taken recent steps to weaponize enriched uranium. “If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon within a very short time”.