Tehran Under Fire: Details of Israel’s Most Dangerous Attack in Years
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| In this dramatic scene, Tehran’s skyline is engulfed in smoke and flames after Israeli fighter jets unleashed a heavy missile barrage. |
Israel Launches Major Airstrike Campaign on Iran, Prompting Drone and Missile Retaliation
In a dramatic escalation of the long-simmering Israel–Iran conflict, Israeli warplanes carried out an unprecedented series of airstrikes across Iran on June 13, 2025. Codenamed Operation Rising Lion, the pre-dawn assault targeted key military and nuclear sites – including uranium enrichment facilities, missile bases, and the homes of top Iranian commanders – and reportedly killed dozens of Iran’s most senior military and scientific leaders. Iran immediately declared a state of war alert and launched its own counterattack: by the following morning more than a hundred Iranian drones (and reportedly some ballistic missiles) were dispatched toward Israel, though Israeli and allied defenses intercepted nearly all of them. This direct exchange marks the fiercest clash between the two regional rivals to date. The scale of the strikes and the swift tit-for-tat response underscore how the conflict – driven by Israel’s determination to halt Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s resolve to deter Israeli aggression – has now reached a new, potentially very dangerous level of confrontation.
Roots of the Israel–Iran Rivalry
The Israel–Iran confrontation has deep roots in Iran’s nuclear ambitions, its support for Islamist proxies, and decades of mutual hostility. Since Iran’s 1979 revolution and its animosity toward Israel’s existence, Tehran has invested heavily in an advanced nuclear program. Western intelligence and the UN’s nuclear watchdog (the IAEA) increasingly warned that Iran has been racing to enrich uranium to very high levels – up to 60% purity and beyond, dangerously close to weapons-grade – with no credible civilian need. As one Reuters investigation noted in late 2024, Iran was “dramatically” ramping up enrichment, able to produce several kilograms of 60% uranium per month. Although Iran insists its nuclear work is peaceful, this rapid acceleration alarmed Israel and its allies, who view a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat.
This nuclear tension is layered onto a broader regional struggle. Iran has cultivated a network of allied militias and proxy groups – including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Shiite militias in Iraq, and the Yemen-based Houthis – as a counterweight to Israel and U.S. influence. Over the past two years, Israel has repeatedly struck at Iran’s extended front, targeting weapons convoys, rocket caches, and personnel linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) across Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Conversely, Iran and its proxies have launched rocket, drone, and missile attacks against Israeli territory (often intercepted) and against Western forces in the region. A recent analysis summed up the dynamic bluntly: Iran’s previous direct assaults on Israel (in April and October 2024) “left the Jewish state largely unscathed and the Islamic Republic significantly worse for wear,” highlighting Israel’s advanced defenses and Iran’s overreach.
Israel’s own policy – often described as the Begin Doctrine – is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons at virtually any cost. For more than two decades it is widely believed to have clandestinely sabotaged parts of Iran’s program and even carried out targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists. In open terms, Israeli leaders have repeatedly warned that they will not tolerate Iran nearing a bomb. In turn, Iran has publicly promised “crushing attacks” if its program or proxy networks come under unprovoked Israeli fire. The two sides have been engaged in an intense shadow war, with both claiming to have struck hard at the other’s strategic assets. Now, after months of tension, that shadow war has spilled into open conflict.
The June 13 Air Strikes: Operation Rising Lion
Israeli military sources report that in the early hours of June 13, 2025, hundreds of Israeli jets and drones penetrated Iranian airspace – largely via Syria – in a coordinated campaign against dozens of targets . Codenamed Operation Rising Lion, the operation was announced by Israeli officials as a preemptive strike to halt what they described as an imminent threat from Iran’s nuclear program and military networks. Precisely at 2:59 a.m. local time, mass alert sirens sounded across Israel, and within minutes the strike was underway.
According to Israeli accounts, the attack hit more than a hundred sites across Iran. These included Iran’s principal uranium enrichment facilities (such as the Natanz complex), key ballistic missile bases near Tehran, and hidden command centers and safe houses used by senior IRGC officers. Satellite footage and eyewitness accounts showed explosions near well-known sites: heavy smoke billowed from the Natanz area (home to thousands of centrifuges) and from missile storage sites in the northeast. Notably, the Israeli military targeted the Parchin military base (outside Tehran) and other facilities where scientists and generals were believed to live or meet.
The precision and scope of the attack were emphasized by Israel’s military leadership. The IDF reported that over 200 Israeli fighter jets, supported by intelligence from Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, took part in the raids. They struck with synchronized precision, aiming especially at leadership figures. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later acknowledged that top commanders were hit – notably IRGC Aerospace Force commander Hossein Salami, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and senior nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi and Abdolhamid Minoujhar among them. In all, Iranian state media confirmed that dozens of senior military and scientific officials were killed in the strikes. The speed of Israel’s assault – overwhelming air defenses and reaching deep into Iranian territory – underscored that Iran’s “taboo” of a sovereign strike had been broken: Israel demonstrated that it can now penetrate Iran’s interior at will, a shock to Tehran’s leadership.
Israel’s leaders framed the strikes as a defensive necessity. Government statements avoided details but made clear that the operation aimed to delay Iran’s “timeline to a nuclear bomb” and degrade its ability to threaten the region. The IDF spokesperson called the campaign “precise” and “synchronized,” and reminded the public that Iran still possesses “thousands of ballistic missiles” trained on Israel’s cities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said (later in public remarks) that Iran had made a “big mistake” and would pay a “heavy price” for its actions, signaling that Israeli forces now consider the entire region a front line. In Jerusalem, the cabinet convened in secure facilities and war rooms as news of the strikes spread, reflecting the seriousness of the military action.
Notably, Israeli officials emphasized that the strikes were conducted without direct U.S. military involvement – a point made to reassure Washington of Israel’s unilateral intent. However, the U.S. and other allies had been on alert. Prior to the strike, Israeli intelligence indicated that U.S. assets (including warships and missile defenses) were being positioned in the region as a precaution. After the strike began, U.S. forces quickly moved to help intercept the inevitable Iranian retaliation. According to Israeli sources, American aircraft and naval defenses joined Israeli systems in shooting down Iranian drones approaching Israel by sunrise. A senior Israeli official warned that with over a hundred incoming drones, there was already a historic price to be paid in this new round of combat. The IDF assessed that a titanic clash might now unfold over the coming days or weeks as each side exchanges blows.
Iran’s Drone and Missile Counterattacks
Iran responded within hours, both militarily and rhetorically. Supreme Leader Khamenei, speaking at Friday prayers, denounced the Israeli strikes as “filthy and bloody,” accusing Israel of targeting civilian areas. He proclaimed that Israel should “expect severe punishment” and ordered Iran’s armed forces into a state of war readiness. Iranian state TV broke in with statements that Iran was now “on war alert” and that reprisals would be swift.
By dawn on June 14, Iran had launched its own multi-pronged counterattack. The IRGC Air Force dispatched scores of unmanned aerial vehicles in what Iranian media described as a retaliatory strike on “Israeli military sites.” Israel’s military reported that more than 100 drones were detected heading toward Israeli airspace early that morning. Crucially, the entire drone wave was intercepted and destroyed before reaching any populated areas. Israeli air defenses – including Patriot and Iron Dome batteries, supported by fighter jets – along with U.S. destroyers equipped with Aegis systems, shot down every hostile drone. U.S. military sources confirmed that American forces participated actively in the defense, as promised.
According to an IDF briefing, Iran had actually planned to unleash ballistic missiles alongside the drone swarm, but Israel’s preemptive strikes had disrupted the missile launch preparations. Intelligence reports indicated that several missile silo and launcher sites were hit on June 13, preventing many of the planned launches. As a result, no large-scale ballistic missile barrage materialized; only a few short-range missiles were fired from inside Iran, and these too were quickly intercepted over the Mediterranean or by Israeli THAAD batteries. A senior Israeli military official had warned that Tehran might launch “missiles weighing up to a ton,” but those heavy ballistic threats did not fully materialize – a testament to the effectiveness of Israel’s first-strike strategy.
By the afternoon of June 14, the immediate exchange of fire had ceased. There were no Israeli fatalities from the drone attack – though a small number of Israelis suffered panic attacks or minor injuries from rushing to shelters, as happened in past strikes. Iranian authorities gave no detailed accounting of losses on their side apart from their leadership casualties. Iranian public reports praised the counterstrike as a success (claiming some hits on military targets), but Israel’s government denied any damage to its cities or bases. Both sides appeared to step back from full-scale war at this point – each having demonstrated its striking power. Israel had shown it could hit the heart of Iran, and Iran had shown it could send an attack force all the way to Israel’s doorstep.
Timeline of Recent Israel–Iran Escalations
- April 1, 2024: Israeli jets bomb the Iranian consulate annex in Damascus, Syria, killing two Iranian generals and several other officers. This rare direct strike on Iranian soil (via Syrian airspace) is widely attributed to Israel and sets off regional alarm.
- April 13, 2024: Iran retaliates with a massive aerial assault on Israel. IRGC forces launch roughly 170 armed drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles toward Israeli territory. The assault – one of the largest drone/missile barrages in history – is intercepted by a coalition (Israel, U.S., Britain, France, Jordan) in an operation codenamed “Iron Shield.” Nearly all incoming weapons are shot down. Only minor damage is reported (a small fire at an Israeli airbase) and some psychological shock effects.
- April 18, 2024: Israel conducts a limited retaliatory strike inside Iran, reportedly destroying an air-defense radar site near the Natanz uranium-enrichment facility. The strike appears designed to signal Israel’s continued capability to strike Iranian targets without igniting full war.
- July 31, 2024: An Israeli operation in Tehran kills Ismail Haniyeh, the top political leader of Hamas. Iran denounces the assassination and vows revenge, as Haniyeh had been a guest of Iran’s leadership.
- September 27, 2024: In Lebanon, Israel eliminates Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, in a precision strike. The killing of Iran’s most powerful proxy leader is seen as a major blow to Tehran’s regional clout.
- October 1, 2024: Iran launches a new round of missiles at Israel. Around 200 ballistic and cruise missiles are fired (codenamed “Operation True Promise II”) from sites inside Iran (Tabriz, Kashan, near Tehran) and allied territories. Israel again defends its territory with U.S. help (destroyers in the Red Sea and Patriot batteries), intercepting the majority of incoming missiles. Israeli officials vow “a price” for Iran’s attack.
- December 2024 – January 2025: Israel targets Houthi forces in Yemen in retaliation for their attacks on Israel. On December 18, Israeli jets reportedly strike Houthi sites including radars in Yemen. On January 10, 2025, Israel bombs a power station and two Red Sea ports held by Houthi rebels – killing at least one person – in response to Houthi drone and missile launches against Israel. Iran’s ties to the Houthis make these strikes part of the broader Iran–Israel conflict.
- June 13–14, 2025: In the most dramatic turn yet, Israel launches Operation Rising Lion: a massive aerial blitz inside Iran that destroys nuclear and military targets and kills senior Iranian commanders. The next morning, Iran’s Supreme Leader orders retaliation. The IRGC Air Force dispatches over 100 attack drones (with some missiles) at Israel; Israeli and allied defenses intercept virtually all of them. Overnight, global attention turns to the question: will this spiral into all-out war?
The Stakes: What’s at Risk for Israel and Iran
The latest exchange underscores the existential stakes driving each side. For Israel, the foremost worry is Iran’s nuclear breakout. Prime Minister Netanyahu and military leaders have long argued that Iran must never be allowed to assemble a nuclear weapon, and that Israel must be willing to strike preemptively if necessary. Analysts note that Israel’s June 13 strikes were explicitly aimed at Iran’s uranium enrichment and missile programs, “to delay Iran’s timeline to a nuclear bomb,” even if Israel alone cannot fully eliminate that threat. The timing may reflect U.S. political dynamics too: the Atlantic Council observes that Israel acted just as discussions on Iran’s nuclear program had stalled in international talks and after a rare IAEA declaration that Iran was violating its safeguards. In other words, Israel may have calculated it had a limited window – before diplomacy or other factors made action politically harder – to weaken Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
For Iran, the stakes are equally high. The regime’s narrative of resistance and deterrence has been badly shaken by recent losses. A Council analysis notes that Iran’s proxies in Lebanon and elsewhere have been “wiped out” or weakened, and that Iran’s own attacks in 2024 “produced little damage” to Israel while Iran suffered serious blows. Now, having come under direct fire at home, Tehran faces a difficult choice. Open war with Israel risks devastating retaliation; however, failing to respond risks losing domestic and regional prestige. Iran’s official statements have emphasized both defiance (“we will exact a severe punishment”) and caution (“the response will be measured”), but few analysts believe Iran will back down entirely.
Experts warn that this confrontation could now drive Iran to double down on its nuclear efforts. After the strikes, analysts warned that Iran “will now be supremely motivated to sprint to a nuclear breakout at hardened, underground facilities. In effect, the attack may have lit a fuse under Iran’s bomb program, pushing it to seek a bomb even more urgently. Indeed, the United States had already documented that Iran had enough 60% uranium for several bombs, and that enrichment was accelerating dramatically. If Iran accelerates further, the risk of miscalculation and further military escalation grows.
The international dimension also looms large. The United States, a key backer of Israel, has stressed Israel’s right to defend itself but also urged restraint. According to reports, President Trump was informed in advance of the Israeli operation and has committed U.S. forces to help Israel defend against Iranian counterattacks. U.S. carriers and anti-missile systems in the region are on high alert. Other world powers (Russia and China especially) have so far been largely quiet or called for calm, but any misstep could draw them in. Economically, oil markets are likely on edge – Middle East wars typically drive prices up – and global diplomatic efforts at de-escalation have entered uncharted territory.
For the people of Israel and Iran, the conflict’s human cost is already being felt. Israel’s public shelters rattled with sirens during the drone assault, and although no civilians were killed, the trauma of living under missile threat is undeniable. In Iran, the death of prominent figures has shaken the ruling elite. Hezbollah and other militias (long reliant on Iranian support) must also gauge whether to escalate further or seek a truce. With such high stakes on both sides, many analysts fear that even a small miscalculation could tip the region into a broader war. Yet, given Israel’s stated goals and Iran’s public stance, both seem locked into a cycle of attack and retaliation – one that is fraught with dangers for the entire Middle East.
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