Israel Fires at Iran's Nuclear Facilities: Tehran Claims Soldiers, Scientists Killed
On the night of June 13, 2025, Israel carried out a large-scale military operation against Iran, codenamed "The People Like a Lion" (in Hebrew, "Am Kalav"). According to the The New York Times, Israeli military forces struck dozens of targets in Iran, including nuclear facilities, military bases and command centers.
Photo: Sameer Chogale | Dreamstime.com
The attack began at about 4:18 a.m. local time and hit key cities such as Tehran, as well as the nuclear centers at Natanz and Fordow, where uranium is enriched.
The Israeli Air Force attacked at least six military bases in the Tehran area, residential compounds for senior military officials and facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Explosions and fires were reported in Natanz, and thick smoke was seen in the Bid Qana area, where ballistic missiles are manufactured.
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The strikes reportedly killed several senior Iranian military officials, including the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the head of the IRGC, General Hossein Salami, General Gholamali Rashid, and nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranji and Fereydoon Abbasi.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the operation a success and said it had dealt serious damage to Iran's nuclear ambitions and military capabilities. He called on Israelis to be prepared for a possible Iranian response and to take shelter in bomb shelters. Israeli airspace has been closed and a state of emergency has been declared. At 3 a.m., Israeli military bloggers reported that sirens were sounding across the country. However, they were not warning of an attack, but of the need to monitor for new alerts.
Israel has suspended school and restricted work hours since June 13, 2025. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Home Front Command have declared a Level 4 lockdown, which includes a ban on educational events, public gatherings, and the operation of most businesses. Key sectors of the economy are operating at reduced capacity. These measures are taken as a precaution against a possible retaliatory strike by Iran.
Iran began retaliatory actions, launching more than 13 drones toward Israel on the morning of June 100, the first wave of a promised “decisive and brutal response.”
Background to the conflict
The conflict between Israel and Iran has its roots in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Iran began to openly oppose Israel's existence. Iran's nuclear program has become a key source of tension, as Israel views nuclear weapons in Tehran's hands as an existential threat.
In 2015, Iran signed a nuclear deal (JCPOA) with the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief, limiting its nuclear development. However, Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, allowing Iran to resume enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels.
By 2025, according to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), Iran had accumulated enough highly enriched uranium to produce a maximum of ten nuclear bombs per year. In June 2025, the IAEA officially declared Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations.
Israel has increased pressure on Iran in recent years, especially after its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Assad regime in Syria were weakened. In the fall of 2024, Israeli strikes destroyed air defenses around Iran’s nuclear facilities, leaving them vulnerable. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
The Trump administration, returning to power in 2025, tried to restart negotiations with Iran through Oman. But differences remained: the US demanded a complete halt to uranium enrichment, while Iran insisted on the right to a peaceful nuclear program.
US Actions: 60-Day Ultimatum and Evacuation
In April 2025, US President Donald Trump, threatening military action if the deal failed, gave Iran 60 days to make progress in nuclear talks. That deadline expired on June 12, 2025, the day before the Israeli attack. The day after the deadline, talks scheduled for Sunday in Oman were canceled, heightening tensions.
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On Thursday, June 12, 2025, The US has begun evacuation non-essential personnel and families of embassy staff from several Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq, Bahrain and Kuwait. The partial evacuation of the embassy in Baghdad was prompted by fears of an Israeli strike on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory actions that could affect American facilities.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has allowed the voluntary departure of military families from the region, especially from Bahrain, where most American military families are concentrated. The US Embassy in Israel has restricted the movement of its staff, banning travel outside Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beersheba, and urged American citizens to exercise caution.
Whether the conflict will end after a few days of intense confrontation or will escalate into a war of attrition remains to be seen.
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