Jerusalem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On June 13, 2025, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, striking 100+ Iranian sites with 200 jets. Main targets was Natanz, Tehran. Top Iranians killed. Iran fired 100 drones. Oil, markets shaken.
As Reuters and BBC News reported, On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a major air operation against Iran, targeting key parts of Tehran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. The operation, named “Operation Rising Lion,” involved about 200 Israeli fighter jets that struck over 100 sites. These included the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, ballistic missile factories, and the Revolutionary Guard headquarters in Tehran.
The Israeli military stated that the goal was to cripple Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon, claiming that Iran was only months away from achieving that capability. Among the reported casualties were several high-ranking Iranian officials, including,
- The commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami
- The Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Mohammad Bagheri.
Iranian state media confirmed severe damage to strategic locations and acknowledged civilian casualties, including children killed in residential areas. Despite the direct hit on Natanz, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported no spike in radiation levels, citing data from Iranian sources. The Israeli government declared a nationwide state of emergency in anticipation of Iranian retaliation, and airspace closures were enacted across Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan.
“We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history,”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video message.
“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.”
What followed Israel’s airstrikes and Iran’s drone launch?
In response to the Israeli attacks, Iran sent about 100 drones toward Israel, but most were stopped before they could hit. Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the attacks a “crime” and promised Israel would suffer. He mentioned that the world is worried, with countries like the U.S. and the U.K. urging calm and diplomacy to avoid a bigger war.
According to Iran’s leader, the attacks also affect talks about Iran’s nuclear program. Financial markets and oil prices are unstable due to fears of more trouble in the Middle East. With Iranian military leaders dead and important places damaged, more attacks are likely. He mentioned that this is the most direct fight between Israel and Iran yet, and it could lead to a long and dangerous conflict in the region.
Despite the scale of the Israeli operation, the United States publicly denied any involvement. The crisis raised concerns of a larger regional conflict. The area is essential to the worldwide production of oil. Oil prices spiked around the world in the hours immediately following the strikes as the security of oil supply routes in the Persian Gulf was questioned.
Besides the air strikes, Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, secretly attacked important places inside Iran, like missile bases. These secret attacks were meant to help the air strikes by stopping Iran from fighting back. Iranian news said that at least 6 nuclear scientists died,
- Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation
- Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, who was involved in Iran’s nuclear weapons programme
- Abdulhamid Minouchehr, head of nuclear engineering at Iran’s Shahid Beheshti University
- Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, a nuclear engineering professor at Shahid Beheshti University
- Amirhossein Feqhi, another nuclear professor at Shahid Beheshti University
Even though Iran’s oil places weren’t damaged, Israel’s actions caused a lot of damage to important things. Israel’s military leader said it was a “historic campaign” and that many soldiers were ready to fight.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran shouldn’t get nuclear weapons and hoped talks could start again. But, the U.S. said that Iran would have to stop making uranium for any new deal. The danger of more fighting is still high, as both sides are deciding what to do next, and the world is worried.
Iran insists its nuclear work is peaceful, like for energy and medicine, and sees it as a matter of national pride. After Israel’s attacks, Iran said the strikes only made them more determined to keep their nuclear and missile programs going. They blamed Israel and the U.S., warning of serious consequences.
The U.S. said they weren’t involved, but Iran’s military blamed them for helping Israel. An Israeli official said they worked with the U.S. on the strikes, but it’s not clear how much. President Trump planned a meeting about the situation after saying an Israeli attack was possible, but he still hoped for peace.
The Israeli strikes quickly hit global markets. Asian stocks fell and U.S. futures dropped due to worries about a bigger Middle East war. Oil prices jumped over 7%, reaching their highest since April 2025, because of fears about oil supplies from the Persian Gulf.
Even with the fighting, nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. are still planned for Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oman. The talks are meant to discuss Iran’s increasing uranium enrichment. Israel said its attack was because of new information about Iran’s nuclear plans. However, U.S. intelligence says Iran isn’t building a bomb and hasn’t been told to.
