Israel has launched its largest-ever direct assault inside Iranian territory, targeting key nuclear and military installations and killing senior Iranian commanders, in what is widely seen as a dramatic escalation with regional and global implications.
The airstrikes began before dawn on June 13, with waves of Israeli fighter jets striking Iranian command centers, missile sites, and nuclear facilities, including the highly sensitive uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. Iran confirmed casualties and damage, including the deaths of at least two senior commanders in the Revolutionary Guard.
Among the dead is Iran’s most important military official, General Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian state media. Israel also killed General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who led the IRGC’s missile program. Several nuclear scientists were reportedly among those targeted, including Fereydoon Abbasi, a former head of Iran’s atomic agency, who died in the airstrikes.
The Israeli military said the strikes were a response to what it called a rapidly advancing Iranian nuclear weapons program, claiming Iran was weeks away from assembling multiple nuclear devices. Iranian officials have denied pursuing a bomb, and as recently as March, U.S. intelligence agencies had assessed that Iran had not resumed its weapons program.
The scale and precision of the Israeli operation suggest extensive premeditation. Israeli officials say Mossad smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of the assault, and sabotage teams were activated from inside the country during the attacks.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed a “harsh response.” Within hours of the strikes, Iran launched a volley of drones toward Israel, many of which were intercepted, according to the Israeli military. Retaliatory missile strikes are expected to follow.
While Israel says the United States was not directly involved in the operation, it reportedly notified Washington in advance. Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, said in a statement that America was “not involved” in the attack and Israel taken “unilateral action.” He warned that Iran “should not target US interests or personnel.” US President Donald Trump reiterated his preference for a diplomatic solution and warned Iran that further attacks “will only get worse” if it does not return to nuclear negotiations.
The strikes mark a turning point in the long-simmering conflict between the two nations and push the region toward a new phase of volatility. Regional actors, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, have condemned the attack. Russia and the EU also called for immediate de-escalation.
Iran has since named new commanders to replace those killed and signaled readiness to respond, though it remains unclear whether it will act directly or through allied forces across the region. Israel’s military remains on high alert.