Night of Precision
In the early hours of June 13, 2025, Israel launched a bold and swift operation known as “Rising Lion.” The operation pursued multiple objectives rather than a single aim: eliminating Iranian nuclear scientists, targeting top military leadership including members of the IRGC, crippling Iran’s air defense systems, and dismantling key nuclear sites spread across the country. Nearly 200 fighter jets took part in the mission, including the prized F-35s, which alone account for about two-thirds of Israel’s total combat aircraft strength. The most important question, however, remains: why did Israel carry out such an attack, and what was the real motive behind it?
To begin with, Benjamin Netanyahu had long been critical of the Iran nuclear deal, and Trump’s decision to withdraw from it in 2018 presented him with a golden opportunity. Already under scrutiny for corruption charges at home, Netanyahu saw a prolonged conflict first with Hamas and then potentially with Iran as a way to strengthen his political standing and rehabilitate his image. In fact, even before Trump’s rise to power in 2016, Netanyahu had consistently voiced strong opposition to Iran’s nuclear program and had sought to dismantle it by any means necessary.
Another factor was Netanyahu’s deep concern over Iran and the United States moving closer to a new agreement. Since earlier rounds of negotiations had ended positively, his government felt it was imperative to act before a final deal could be reached. For Israel to succeed, the operation had to be swift and overwhelming designed to prevent Iran from mounting any meaningful response and to completely neutralize its capabilities before it could react.
In fact, the operation had begun well before June 13. Mossad agents had infiltrated Iran long in advance, establishing covert units in Tehran with the mission of disabling Iran’s air defense systems, including critical radar installations, to secure freedom of movement for Israeli aircraft. The Israelis reportedly used camouflaged weapons platforms hidden inside ordinary civilian vehicles parked throughout Iran to cripple these defenses. Once the skies were open, Israeli strikes targeted senior military leaders, including Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran; General Hossein Salami, Chief of the Revolutionary Guard; General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Forces; Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, Commander of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters; among others. Additionally, several prominent scientists were killed, such as Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a theoretical physicist and president of the Islamic Azad University; Fereydoun Abbasi, a nuclear engineer and former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI); and Abdolhamid Minouchehr, dean of the nuclear engineering faculty at Shahid Beheshti University.
The strikes were highly precise and carefully coordinated an attack for which Iran was largely unprepared. Among the major sites targeted were the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) in Natanz; the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) and the Fuel Plate Fabrication Plant (FPFP) in Isfahan; the Arak nuclear complex; the Parchin military facility near Tehran; and the Tehran Nuclear Research Center.
Important cities like Kermanshah and Lorestan were also struck, but Tabriz emerged as the most heavily bombed city in western Iran. The Subashi radar site in Hamedan was targeted, along with the Seydava barracks in Tabriz. Israeli strikes destroyed key missile facilities, including Shahab and Sejjil launchers, as well as underground bunkers in and around Tabriz. Even the airport in Tabriz was hit.
Beyond these, Israel targeted several other strategic facilities across western Iran and in the capital, Tehran. Yet despite the breadth of the strikes, Israel still faced a significant challenge: the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. This facility is buried deep within the mountains, beyond the reach of Israel’s existing arsenal. To overcome this, Israel required the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), which can only be delivered by a U.S. B-2 bomber. The United States then launched Operation Midnight Hammer, deploying MOPs against three critical sites in Isfahan, Natanz, and, most importantly, Fordow.
The question is: how was Israel able to move so much ammunition into Iran? There are several reasons behind this success. Mossad had established deep infiltration inside Iran not recently, but over many years. Many Iranians were recruited by Mossad, often enticed by financial incentives and promises. These agents had multiple secure channels to communicate with their handlers. It might sound surprising, but Mossad’s network within Iran has been so effective that there have even been cases where Mossad agents interrogated Iranian military personnel on Iranian soil itself. Additionally, neighboring countries played a critical role in smuggling parts and equipment used to assemble micro UAVs.
Israel had built an elaborate network inside Iran to carry out the attack. Another critical factor was the air dominance Israeli forces maintained throughout the 12-day operation. During this period, there were also secret talks between Moscow and several senior Iranian figures from both civil and military circles to arrange safe passage for certain individuals to leave Iran for Russia. This operation should not be seen in isolation. There have been earlier instances when Mossad successfully assassinated prominent Iranian scientists, including Massoud Ali Mohammadi and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh Mahabadi. In fact, the targeted killing of senior Iranian military officials and nuclear personnel has become increasingly common inside Iran.
The important question remains: after the strikes, how far has Iran’s nuclear program actually been pushed back? Reports vary widely, some suggest only a few months’ delay, while others claim it could be set back by several years. Former President Trump even claimed the sites were “obliterated,” but that appears far from the truth. Of the three major facilities targeted, Natanz seems to have suffered the heaviest damage. Still, the reality is that no one outside Iran knows exactly how badly these sites were hit or how long it might take Tehran to repair and restart them.
There have also been visuals suggesting that Iran managed to move part of its uranium stockpile from the targeted sites to safer locations. However, whether Iran succeeded in removing all of it in time remains a matter of debate among political circles. The country is believed to have around 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, but its exact whereabouts are currently unknown.
Iran was never truly prepared for a direct war with Israel, and its performance on the battlefield has been abysmal, something this operation clearly demonstrated. Although Iran did retaliate and managed to strike some targets, Operation Rising Lion ultimately revealed the stark difference in capability and strategy between the two sides.
In the end, Operation Rising Lion marked a dramatic escalation in Israel’s shadow war with Iran, revealing both the sophistication of Israeli planning and the vulnerabilities within Iran’s defenses. While the full extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program remains uncertain, it is likely that Israel will continue its efforts to render Iran’s missile stockpiles ineffective and keep its defenses weakened. At the same time, Iran’s ability to preserve part of its enriched uranium stockpile and mount limited retaliation demonstrates that this confrontation is far from over.
