Iran Israel Conflict & Operation Rising Lion of June 13, 2025

In the early hours of June 13, 2025, the Middle East was shaken by a massive and highly coordinated military campaign. Why did Israel attack Iran today? Israel, acting under its long-established doctrine of neutralizing existential threats, launched Operation Rising Lion; a multifaceted assault involving precision airstrikes, cyber warfare, and covert missions aimed at Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, top military commanders, and air defense systems. This meticulously executed operation marked a major escalation in the ongoing Iran Israel conflict, reverberating across global capitals, energy markets, and diplomatic channels.

Table of Contents

• Path to Iran Israel Conflict
• The Begin Doctrine
• The Operation: Sequence and Tactics
• Casualties and Infrastructure Damage
• Iran’s Reaction
• Strategic and Political Consequences of the Iran Israel conflict
• Global and Regional Impact
• Strategic and Military Analysis of the Iran Israel conflict
• Final Analysis
• Additional Questions

Path to Iran Israel Conflict

By mid-2025, Israeli intelligence assessments warned that Iran was nearing a critical nuclear milestone. According to reports, Iran had stockpiled enough 60% enriched uranium to potentially build up to 15 nuclear warheads, with sophisticated IR-6 centrifuges running deep inside heavily fortified underground sites. With diplomatic efforts having collapsed and Iran’s nuclear program rapidly advancing, Israeli leaders concluded that the window for a peaceful solution had closed.

The Begin Doctrine

Israel’s decision was grounded in the principles of the Begin Doctrine; a long-standing policy affirming Israel’s right to take unilateral military action against any regional power pursuing nuclear weapons. First introduced in the 1980s, this doctrine had previously shaped key operations, including the 1981 strike on Iraq’s Osirak reactor and the 2007 attack on Syria’s Al-Kibar facility. In June 2025, Israeli leaders invoked it once more, pointing to what they described as an imminent and existential threat from Iran.

The Operation: Sequence and Tactics

Phase One: Disabling Iran’s Nuclear Infrastructure

Around 1:00 AM local time, squadrons of Israeli F-35I Adir stealth fighters, backed by electronic warfare aircraft and AEW&C support planes, crossed into Iranian airspace undetected. Their main objective was the Natanz uranium enrichment facility; widely regarded as the core of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Using sophisticated electronic jamming, Israeli forces effectively blinded Iran’s air defenses, including the advanced S-300PMU2 and Khordad-15 systems, clearing the way for the strike. Moments later, waves of precision-guided munitions; among them GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs and SPICE 1000 glide bombs, slammed into Natanz. The attacks caused devastating damage to the underground halls where cascades of centrifuges were operating. At the same time, cyberattacks disrupted Iranian radar and communications networks, leaving air defense units in total disarray.

Phase Two: Broadening the Strike Zone

By around 4:00 AM, the second wave of Israeli strikes was underway, this time zeroing in on the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant near Qom; a facility buried deep inside a mountain for protection. To reach it, Israeli jets unleashed powerful bunker-busting bombs, including BLU-109/B and GBU-28 munitions, designed to pierce heavily reinforced structures.

But Fordow wasn’t the only target. Strikes also hit the Arak heavy water reactor, the Parchin military site, and the Khondab reactor. At the same time, Israeli forces expanded the battlefield by targeting missile and air defense installations across several provinces, including Kermanshah, Ilam, Hamadan, Khorramabad, Piranshahr, Tabriz, and Qasr-e Shirin; dealing a major blow to Iran’s strategic infrastructure.

Clandestine and Cyber Activities

At the same time, Mossad operatives on the ground in Iran carried out sabotage missions targeting critical air defense systems and missile sites. Malware was inserted into command networks, while undercover agents; posing as technicians at facilities like Fordow and Natanz, tampered with vital infrastructure from the inside. Coordinated cyberattacks also hit Iran’s national power grid and encrypted military communication lines, plunging command centers into confusion and leaving defense units effectively in the dark.

Casualties and Infrastructure Damage

Iran’s Military and Scientific Command

The operation dealt a crippling blow to Iran’s military and scientific leadership. Following embraced martyrdom in the recent Iran Israel conflict:
• Gen. Hossein Salami: Commander of the IRGC
• Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri: Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces
• Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid” Deputy chief of staff
• Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force
• Ali Shamkhani: Former head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
• Six senior nuclear scientists: including Fereydoun Abbasi, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Abdolhamid Minoujhar

Unconfirmed reports also claimed that the entire IRGC Air Command had been martyred.

Neutralization of Air Defense Systems

Israeli airstrikes, supported by coordinated Mossad sabotage efforts, successfully dismantled or disabled several key elements of Iran’s air defense network, including:
• S-300PMU2 and Khordad-15 batteries positioned around the Natanz and Fordow nuclear sites
• Surface-to-surface missile launchers and radar facilities scattered across central and western Iran

In the Iran Israel conflict the destruction of these assets left Iran’s airspace increasingly exposed to additional attacks and significantly weakened its ability to mount an effective response.

Damage to Nuclear Facilities

The Natanz and Fordow enrichment facilities sustained heavy damage, with underground centrifuge halls and critical support infrastructure either destroyed or left unusable in the Iran Israel conflict. Strikes also hit the Arak heavy water reactor and the Parchin military complex, where key weapons development labs were reportedly reduced to rubble. According to analysts, the operation is likely to set back Iran’s nuclear program by an estimated 2 to 3 years.

Civilian Impact and Collateral Damage

Collateral damage occurred in residential neighborhoods close to military targets; most notably in Tehran, where several civilians, including children, were reported killed or wounded. While Iranian state media minimized the scale of the casualties, independent reports painted a more distressing picture, confirming that the strikes had caused considerable harm to civilians.

Iran’s Reaction

Immediate Retaliation

By mid-morning, Iran had unleashed a wave of over 100 drones, including Shahed-136, Shahed-129, and Mohajer-6 UAVs, targeting various locations across Israel. Most of these aerial threats were successfully intercepted by Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow-3. Meanwhile, in the Iran Israel conflict, a Quds-2 missile fired from Yemen by Houthi-aligned forces struck the city of Hebron in the West Bank, though, no casualties were reported.

Operation True Promise III

On the evening of June 13, Iran intensified its retaliation with Operation True Promise III, launching over 150 ballistic missiles and more than 100 drones aimed at Israeli military installations and airbases. While Israel’s air defense systems intercepted the majority, some missiles did break through, striking areas in central Israel, including Tel Aviv. At least 63 people were injured in the attacks, and one civilian woman later succumbed to her wounds. Additional missile barrages continued into the early hours of June 14, resulting in more injuries, though fatalities remained limited.

Strategic and Political Consequences of the Iran Israel Conflict

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned the strikes and promised “severe punishment,” calling an emergency session of the Supreme National Security Council. The newly appointed IRGC chief, Major General Mohammad Pakpour, issued a stark warning, saying “the gates of hell will open“. In response, Iran pulled out of scheduled nuclear talks and submitted formal complaints to the UN Security Council.

Global and Regional Impact

International Diplomatic Repercussions of the Iran Israel conflict

The United States, briefed beforehand but not directly engaged in the operation, responded by placing 40,000 troops across the region on high alert and evacuating non-essential personnel from key locations. President Donald Trump reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, while issuing a stern warning to Iran against any further escalation. International reaction was mixed: NATO, the European Union, and global powers urged calm, with some aligning with Israel’s stance, while others expressed concern that the strikes could ignite broader regional instability.

Financial Aftershocks of the Iran Israel conflict

Oil prices soared by 8–13% as concerns grew over potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude jumped past $110 a barrel, triggering a short-lived sell-off in global stock markets as investors reacted to the growing uncertainty and braced for more turbulence ahead.

Regional Escalation and the Role of Proxies in Iran Israel conflict

Earlier Israeli airstrikes targeting Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq significantly weakened Iran’s network of regional proxy forces, curbing the immediate retaliatory capabilities of groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. However, the threat of a wider regional conflict continues to loom large.

Strategic and Military Analysis of the Iran Israel conflict

Effectiveness and Constraints

Military experts praised Operation Rising Lion as a textbook example of integrated modern warfare, skillfully blending airstrikes, cyberattacks, and covert operations. While the mission significantly weakened Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, it also carried the risk of triggering a volatile and unpredictable escalation. Due to restricted access and state-controlled media in Iran, the full extent of the damage remains unclear.

What Comes Next

Although Israel met its short-term goals, Iran is now likely to double down on securing its nuclear program, possibly by moving operations to mobile facilities or more deeply buried underground sites. Diplomatic efforts have stalled entirely, and the risk of renewed military confrontation continues to loom large.

Final Analysis

Operation Rising Lion has reshaped the strategic balance in the Middle East. Israel’s far-reaching strike deep into Iranian territory, disrupting its nuclear program and martyring key military leaders, sent a clear and forceful message to both its enemies and global partners. But while the operation showcased Israel’s military reach and resolve, it also pushed the region dangerously close to all-out war. What happens next is uncertain. The days ahead will reveal whether this was a decisive move to halt nuclear escalation; or the opening chapter of a prolonged and potentially devastating conflict in one of the world’s most volatile regions

Additional Questions