Israeli airstrikes kill top Iranian military and nuclear officials in major strikes across Iran

Israeli airstrikes kill top Iranian military and nuclear officials in major strikes across Iran

Israel has launched a major aerial operation against Iran, reportedly striking multiple nuclear and military sites across the country in the early hours of Friday, local and international media outlets said. The operation, dubbed “Nation of Lions,” included five waves of attacks by Israeli fighter jets, resulting in hundreds of airstrikes on at least eight locations.

Confirmed targets include Iran’s capital Tehran, the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, and a nuclear research centre in Tabriz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes aimed to damage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missile production sites.

Senior Iranian military and nuclear officials were reportedly killed in the attacks, including Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, and nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi.

Tehran also accused the United States of complicity, although U.S. officials denied involvement. Israel’s Defence Minister described the strikes as preemptive and warned of an imminent Iranian response. Israel has since closed its airspace and issued nationwide emergency guidelines amid rising regional tensions.