In a significant escalation, Israel launched a targeted military operation in Iran on Friday, hitting critical nuclear facilities and ballistic missile infrastructure in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called “Operation Rising Lion.”
The operation struck deep into Iran’s strategic assets, including its main uranium enrichment site at Natanz and key missile development facilities.
Netanyahu Vows Continuation of Strikes to Remove Iran Threat
Following the initial wave of airstrikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, declaring that Operation Rising Lion would continue for “as many days as needed” to eliminate the Iranian threat.
“We can’t leave these threats for the next generation,” Netanyahu said. “Because if we don’t act now, there will not be another generation. If we don’t act now, we simply won’t be here.”
Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli forces had targeted Iranian nuclear scientists “working on the Iranian bomb” and the primary enrichment facility at Natanz.
A Strategic Offensive Against an ‘Existential Threat’
The Israeli Prime Minister emphasized that the operation’s objective is to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, its ballistic missile manufacturing centers, and associated military capabilities. “As Iran planned to produce 20,000 such missiles within six years, Israel is operating to remove them as well,” Netanyahu added.
According to Israeli military officials, the initial phase of Operation Rising Lion involved coordinated attacks on dozens of strategic and military targets spread across Iran. These included nuclear research centers, missile plants, and secure storage facilities.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they had carried out months of planning, threat assessment, and logistical preparation for the operation, both on the frontlines and the home front.
International Reaction and Strategic Justification
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said the mission aimed to eliminate an “existential and immediate threat to the citizens of Israel and the entire world.” Danon reiterated that Operation Rising Lion was a necessary step in ensuring national and global security.
The operation marks a turning point in the long-standing tensions between Israel and Iran over nuclear capabilities and regional dominance.
