On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a coordinated aerial operation, codenamed “Operation Rising Lion” targeting over 100 Iranian facilities tied to nuclear development and military command.
The strike, the most extensive of its kind, hit key nuclear enrichment sites at Natanz, Fordow, and Khondab, alongside strategic military infrastructure and homes of top Iranian leaders.
One of the most devastating effects was the assassination of several high-ranking figures within Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and nuclear program.
Among the dead were Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, a senior military strategist, and General Hossein Salami, commander of the IRGC.
Their deaths, alongside those of multiple nuclear scientists, have dealt a psychological and organizational blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Strategic gains and Mossad’s role
Despite Fordow’s deep underground protection, analysts suggest the Natanz and Khondab sites were severely damaged, potentially delaying Iran’s nuclear breakout capability by about 6 to 12 months.
Israeli Defense Forces, under Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, claimed success in neutralizing enrichment infrastructure, while Mossad’s involvement likely through drone sabotage and intelligence-led assassinations highlighted the operation’s sophistication.
The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, justified the action as a preemptive necessity, citing new intelligence that Iran was within weeks of assembling a nuclear weapon.
Netanyahu declared that “Israel will not wait for another Holocaust.”
Collapse of nuclear diplomacy and regional fallout
However, the strike has derailed fragile nuclear negotiations.
Talks in Oman collapsed days after, as Iran’s Supreme Leader vowed “total retaliation,” and Iran launched over 100 ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli cities.
The U.S., while not directly involved in the strike, now faces growing pressure from allies and adversaries alike to reassess its diplomatic posture.
By assassinating key figures and crippling Iran’s program, Israel may have achieved a major tactical victory.
But the so-called operation Rising Lion also strengthened Iranian hardliners, stalled ongoing nuclear negotiations, and further increased the risk of a broader Middle East conflict.
A report by the UN watchdog IAEA says the Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities have resulted in radiation leakage.
With the nuclear clock ticking and diplomatic channels fractured, the world may be entering a new, perhaps a more dangerous phase of the Iran-Israel standoff.
Of course, don’t forget the impact of the conflict on the global energy market, which is now sitting on a knife edge as the crisis drives oil prices to record highs.
More so, Iran has now threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a vital choke point through which some 20% of global oil supplies pass daily.