IDF Spokesperson's Unit
In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, Israel has launched a massive military assault on Iran, killing six senior scientists, including two of the country’s leading nuclear experts, in what appears to be its largest and most coordinated attack on Iranian soil to date.
According to Israeli officials, more than 200 Israeli Air Force fighter jets carried out precision strikes on over 100 military, nuclear, and infrastructure sites across Iran early Friday morning. Among the targets was the Natanz uranium enrichment facility — a cornerstone of Iran’s controversial nuclear programme — which suffered significant damage, according to Israeli military sources.
Israel’s army stated that the strikes targeted underground facilities, including multi-storey enrichment halls equipped with centrifuges, control and electrical rooms, and key systems supporting the facility’s continued operation. “Vital infrastructure at the site that enables Iran to advance its nuclear weapons programme has been attacked,” said an Israeli military spokesperson.
The raid comes just a day after US President Donald Trump claimed his administration was “fairly close to a pretty good agreement” with Iran, cautioning that military action could derail progress and spark a full-scale conflict. Yet, signs of rising tension were already evident Thursday, when the US began partially evacuating its embassy in Iraq and authorised the voluntary departure of diplomatic families from several other locations across the Middle East.
On the same day, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a rare statement declaring that Iran had failed to meet its nuclear non-proliferation obligations for the first time in two decades — a significant development that may have influenced the timing of Israel’s operation. Tehran has consistently claimed its nuclear programme is peaceful in nature.
Who Were the Scientists Killed in the Strike?
The Iranian government confirmed the deaths of six scientists, among them two high-profile nuclear figures: Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi.
Tehranchi, a theoretical physicist and president of Islamic Azad University, had been on the US Department of Commerce’s Entity List since 2020 for activities allegedly contrary to US national security interests. His residence, shared with other Iranian scientists, was one of the buildings severely damaged in the Friday strikes.
Abbasi, formerly the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and a past member of Iran’s parliament, was a veteran of Iran’s nuclear research programmes, having earned a PhD in nuclear physics. He had previously survived an assassination attempt in 2010 when twin blasts in Tehran killed fellow nuclear scientist Majid Shahriari.
Other scientists killed include:
- Abdolhamid Minouchehr: A PhD holder in nuclear engineering, dean at Shahid Beheshti University, and researcher on nuclear safety and efficiency.
- Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari: Professor of nuclear engineering at Shahid Beheshti University.
- Amir Hossein Faghihi: Former vice president of the AEOI and former head of the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute.
- Motallebzadeh: A nuclear scientist killed alongside his wife in the same attack.
Natanz: A Strategic Target
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation, dubbed “Operation Rising Lion,” as a necessary step to curb the Iranian nuclear threat. The primary target was the Natanz facility — Iran’s main uranium enrichment centre — located outside the holy city of Qom.
The IAEA confirmed the attack but reported no rise in radiation levels. The facility includes both underground fuel enrichment plants and a pilot plant above ground. Despite extensive damage, no casualties at the facility were officially reported.
Other key nuclear installations — including the Isfahan nuclear technology centre, Bushehr power plant, and Fordow enrichment plant — were not struck in this wave of attacks. However, Netanyahu warned that additional targets may be hit in the coming days, stating, “This operation will continue for as long as necessary to eliminate the threat to Israel’s existence.”
A History of Assassinations and Covert Operations
The assassination of the six scientists is the latest chapter in a long history of targeted killings of Iranian nuclear personnel, operations that Tehran has routinely blamed on Israel.
In 2020, Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed east of Tehran in an attack involving a remote-controlled weapon. In 2012, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who worked at Natanz, was assassinated with a magnetic bomb in Tehran. That blast came two years after the death of Masoud Ali Mohammadi, killed by a remote-control bomb.
Majid Shahriari, killed in 2010, was also linked to Iran’s nuclear programme and taught at Shahid Beheshti University — the same institution where several of the scientists killed on Friday had been affiliated. Abbasi, who was targeted in the same 2010 incident, was severely injured but survived — until now.
What Sets This Attack Apart?
Unlike previous Israeli actions involving sabotage or covert operations, this latest assault marked the first known use of large-scale airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Experts suggest the scale and precision of the operation highlight Israel’s significant advances in intelligence gathering and technological capabilities, possibly aided by satellite data from allies in Europe and the US.
Muhanad Seloom, a critical security studies expert at the Doha Institute, said, “This wasn’t just about weapons or tactics. Israel demonstrated its capacity to gather and act on high-level intelligence inside Iran, targeting individuals and strategic locations with surgical precision.”
According to Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, the Iranian public has been stunned by the strikes. “Not since the Iran-Iraq war has the civilian population experienced an aerial assault of this magnitude. It’s unprecedented in their lifetime,” she reported.
She added that the attack was not just broader in scope than last year’s tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries, but also more strategically disruptive. “This is not a hit-and-run operation. The attacks are ongoing, and there’s no clear timeline for their conclusion.”
Outlook: A Region on Edge
While Iran has vowed retaliation, warning Israel will pay a “heavy price,” the strategic implications of this operation are vast. With the possibility of further Israeli strikes, escalating regional tensions, and uncertain diplomatic outcomes, the world watches closely.
Despite global fears of a wider conflict, Israel appears resolute. Netanyahu’s declaration that the campaign will continue “for as many days as it takes” suggests that this may be just the beginning of a longer and more volatile chapter in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
