ISLAMABAD: In what experts are calling the most consequential covert operation in decades, Israel’s strikes under the codename ‘Operation Rising Lion’ have inflicted unprecedented damage on Iran’s military leadership and nuclear programme.
The multi-target assault, conducted across major Iranian cities including Tehran, Natanz, Isfahan, and Arak, has not only decapitated key elements of Iran’s military command but also erased critical components of its nuclear brain trust.
However, while speaking to WE News English, Prof. Dr. Munawar Hussain of the American Studies Centre at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, described Iran’s current strategy as a calculated chess match with Israel’s defence systems. “Iran has already launched a wave of over 100 drones in retaliation and is now deliberately drawing Israel into defensive action,” he explained.
According to Dr. Hussain, the goal is to exhaust and expose Israel’s air defence capabilities ahead of a larger, more decisive strike. He noted that Israel fired 18 to 19 missiles at Tehran, with 16 intercepted and three causing damage. “This is a tactical phase — engage first, overwhelm later,” he concluded.
Israeli airstrikes have struck over 100 key sites across Iran, including nuclear and missile facilities, killing top military and scientific figures — an assault Tehran condemned as a “declaration of war.” Israeli officials signalled this was only the beginning of a broader campaign.
Trump’s divergent stance
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump praised the attack as “excellent” and warned of even harsher strikes ahead unless Iran backs down on its nuclear ambitions, diverging sharply from Washington’s official position. In a social media post, Trump emphasised that “great death and destruction” had already occurred, but hinted there was still time to avoid further bloodshed.
According to intelligence sources, more than 20 high-ranking Iranian military officials were killed, including Major General Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces. These losses have left a deep void in Iran’s strategic and operational command hierarchy, shaking the very foundation of its defence structure.
Regional condemnation grows
Israel’s attack drew widespread condemnation in the region, including from Saudi Arabia, and there were calls from western governments including the UK for de-escalation.
Among the locations hit was the Natanz nuclear facility, one of Iran’s key sites for uranium enrichment. The IAEA confirmed that the enrichment plant had been hit and added later that the Iranian authorities had not detected any increased radiation levels at the site.
Satellite imagery and internal footage leaked to regional media confirm strikes on missile production facilities, military intelligence hubs, and command-and-control centres in at least seven cities. Facilities hit include installations in Natanz, widely believed to house centrifuge development, and Isfahan, a key site in Iran’s uranium conversion programme.
Israel’s Mossad released video footage claiming to show agents operating inside Iran, strikes on a defence system, and an attack targeting a long-range missile. In a televised address, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that Israel had hit the core of Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, including Natanz and key nuclear scientists. He also warned that Israeli citizens might need to stay in shelters for extended periods, hinting at a prolonged conflict ahead.
The global community is now on high alert, as ‘Operation Rising Lion’ not only marks a new chapter in the shadow war between Israel and Iran but also threatens to destabilise the broader Middle East. World powers are urging restraint, fearing that a misstep on either side could ignite a wider regional conflict.
