Islamabad, June 13, 2025: In a counter attack, over 100 drones were launched by Iran in the last few hours after Israel hit key nuclear and military targets, including the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters in Tehran
So far, Israel has declared a state of emergency and closed the Ben Gurion Airport. It has placed its air defence systems on high alert.
Earlier today, Israel initiated Operation Rising Lion, an extensive military campaign in which more than 200 Israeli air force fighter jets targeted Iran nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders.
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According to Iranian media, Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian military were killed in the Israeli attack. Furthermore, six Iranian nuclear scientists also died in the Israeli strikes.
Civilian casualties were also reported, including several children killed in a residential area of Tehran. Several injuries were also reported.
READ MORE: Israel Strikes Iran’s Nuclear Sites and Missile Factories
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared through state media that if military strikes destroy the country’s nuclear infrastructure, Iran will swiftly reconstruct it. He emphasized, “It is not the case that if they destroy our facilities with bombs, everything will be lost — these capabilities exist in our minds, and therefore, whatever they do, we will rebuild again.”
This marks the most direct and forceful Israeli action against Iran in decades and has heightened concerns of a wider regional escalation.
