Israel Launches “Operation Rising Lion,” Decapitates Iran’s Military and Nuclear Leadership in Preemptive Strike

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – In a sweeping and unprecedented military operation, Israel launched a decisive preemptive strike deep inside Iran early Friday morning, targeting Tehran’s nuclear program and eliminating the Islamic Republic’s top military brass in a dramatic escalation dubbed “Operation Rising Lion.”

The overnight aerial assault involved over 100 Israeli aircraft and spanned more than 1,500 kilometers, striking critical military and nuclear sites across Iran, including facilities in Tehran and the Natanz enrichment complex. According to Israeli military officials, the coordinated attacks aimed to eliminate what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a “clear and present danger” to Israel’s survival.

Iranian Military Leadership Decapitated

Among the most significant outcomes of the operation was the confirmed killing of IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, IRGC Aerospace Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and Deputy Chief Gholam Ali Rashid. These men represented the uppermost tier of Iran’s military hierarchy, responsible for directing the regime’s military operations and nuclear ambitions.

Also reportedly killed or critically wounded were Ali Shamkhani, top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Ahmad Vahidi, newly named head of the IRGC and a figure wanted internationally for his role in the 1994 AMIA bombing in Argentina.

According to Iranian state media and the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency, the casualties represent a blow of historic proportions to Iran’s defense infrastructure.

Nuclear Scientists Eliminated

The Israeli Air Force also struck key nuclear research centers, killing at least eleven top Iranian nuclear scientists, including Dr. Fereydoun Abbasi and Dr. Abdulhamid Minouchehr, both instrumental in Iran’s alleged weaponization efforts.

Israeli sources said the attacks were designed to cripple Iran’s nuclear capabilities and eliminate those overseeing the country’s uranium enrichment and bomb development programs. Reports confirm that the Natanz enrichment facility was destroyed.

Retaliation Attempts Thwarted

In response, Iran launched approximately 100 UAVs toward Israel. However, all were intercepted before entering Israeli airspace, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF later confirmed the destruction of numerous ballistic missiles aimed at Israel and reassured citizens that, while risks remain, the immediate threat had passed.

Public gatherings remain banned, but Home Front Command has lifted the shelter-in-place directive.

Netanyahu: “Israel Will Not Be the Victim of a Nuclear Holocaust”
Speaking from the Prime Minister’s Office and at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a somber yet resolute address, justifying the operation as essential for national survival:

“Iran could produce a nuclear weapon within months. This is not hypothetical. This is a clear and present danger… The Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear Holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime.”

Citing Numbers 23:24, Netanyahu wrote in a note at the Western Wall ahead of the strike, “Look, a nation like a lioness will rise up, and like a lion he raises himself,” a prophetic hint at the operation’s codename and intent.

Netanyahu stressed that Israel’s war is with the regime–not the Iranian people–and offered words of hope: “I believe the day of your liberation is near.”

Mossad Operations and Global Diplomacy

Alongside the airstrikes, Israeli intelligence agency Mossad reportedly carried out covert sabotage of Iranian missile and air defense systems, further weakening Tehran’s ability to respond.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is currently in high-level diplomatic talks with international allies to affirm Israel’s right to self-defense and preemptive action against existential threats.

Trump’s Deadline Expires

Operation Rising Lion came just one day after the expiration of President Donald Trump’s 60-day ultimatum for Iran to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. “Israel attacked on day 61,” one Israeli official noted bluntly.

Trump, who has yet to issue a formal statement, is expected to back the Israeli operation amid a growing chorus of Republican support for decisive action against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

What Comes Next?

The Iranian regime vowed “bitter and painful” retaliation, with Supreme Leader Khamenei promising vengeance. Analysts warn of a prolonged and dangerous escalation, potentially involving Iranian proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis across multiple fronts.

Israeli defense officials say the operation is ongoing and more waves may follow depending on Iran’s response.

“We will continue for as many days as it takes,” Netanyahu said, “to ensure that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.”

Developing… Stay with Worthy News for continued updates on this historic conflict.

Latest Worthy News