Israel strikes Iran's nuclear sites, top brass killed: Is West Asia headed for an all-out war?

Israel has launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, targeting its nuclear infrastructure, key missile production sites and top military commanders.

The offensive, declared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Operation Rising Lion, marks one of the most significant direct confrontations between the two countries in decades.

The strikes, described by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a preemptive move to neutralise what it claims is an existential threat, have led to high-profile casualties, mass mobilisation of Israeli troops, airspace closures across several countries and renewed uncertainty over ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Iran’s nuclear programme.

Why Israel says it attacked Iran

Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said the operation involved 200 fighter jets conducting simultaneous strikes on over 100 targets across Iran.

Among the key locations struck was the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, Iran’s main nuclear site. The offensive, which Defrin said aimed to degrade Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear bomb, also targeted ballistic missile factories and senior military leadership.

More from Explainers

Israel attacks Iran; targets nuclear sites, military commanders: What we know so far As Netanyahu dares Khamenei, here's timeline of Israel-Iran conflict

“This is a critical operation to prevent an existential threat, by an enemy who is intent on destroying us,” said Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who announced that tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers had been deployed across all borders.

Netanyahu, in a video address, declared, “We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history,” adding that the campaign would “continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”

The Israeli leadership claims that Iran is nearing a point where it could rapidly produce nuclear weapons, citing intelligence assessments that Tehran possesses enough enriched material for multiple bombs.

Editor’s Picks

1

Is the US quietly stepping back from the F-35 it wants India to buy? 2

Donald Trump has embraced the deep state — and it’ll backfire on America

A senior Israeli official told Axios that alongside airstrikes, Mossad conducted covert sabotage operations inside Iran to disable strategic missile systems and air defences.

What damage did Israeli strikes do in Iran

Iran confirmed that multiple senior military officials were killed in the strikes. These include Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and the head of Iran’s Emergency Command.

Iranian state media also reported the deaths of two nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, in Tehran.

Additionally, reports stated that the IRGC’s headquarters in Tehran was hit, and several civilians, including children, were killed in a strike on a residential area of the capital.

In response, Iran launched over 100 drones targeting Israeli territory. The IDF said it was intercepting these threats in real-time, as the country entered a state of emergency in anticipation of additional retaliatory strikes.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, condemned the Israeli actions in a statement, saying Israel had “unleashed its wicked and bloody” hand and would receive “a bitter fate for itself.”

Iranian armed forces’ spokesperson warned that Israel and the United States would pay a “heavy price” for the attacks, accusing Washington of providing operational support.

However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “The United States was not involved in the strikes and Tel Aviv had acted unilaterally for self-defence.” He also warned, “Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”

What this means for nuclear talks

The timing of the Israeli strikes is particularly significant. They occurred just days before a planned sixth round of US-Iran talks in Oman concerning Tehran’s nuclear enrichment activities.

While the talks were still scheduled to proceed, it remains unclear how the attack may affect the willingness of both sides to negotiate in good faith.

The US administration, led by Donald Trump, has maintained that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon and has expressed hopes to resume negotiations. “We will see,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News, reiterating the US interest in diplomatic engagement.

However, Trump has also convened a National Security Council meeting to assess the situation and discuss contingency plans, including potential evacuation of American civilians from the region, according to a US official.

Iran’s government, responding to the attack, said the Israeli action justified its continued commitment to nuclear enrichment and military deterrence. It called the airstrikes “cowardly” and accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilian centres.

Despite this, Iran’s National Oil Refining and Distribution Company confirmed that refining and storage facilities were undamaged and fully operational.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, through his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, urged de-escalation.

“The Secretary-General asks both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford,” Haq said.

Will this mean an all-out war in the region?

The immediate aftermath of the strikes has seen a wave of disruptions across the region. Airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan was cleared as international airlines rerouted or cancelled flights to avoid conflict zones.

Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport has been shut down until further notice. Iran also closed its airspace to civilian traffic.

The global economy has also begun to feel the strain. Markets in Asia registered sharp declines, oil prices surged and investors shifted towards traditional safe-haven assets such as gold and the Swiss franc.

As of now, Israel’s political and military leadership continues to prepare for further escalation. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has been in contact with international counterparts to clarify the rationale behind Israel’s actions and to manage diplomatic fallout.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials maintain that the threat posed by Iran had reached an intolerable level. Netanyahu asserted that Iran’s advances in missile technology and its uranium enrichment efforts meant that delaying action would jeopardise Israel’s future.

“We can’t leave these threats for the next generation,” he said.

Eyal Zamir echoed this sentiment, stating that the operation was “an imperative to remove the strategic threat and ensure our future.”

While Israel has not indicated whether it intends to continue with further strikes, the initial phase of Operation Rising Lion has already inflicted significant damage.

Despite Netanyahu’s remarks about the Iranian people’s “imminent liberation from tyranny,” Israeli defence sources have made it clear that the aim is not regime change, but the disruption of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran’s uranium stockpile is expanding rapidly.

Israeli officials believe the public estimate of Iran having enough uranium for nine bombs could be conservative, and suggest the enrichment may be further along than reported.

With inputs from agencies