Israel v. Iran

From the «lightemup» department:
Title: What to know about Israel’s major attack on Iran
Author: Associated Press
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2025 04:40:28 +0000
Link: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/06/12/israel-attack-on-iran-explained/
Podcast Download URL: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Iran_Mideast_Wars_16966_a35499.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all

By ISABEL DEBRE and JULIA FRANKEL, Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel launched a major attack on Iran[1] Friday, drawing
their long-running shadow war into open conflict in a way that could spiral
into a wider, more dangerous regional war.

The strikes set off explosions in the capital of Tehran as Israel said it was
targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Among those killed were
three of Iran’s top military leaders, one who oversaw the entire armed forces,
Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard[2],
Gen. Hossein Salami, and another who ran the Guard’s ballistic missile program,
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Two top nuclear scientists also had been killed.
Israel said it killed additional Revolutionary Guard members.

Israel said Iran retaliated by sending over 100 drones toward Israel, most of
which were intercepted. As of Friday afternoon, the military said strikes in
Iran were ongoing.

Israel’s attack comes as tensions have escalated over Iran’s rapidly advancing
nuclear program,[3] which Israel sees as a threat to its existence.

The Trump administration revived efforts to negotiate limits[4] on Iran’s
uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But the
indirect talks between American and Iranian diplomats have hit a stalemate.

The attack pushed the region into a new and uncertain phase. Here’s what to
know about the strikes:

Israel hit nuclear sites, killed Revolutionary Guard chief

Israeli leaders said the attack was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a
nuclear bomb as the country enriches uranium a short, technical step away from
weapons-grade levels. Iran long has said its program is peaceful and U.S.
intelligence agencies have assessed Iran was not actively building a weapon.

In a video announcing the military operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said the strikes hit Iran’s main enrichment site,[5] the Natanz
atomic facility, and targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists. He said that
Israel had also targeted Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.

An Israeli military official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity in
line with regulations, said that Israel was continuing to strike Iran but
declined to say in which locations.

Iranian state television and the semi-official Fars news agency both carried
news of Israel striking Iran’s nuclear enrichment site in Natanz. State TV also
reported attacks in Shiraz and Tabriz.

Iran retaliates with drones, but Israel says it deflected threat

In retaliation, Iran launched over 100 drones toward Israel.

Israel’s military said its air defenses had shot down most of the drones and
told civilians they could leave shelters for the time being. But the military
said the threat was not yet over and urged caution. It closed Israeli airspace
and said it was calling up tens of thousands of soldiers to protect the
country’s borders.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says his nation would “strongly take action”
against Israel after its attacks on the country.

From Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with
the U.S. on its nuclear program, warning that Israel’s attacks “will only get
worse.” He previously said that the U.S. had not been involved in the attack.

Israel’s air force and spy agency carried out the operation

An Israeli military official said around 200 aircraft took off at the same time
to conduct operations over 1,200 miles away in Iran, targeting air defense
systems, ballistic missile manufacturing sites and missiles ready to be
launched toward Israel. The official said dozens of radar installations and
surface-to-air missiles were destroyed.

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Also involved in the operation was Israel’s spy agency, the Mossad. Israeli
security officials said the Mossad smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of Friday’s
strikes that were used to target its defenses from within.

Two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss the
highly secretive missions. It was not possible to independently confirm their
claims.

The officials said a base for launching explosive drones was established inside
Iran and that the drones were activated during Friday’s attack to target
missile launchers at an Iranian base near Tehran.

They said Israel had also smuggled precision weapons into central Iran and
positioned them near surface-to-air missile systems. They said it also deployed
strike systems on vehicles. Both were activated as the attacks began in order
to target Iran’s defenses, the officials said. There was no official comment.

Unclear how close Iran is to building a bomb

Netanyahu claimed Friday that if Iran wasn’t stopped, “it could produce a
nuclear weapon within a very short time.” But it likely would take Iran months
to build a weapon, should it choose to do so. It also hasn’t proved its ability
to miniaturize a bomb to be placed atop missiles.

Iranian officials have openly threatened to pursue the bomb. Tensions over
Iran’s rapid nuclear advances and growing reserves of highly enriched uranium
are surging seven years after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the
U.S. from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

For the first time in two decades, the atomic watchdog agency on Thursday
censured Iran for failing to comply with nuclear nonproliferation obligations
meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

In response, Iran said that it would open a previously undisclosed enrichment
site and accelerate production of 60% highly enriched uranium, which could be
easily processed to the 90% level used in nuclear weapons.

Iran’s nuclear sites have long been a flash point

Iran has two main enrichment sites, Natanz, in central Isfahan province, and
Fordo, near the Shiite holy city of Qom, some 90 kilometers (55 miles)
southwest of Tehran.

Both are designed to be protected from potential airstrikes. Natanz is built
underground on Iran’s Central Plateau, and has been targeted several times in
suspected Israeli sabotage attacks. They included the Stuxnet virus, believed
to be an Israeli and American creation, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges.

Fordo is buried deep inside a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft
batteries. It also hosts centrifuge cascades, but isn’t as big a facility as
Natanz.

Both sites have been the focus of the Trump administration’s recent push to
negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran. Trump said that he warned Netanyahu
against launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities while diplomatic
efforts were underway.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to meet his Iranian counterparts
in Oman for a sixth round of negotiations to start Sunday. It wasn’t clear if
those talks would take place, or if the negotiations would ever resume
following the strikes.

Links:
[1]: https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299 (link)
[2]: https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-funeral-revolutionary-guard-e07df55596d48413fb87bf43711c9441 (link)
[3]: https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-iaea-sanctions-728b811da537abe942682e13a82ff8bd (link)
[4]: https://apnews.com/article/iran-united-states-nuclear-negotiations-talks-82d23c70e0890808c64794487651f532 (link)
[5]: https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-sites-explained-israel-attack-4535b4ecb4aefb2f3de9e3ad62fe363f (link)
[6]: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/06/13/air-india-crash-survivor-speaks/ (link)
[7]: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/06/12/israeli-strikes-iran-deaths/ (link)
[8]: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/06/12/trump-israel-iran/ (link)
[9]: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/06/12/mideast-wars-israel-iran-attack/ (link)
[10]: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/06/12/north-korea-destroyer-repaired/ (link)