Israel’s air raids on Iran, reportedly involving over 200 jets and targetting over 100 sites, have resulted in the deaths of senior Iranian military figures and nuclear scientists. Key nuclear sites, including Natanz and Fordow, were struck, while a military offensive targetted missile facilities and air defense systems. Iranian military leaders Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri and Gen Hossein Salami were killed, and several scientists linked to Iran's nuclear program also died.
In a series of high-intensity air raids, Israel has struck more than 100 targets in Iran, involving over 200 Israeli jets in at least five waves of attacks, according to a report published by The Guardian on Saturday.
The airstrikes, which began in the early hours of Friday, targetted critical infrastructure, including the Natanz nuclear site and ballistic missile facilities, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between the two countries.
The strikes, which were reportedly aimed at disrupting Iran’s nuclear ambitions, also led to the deaths of several prominent Iranian officials and nuclear scientists, including high-ranking military leaders and top figures in Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli offensive has not been limited to military sites alone, with Iranian authorities accusing Israel of targetting civilian areas as well.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Israel targetted Iran’s Natanz nuclear site, one of the most critical locations in the country’s nuclear enrichment program. Located about 135 miles southeast of Tehran, Natanz has been a focal point for Israeli operations due to its significance in producing enriched uranium. This site, which has been reinforced with heavy concrete walls and is partially underground, was struck in a series of explosions captured in video footage posted online.
Although the underground centrifuge facilities at Natanz are heavily protected, the strikes seemingly caused significant damage to the electrical substation that powers the site, as well as to the above-ground fuel enrichment plant, The Guardian reported. Notably, the plant’s centrifuges, which number in the thousands, appear to have sustained no damage, the report said.
In addition to Natanz, there are reports that Israel also targetted the Fordow nuclear facility, which is buried deep within a mountain. Though the damage here was limited, Israel’s inability to penetrate the mountain’s surface has raised questions about the long-term effectiveness of such attacks on deeply buried sites.
The Israeli offensive extended beyond nuclear sites, reportedly hitting missile development and air defense infrastructure across Iran. One significant target was the Bid Kaneh area, home to multiple missile development and production sites. There were also strikes in Tehran, Shiraz, Tabriz and reportedly Isfahan and Kermanshah.
Iran confirmed that numerous senior military officers and nuclear scientists were killed in the strikes, many of them in targetted assassinations that appear to have gone beyond the immediate goal of stopping Iran’s nuclear program. Among the most significant casualties were Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, and Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the strikes as a necessary step to weaken Iran’s theocratic regime, telling the Iranian people that Israel’s fight was with the “brutal dictatorship that has oppressed you for 46 years,” rather than with the people of Iran.
Gen Hossein Salami
Salami was one of the most influential figures in Iran’s military hierarchy, having risen through the ranks of the IRGC since its inception in 1980. He became the commander of the IRGC in 2009 and led Iran’s military strategy in the region. Salami was sanctioned by both the UN and the US due to his involvement in Iran’s nuclear and military programs. Known for his fiery rhetoric, Salami famously warned Iran’s foes in January that they would face dire consequences if they “make the slightest mistake.”
Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri
Bagheri, who was in his early 60s, had a background in military intelligence and became the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces in 2016. He was considered the second most powerful figure in Iran’s military establishment, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Some reports suggested that Bagheri had been one of the students who seized the US embassy in Tehran during the 1979 revolution. His death marks a significant blow to Iran’s leadership.
Israel’s strikes also targetted several Iranian nuclear scientists, further indicating its intent to dismantle the brain trust behind Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least six scientists, including:
Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi: A theoretical physicist and president of the Islamic Azad University of Iran.
Fereydoun Abbasi: A former head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran.
Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feqhi, Motalleblizadeh: Other key nuclear scientists linked to the country’s atomic program.
David Albright, a nuclear weapons expert, told the publication that Israel’s strategy was focussed on targetting both the scientists behind the program and the equipment they used. He suggested that the strikes may have caused “tremendous damage” to Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel’s extensive air raids on Iran come amid mounting fears in the West that Iran could be on the brink of developing nuclear weapons, further heightening tensions in the Middle East.
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