Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a coordinated military strike targeting Iran’s core nuclear facilities, ballistic missile sites, and senior military leaders. The pre-emptive attack aims to halt Iran’s rapid nuclear weapons development despite U.S. warnings against jeopardizing ongoing nuclear negotiations.
Israel launched a coordinated and sweeping military offensive against Iran, directly targeting what officials describe as the “heart” of the country’s nuclear ambitions. The operation, codenamed Rising Lion, focused on critical nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile production sites, and key military leaders.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Operation Rising Lion was carried out as a pre-emptive measure to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“We acted to stop Iran from producing a nuclear weapon in a very short time,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated.
The decision to launch the strike came despite strong objections from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had warned that Israeli intervention could derail American-led nuclear deal negotiations with Tehran. The U.S. has long accused Iran of rapidly advancing its nuclear program.
At the center of Iran’s military establishment stands the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — the elite force formed in 1979 to defend the Islamic regime. Today, it is widely considered the most powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces.
The IRGC, which answers directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, commands an estimated 125,000-strong force, although some analysts believe the actual number could be significantly higher. It comprises army, navy, and air units, and holds authority over Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Several senior IRGC leaders were reportedly killed during Israel’s recent strikes.
Read More: Why Did Israel Attack Iran?
The Guard also oversees the Basij — a religious paramilitary force that is often deployed to suppress internal dissent. Volunteer numbers within the Basij are estimated to be in the millions.
Internationally, the IRGC’s Quds Force functions as its foreign espionage and paramilitary wing, exerting influence over Iran’s allies across the Middle East. The IRGC, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, has long sought to reshape the region in Iran’s favor.
Notably, it founded Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1982, aiming to export the Islamic Revolution and combat Israeli forces during their occupation of southern Lebanon.
The IRGC boasts a broad spectrum of capabilities across ground, air, and naval warfare. Its missile arsenal is the largest in the Middle East, according to the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Iran has deployed missiles in real-world operations, including attacks on militants in Syria and northern Iraq. One of the most consequential uses was in 2019, when Iran was blamed for a missile and drone attack that crippled the world’s largest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia — a charge Tehran has denied.
In addition to its advanced conventional weapons and intelligence units, the IRGC’s arsenal includes a significant range of cruise and ballistic missiles.
Reports from Iranian state-affiliated outlet ISNA in April 2023 revealed a variety of Iranian missiles capable of striking Israel:
• Sejil: Flies at over 10,500 mph with a range of 1,550 miles
• Kheibar: Range of 1,240 miles
• Haj Qasem: Range of 870 miles
Iran maintains that its missiles are essential for deterrence and defense, particularly against the U.S., Israel, and regional adversaries. Tehran continues to deny any intention to pursue nuclear weapons.
In a display of growing drone capabilities, Iran claimed to have developed the Mohajer-10 — an advanced drone with an operational range of 1,240 miles, capable of flying for 24 hours and carrying a 300kg (660lbs) payload.
Further raising concerns, Iran unveiled what it called its first domestically produced hypersonic ballistic missile in the summer of 2023. Hypersonic missiles, which can travel at least five times the speed of sound and follow unpredictable trajectories, are especially difficult to intercept.
According to the Arms Control Association, Iran’s missile technology heavily draws on North Korean and Russian designs, with additional support from China.
Among the known arsenal:
• Shahab-1: Estimated range of 190 miles
• Kh-55: Air-launched, nuclear-capable cruise missile with a range of 1,860 miles
• Khalid Farzh: Anti-ship missile with an 186-mile range and a 1.1-tonne warhead capacity
Iran’s influence is not limited to its military. The country has cultivated an extensive network of regional armed groups known collectively as the “Axis of Resistance” — which includes Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and numerous militias in Iraq and Syria.
This coalition has engaged in attacks against Israeli and U.S. interests, as well as commercial vessels in the Red Sea — particularly in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, escalation.
Hezbollah, a formidable Lebanese force established by the IRGC, has grown into a powerful political and military entity, often seen as more influential than the Lebanese government itself.
The Houthi movement in Yemen, which took over much of the country in a war that began in 2014, has strong ties to Tehran. In October 2023, the Houthis declared they were entering the Gaza conflict by launching missile and drone attacks toward Israel and targeting Red Sea shipping routes.
The U.S. has accused the IRGC of actively planning and supporting Houthi attacks, a claim both Iran and the Houthis deny. The Houthis insist they are not Iranian proxies.
Concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions have resurfaced with urgency. The UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors recently found Iran in non-compliance with its nuclear obligations for the first time in two decades. Tehran’s announcement of plans to open a new uranium enrichment facility in a secure location has only added to global anxiety.
In June 2023, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signaled that while a deal with Western nations was still possible, Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would remain intact — a clear message of defiance.
“Western nations cannot prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons,” he declared at the time, while maintaining the official line that Iran has no intention of developing a nuclear bomb.
