Friday,
June 13, 2025

News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:

Israel Carries Out Preemptive Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities, without U.S. Involvement - Aaron Boxerman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday morning that Israel had attacked Iran's nuclear facilities to ward off an existential threat. "We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program."
    "We have no alternative but to act swiftly. We can't leave these threats for the next generation. If we don't act now, there won't be a next generation."
    Targets included nuclear facilities, air defense batteries, homes and headquarters of senior officials, weapons depots and laboratories. (New York Times)
    See also Video: Netanyahu Announces "Operation Rising Lion" to Dismantle the Iranian Threat to Israel's Survival (Jerusalem Post)

U.S. Warns Iran Against Targeting American Forces
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday: "Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel."  (White House)

Iran Says at least Four Iranian Military Officials and Nuclear Scientists Killed in Tehran
Among the martyrs killed in Israeli airstrikes on Tehran were Maj.-Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Maj.-Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters; Fereydoun Abbasi, nuclear scientist and former nuclear chief of Iran; along with prominent nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. (Tehran Times-Iran)

Trump: White House Was Aware of Israel's Plans to Strike Iran
The White House was informed of Israel's strikes against the Iranian regime ahead of time but was not involved militarily, President Trump told Fox News on Friday. "Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see. There are several people in leadership that will not be coming back."  (JNS)

Israel to UN: Stand with Us or Be Complicit in Your Silence
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said Friday: "The State of Israel launched 'Operation Rising Lion' against Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure, with the aim of eliminating an existential and immediate threat to the citizens of Israel and the entire world. The Iranian regime is blatantly violating international agreements, advancing towards nuclear weapons, and operating a regional terror network. When the world is silent - Israel is acting."
    "I call on the UN Secretary-General and the members of the Security Council: This is a moment to make moral decisions. Stand by Israel - or you will be partners in a dangerous silence. Unlike in the past - today we have a state, we have an army, and we are not waiting for those who want to destroy us to surprise us."  (X)
    See also Israel Responds to UN Secretary-General's Condemnation of Strikes Against Iran's Nuclear Installations
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said Friday: "Mr. Secretary-General, where were you when Iran spent years arming itself while vowing to wipe Israel off the map? Where was your voice when hundreds of missiles and drones rained down on our civilians - launched by the same regime you now ask us to show restraint toward?
    "Your silence in the face of Iran's aggression has been deafening. And now, when Israel takes action to defend itself against a regime openly threatening Israel's elimination - you choose to speak? We will not sit quietly while our people are targeted. Not again. Not ever. Empty words will not stop Iran. Israel will."  (X)

Israel's Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Program: Maps and Photos - Martin Gonzalez Gomez
In its strikes against Iran on Friday morning, Israel attacked military bases around Tehran, including Parchin, and residential homes at two highly secure complexes for military commanders. An Iranian news report shows flames and thick black smoke billowing from the Natanz nuclear-enrichment complex. (New York Times)

News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

Israel Decapitates Iran's Military Leadership
Israeli airstrikes across Iran Thursday night killed dozens of senior Iranian officials, including the Islamic Republic's top military leaders, in a sweeping offensive targeting Iran's strategic command structure, Israeli security sources said Friday. Some of the targets in Israel's opening strike were residential buildings in the neighborhood where Iran's top military commanders reside. The headquarters of the IRGC was also attacked. IDF spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effi Defrin said more than 200 Israeli fighter jets, guided by precision intelligence, struck over 100 targets across Iran. (Ynet News)

All Iranian Drones Launched toward Israel Were Successfully Intercepted - Emanuel Fabian
In response to Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear program, Tehran launched 100 drones toward Israel in its initial response. Israel told its citizens to remain near bomb shelters on Friday morning.
    Three hours later, the IDF lifted its instructions to Israelis without a single siren sounding in the country, after it worked to shoot down all the drones outside Israeli territory. (Times of Israel)
    See also Jordan Intercepted Iranian Drones that Penetrated Its Airspace - Lior Ben Ari
A Jordanian military source reported that aircraft and air defense systems of the Jordanian Air Force intercepted several missiles and drones that penetrated Jordan's airspace. (Ynet News)

Israel Destroys Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility - Yoav Zitun
The Natanz nuclear facility, Iran's prime uranium enrichment site, was destroyed in the IDF's overnight offensive, military officials said Friday. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi informed Israeli President Isaac Herzog that the Natanz facility sustained serious damage. Israeli security sources confirmed that the facility sustained heavy damage. (Ynet News)

Report: Mossad Carried Out Covert Sabotage Operations Against Iranian Air Defenses, Long-Range Missiles
"A senior Israeli official told me that other than airstrikes, the Israeli Mossad, the foreign intelligence agency, conducted several operations inside Iran against Iranian air defenses and against Iranian long-range missiles," Axios reporter Barak Ravid told CNN. (Times of Israel)
    See also Mossad Established Explosive Drone Base in Heart of Iran - Itamar Eichner
An Israeli security source revealed that long before the attack on Iran, a base for explosive drones was established through Mossad agents near Tehran. The drones were activated during the night and launched toward ground-to-ground missile launchers directly threatening Israel at the Espajabad base. (Ynet News)

IRGC Air Force Leaders Eliminated in Airstrike on Underground Command Center - Emanuel Fabian
Most of the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps air force was eliminated in an airstrike on an underground command center, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday. (Times of Israel)

Israel Destroys Strategic Iranian Airport
The Israeli Air Force on Friday struck and destroyed the airport in Tabriz, Iran. Reports from Iran described fresh explosions around the Shahid Fakouri military base and Tabriz International Airport, with additional damage reported along railway lines serving the airport. (Ynet News)

IDF Chief of Staff: We Reached the Point of No Return with the Iranian Threat. We Have No Choice - Emanuel Fabian
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said Friday that the military launched its attack on Iran's nuclear program "because the time had come; we'd reached the point of no return. We cannot wait for another time to act, we have no choice. History, both distant and recent, has taught us that in the face of ambitions to destroy us, we must not bow our heads, and so we fight to preserve our existence. Freedom is granted to those who are willing to fight for it."  (Times of Israel)

IDF: Iran Was Advancing toward First Nuclear Weapon - Yoav Zitun
The IDF revealed Friday that senior Iranian nuclear scientists have been working covertly to develop a complete weapons system. "In recent months, there has been a major acceleration in the program, bringing the regime significantly closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon. In recent years, and more so since the beginning of the war, concrete progress has been identified in the Iranian regime's efforts to produce weapons components adapted for a nuclear bomb."
    "The world has attempted every possible diplomatic path to stop it, but the regime has refused to stop....The State of Israel has been left with no choice. The IDF has the obligation to act in defense of the civilians of Israel." (Ynet News)

Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:

Israel Hit Targets across Iran with Precision and Total Surprise - Dr. Michael Doran
Israel's campaign against Iran is another one for the history books. As in the opening of the Six-Day War - when Israel crippled three Arab air forces in a matter of hours - Israel has struck first, deep, and hard. It hit targets across Iran, a huge country, with precision and total surprise. The scale and reach of the operation are staggering. This was more than a military action. It was a demonstration of intelligence dominance and operational mastery - and total justice.
    The writer, director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, is a former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Diplomacy.  (X)

Why Israel Struck Iran - Zvika Klein
Israel's strike on Iran was triggered by a dramatic shift in Tehran's nuclear program and the growing sense among Israel's defense establishment that time had simply run out. Iran had crossed a critical threshold. Intelligence assessments showed the regime had enriched enough uranium to produce 15 nuclear warheads and was actively conducting tests. The pace, the scope, and the intent had changed.
    This shift came alongside increasing signs that Iran was transferring advanced weaponry and strategic guidance to its proxies, particularly Hamas and Hizbullah. Recent discoveries in Gaza included components and materials that pointed directly to Iranian support, including coordination for multi-front attacks. Tehran wasn't just building a bomb; it was building a plan.
    According to senior military sources, the operation was greenlit when three elements converged: the nuclear program's rapid acceleration, tangible evidence of Iran's regional war doctrine taking shape, and the narrowing window for effective action. This was the final moment to act before Israel's intelligence and operational edge would begin to erode. The choice was between preemption and regret. (Jerusalem Post)

Israel Had a Window of Opportunity to Attack Iran and It Was Right to Use It - Yaakov Katz
Israel's strike on Iran's nuclear facilities took advantage of a unique window of opportunity. For years, when the issue of attacking Iran would come up, one of the main arguments against it was the retaliation Israel would face from Hizbullah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and Iranian forces in Syria. These concerns are no longer relevant.
    The second factor was operational capability - whether Israel could actually pull off such a strike. In April and October last year, Israeli Air Force jets flew 2,000 km. to strike Iranian targets, including Iran's Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile systems. These systems had been considered the primary deterrent to an Israeli airstrike, and their destruction made Iran's airspace wide open.
    The third factor was the change in Washington. We now know that President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu were coordinated and that comments coming out of Washington that a deal might still be possible were part of a planned ruse to put the Iranians to sleep.
    The writer, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, is a former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post. (Jerusalem Post)

Khamenei Fears a Collapse of the Islamic Revolution - Oded Ailam
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has ruled Iran with an iron grip since 1989. He sees himself as the last guardian of the 1979 revolution. His deepest fear? To be remembered as "the last Ayatollah" - the one under whose watch the Islamic revolution collapsed.
    Though Khamenei often speaks of the "Great Satan" - the United States - his true fear lies within. He remembers well the mass protests of 2009 following elections, and the uprisings of 2019 and 2022. His response was brutal. Hundreds were killed, thousands were arrested.
    Khamenei understands the West repeatedly backs down from its demands. He remembers well that in past negotiations, the U.S. gave in multiple times - proof that the West lacks stamina for prolonged confrontation. He believes the U.S. will likely avoid direct confrontation, and closely watches for any American movement.
    If the West wants to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, it must target not just a nuclear agreement, but regime change. This cannot be achieved through military force alone, but through a combination of military strength, economic suffocation, and support for internal unrest.
    The writer, former head of the Counterterrorism Division in the Mossad, is a researcher at the Jerusalem Center.  (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)

Observations:

Israel's overnight strike in Iran was a necessity. A regime that repeatedly declares its strategic goal to be the "total annihilation of Israel" cannot be allowed to possess the nuclear capability with which to achieve that goal. A regime that has twice launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel has no right to expect immunity.

A regime that for years fueled deadly terrorism across the Middle East and beyond, that bankrolled the Oct. 7 massacre and Hizbullah's missile attacks against Israeli civilians, declared war on us long ago. What Iran is facing now are the consequences of that war.

Israel did not seek this war, but we are determined to win. Victory means an Iran without a nuclear capability, an Iran deterred from further escalation, an Iran that understands it cannot spread terrorism in the region without paying a price.

This war is not against the people of Iran. This war is against the fanatical Iranian leadership that is the enemy of freedom-loving people everywhere.

The Iranian leadership is misreading Israel. We are a thriving democracy. There is no hiding the disagreements in our country and the passionate debates in our politics. Iran's leaders assume that democracy is the source of our weakness. The opposite is true; it is the source of our strength.

Israel has always stood united in the face of existential threats. I stand fully behind the goals of this operation and behind our security services. The opposition will offer assistance in any way that it can to ensure the success of the mission.

When it comes to the security of the people of Israel in the face of our enemies, we are one people, with one mission. Our children will not live in fear of an Iranian nuclear bomb.

The writer, a former prime minister of Israel, is currently the leader of the opposition in the Knesset.

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