The Israeli military today announced a "preemptive" military operation, dubbed "Rising Lion," which targeted high-ranking Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists within Iran. The strike comes amid escalating regional tensions.
According to Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for Arab media, a series of airstrikes successfully eliminated several prominent Iranian figures. Those reported killed include Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces; Major General Hossein Salami, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); and Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

The IDF further stated that the extensive aerial assault, which struck military and security sites across Iran, also resulted in the deaths of additional senior IRGC commanders. A formal Israeli military statement confirmed the elimination of the Commander of the IRGC Air Force's Drone Command and the Commander of the IRGC Air Force's Air Defense Command. The IDF emphasized the precision of the operation, carried out through a series of concentrated airstrikes.
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force and a key figure in Iran's drone and ballistic missile programs, was also reported among the deceased.

Meanwhile, Iranian media outlets reported that the Israeli assault, involving over 200 Israeli fighter jets, resulted in the deaths of six nuclear scientists. Tasnim News Agency, a semi-official Iranian news outlet, identified some of the deceased scientists as Fereydoun Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, a physicist and former president of Islamic Azad University.
In response to these strikes, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed "harsh repercussions" for Israel. "Israel will receive severe punishment following the attack it launched, which resulted in the killing of a number of military commanders and scientists," Khamenei stated. He added, "The wicked and bloodthirsty Zionist entity extended its hand in a crime against Iran this morning, revealing its contemptible nature. With this attack, the Zionist entity has written a bitter destiny for itself, and it will surely meet it." Khamenei confirmed the deaths of several Iranian commanders and scientists in the Israeli attack.

Key Iranian Figures Reported Killed:
 * Hossein Salami: Born in 1960, Salami was a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War and rose through the ranks of the IRGC, becoming its Commander-in-Chief in 2019.
 * Mohammad Bagheri: Born in 1958, Bagheri, also known as Mohammad Hossein Afshordi, held a Ph.D. in geopolitical geography and had served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces since 2016.
 * Gholam Ali Rashid: A distinguished field commander born in 1953, Rashid held a Ph.D. in geopolitical geography and commanded the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters since 2016.
 * Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani: A nuclear scientist born in 1958, Abbasi held a Ph.D. in nuclear physics and was involved in the uranium enrichment program. He previously headed the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and survived an assassination attempt in 2010.
 * Mehdi Tehranchi: A nuclear physicist born in 1965, Tehranchi contributed to nanophysics and superconducting materials research. He was the president of Islamic Azad University and was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2020.
 * Amir Ali Hajizadeh: Born in 1962, Hajizadeh commanded the IRGC Aerospace Force since 2009 and was a prominent figure in Iran's missile and drone development.
 * Davood Sheikhan: Commander of Air Defense in the Aerospace Force, known for his role in developing Iran's air defense systems.
 * Abdul Hamid Minouchehr: A faculty member at Shahid Beheshti University and editor-in-chief of the "Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Technology and Energy."
 * Ahmad Reza Zulfiqari: A university professor at Shahid Beheshti University and managing editor of a scientific journal focused on nuclear technology.
 * Amir Hossein Faghihi: Head of the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology Research and an academic at Shahid Beheshti University.
 * Motalebizadeh: An Iranian nuclear scientist reported killed in the Israeli attack.