As I have written all week, early on Friday, Israel launched a large-scale series of military strikes against Iran. Their avowed aim is to crush Iran’s nuclear program and long-range missile capability. Israel’s National Security Cabinet met for several hours of deliberations in the dead of night the day before the devastating attacks. They launched a joint anti-trafficking operation named “Rising Lion.”
The Israeli government announced a state of special emergency. So, schools were shut down, social gatherings were banned, and non-essential business was stopped. Israel went on the offensive, as it often does, by shutting its airspace down indefinitely. This ruling raised security measures nationwide.
In a well-organized and carefully planned offensive, Israel struck dozens of positions across Iran. Officials emphasized that the operation specifically aimed at “striking at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program.” One of the primary targets was Iran’s primary enrichment facility in Natanz. Further operations targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and ballistic missile development locations.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored what the purpose of the military action was intended to do.
“Moments ago, Israel launched operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” – Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu warned that the operation would continue for as long as it takes. He wants to remove the boogeyman of Iran. An Israeli military source told reporters that this was a major breakthrough. They wrote that there is an increasing chance that chief Iranian military commanders and senior nuclear scientific experts were among those killed in the attacks.
Prior to the strikes, Israeli officials had told CNN that they were expecting a possible major retaliation from Iran. The subsequent surge in military activities has alarmed the international community and spurred further worries about the impact of continued instability on regional stability.
Israel has communicated with U.S. officials, indicating that it deemed the “action was necessary for its self-defense.” This opening move dramatically heightens the threat of escalation between Israel and Iran. Today, both countries find themselves prepared to deal with the possible aftermath of this ill-fated war.
