The attack occurred just days before planned nuclear negotiations in Oman on Sunday, which were to address international concerns over the country’s nuclear capabilities and overall ambitions.
44 years ago this month, Israel launched Operation Opera, a daring and successful raid on a heavily defended Iraqi nuclear facility. Meticulous preparation was made, including selecting the best pilots and flying extensive rehearsals against a full-scale mockup of the facility inside Israel.
At that time, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) had only recently acquired the American-built F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, but each was deemed to be more than suitable to carry out such a long-range mission. Six Eagles provided cover for eight Fighting Falcons, each armed with two 1,000-kg (2,205-lb) bombs. During the mission, the aircraft flew only a few feet over the ground across unpopulated stretches of Jordan and Saudi Arabia to avoid radar detection. Less than 90 minutes after takeoff, the fighters reached their target, Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. All 16 bombs struck the facility, destroying it completely and setting back Saddam Hussein’s nuclear aspirations by a decade.
This was not the last time that IAF would carry out a daring mission to disable a regional rival’s nuclear program. In 2007, a similar mission saw the destruction of Syria’s unfinished nuclear reactor. And early on Friday morning, Israel carried out a massive attack against Iran, striking its Natanz nuclear facility, destroying missile sites, and assassinating dozens of high-profile military officers.
“Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation aimed at dismantling the Iranian threat to Israel’s survival,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced shortly after the strikes took place. “This operation will continue for as long as necessary to eliminate this danger.”
What to Know About Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion”
Unlike the 1981 strike against Iraq’s nuclear facility, which was carried out with just over a dozen aircraft, the strike on Friday involved 200 aircraft that struck upwards of 100 targets throughout Iran. Loitering munitions, or kamikaze drones, were also positioned within the Islamic Republic in advance of the air strikes and used to target missile launchers near Tehran.
Dozens of sites were struck across the country beginning at 3:30 am local time—most prominently including Natanz, the country’s main nuclear enrichment facility. Explosions were also reported in the northern city of Tabriz, as well as in Kermanshah and Boroujerd near the border with Iraq. According to the Associated Press, Israel’s strike “appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq.”
The strikes also killed scores of Iranian military leaders, along with other officials and nuclear scientists involved with Tehran’s nuclear weapons program. Among those confirmed dead are General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran; General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Gholamali Rashid, the deputy chief of the General Staff; Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a physicist and president of Islamic Azad University; prominent nuclear scientist Dr. Fereydoun Abbasi; and Ali Shamkhani, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran and the lead negotiator in Tehran’s ongoing nuclear talks with the United States.
The attack occurred just days before planned nuclear negotiations in Oman on Sunday, which were to address international concerns over the country’s nuclear capabilities and overall ambitions.
The Islamic Republic responded to the attack by launching a drone swarm at Israel. Approximately 100 unmanned drones were launched at Tel Aviv. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that it was intercepting the drones and had prepared for such a reprisal.
President Donald Trump also responded to the attack, writing on his Truth Social platform that he had hoped a nuclear deal could have been reached, but that “they just couldn’t get it done.”
“There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,” Trump wrote. “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left.”
This is a developing story.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Rokas Tenys.
