The Israeli military operation launched against Iran on June 13, striking nuclear facilities, missile sites, and senior leadership targets follows eight months of covert planning by Israeli intelligence and military agencies, Axios reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the goal of the operation is to “eliminate” Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. “This operation will continue as long as necessary, until we complete the mission,” he said.
According to Axios, the opening wave of attacks targeted around 25 nuclear scientists, killing at least two, and included the assassination of Iran’s top military leaders, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the military chief of staff. Residential areas in Tehran were also bombed, causing extensive damage and civilian casualties.
Israeli warplanes carried out large-scale bombing raids across Iran, while Mossad operatives on the ground allegedly conducted sabotage missions at key missile and air defense facilities.
Axios claims the strikes were prompted by a combination of factors: rising concerns over Iran’s growing missile stockpile, intelligence indicating active nuclear weaponization research, and the imminent activation of a new underground enrichment facility that Israeli intelligence deemed invulnerable to conventional airstrikes.
“This was arguably the biggest single blow to the Iranian regime since 1979,” Axios wrote, citing Israeli officials who expect the operation to last days or even weeks.
In the lead-up to the operation, Israeli forces rehearsed the strike under the guise of standard military exercises and amid ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program.
Behind the scenes, the Israeli government claims it received tacit approval from the US, despite public opposition from US President Donald Trump. While Trump repeatedly warned that any Israeli action that could “blow up” the nuclear negotiations, two Israeli officials told Axios that Washington had in fact given Tel Aviv private approval for the attack. “We had a clear US green light,” one said.
Trump, speaking after the strikes, confirmed he had prior knowledge of the attack but claimed the US played no active role. “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal,” Trump claimed. “They chose confrontation.”
Hellbound and Down 