JERUSALEM/TEHRAN (BN24) — Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed several of Iran’s top military leaders and at least six nuclear scientists, prompting a rapid retaliation by Tehran in the form of a massive drone barrage targeting Israeli territory, according to officials and state media reports from both countries.
The unprecedented escalation followed a series of covert operations inside Iran led by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, which helped lay the groundwork for what Israeli officials are calling Operation Rising Lion. An Israeli security source confirmed that Mossad operatives carried out sabotage missions targeting Iranian air defenses, deployed precision-guided explosives near surface-to-air missile systems, and even established a covert drone-launching base near Tehran ahead of the main assault.
Drones Fill Skies Over Iraq as Iran Responds
Two senior Iraqi security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that more than 100 drones originating from Iran had crossed Iraqi airspace en route to Israel. The officials said that radar systems tracked the drones across the country, while residents of Iraq’s Diyala province near the Iranian border reported hearing explosions and the roar of aircraft before dawn.
Shortly after, civilians in Diyala said they witnessed waves of drones launched from Iranian territory streaking across the sky toward Israel. The Iranian attack marks Tehran’s first large-scale retaliation since Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and crippled nuclear research sites across multiple Iranian cities.
Iran Confirms Deaths of Nuclear Scientists
Iranian state media reported that at least six nuclear scientists were killed in Friday’s Israeli strikes, which targeted critical infrastructure involved in the country’s uranium enrichment and ballistic missile development programs. It remains unclear how many additional casualties occurred, though Iranian officials have acknowledged the loss of senior military figures.
This follows an earlier report that the Revolutionary Guard’s headquarters in Tehran had been engulfed in flames following a direct hit, with speculation continuing over the fate of Gen. Hossein Salami, the Guard’s top commander.
IDF: Over 100 Iranian Drones Launched
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Iran had launched more than 100 drones in retaliation, marking one of the largest direct attacks on Israeli territory by the Islamic Republic to date.
IDF Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel’s air defense systems were fully activated and were intercepting the drones “far from Israeli airspace.” While not disclosing specific interception sites, another Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said much of the interception effort was taking place outside Israeli territory.
“The State of Israel is intercepting Iranian drones in real-time,” the official said. “Our defense infrastructure has been preparing for this moment, and we will respond with force if necessary.”
A Coordinated Strike and an Emerging Regional Crisis
Friday’s developments followed days of warnings by Israeli officials that Iran was nearing a nuclear breakout and that preemptive action was imminent. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared earlier this week that the country stood at a “decisive moment” and would not permit Iran to become a nuclear-armed state.
In the lead-up to Friday’s strikes, intelligence reports suggested that Israel had increased coordination with allies and scaled up its military preparedness, even as diplomatic negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program in Oman appeared to stall.
Now, with airstrikes killing key Iranian figures and nuclear scientists, and Iranian drones inbound toward Israeli territory, the region appears to be edging toward a broader military confrontation. Analysts warn that further escalation could trigger wider involvement from proxy groups across Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as regional powers with vested interests.
The United States, while not directly involved in the strikes, has placed its forces in the Middle East on high alert and reiterated that it will defend its personnel if targeted by Iran.
