Operation Rising Lion: Why Did Israel Hit Iran's Nuke Sites And Which Are The Areas It Targeted?

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According to Israeli officials, this marks the beginning of a sustained campaign intended to roll back what they describe as a mounting threat from Tehran.
Israel carried out a large-scale military operation, christened Operation Lion, against Iran early on Friday, targeting critical nuclear and military infrastructure. The strikes were aimed at dismantling Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons, disrupt its missile capabilities, and neutralise top figures in its defence leadership. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES HERE
According to Israeli officials, this marks the beginning of a sustained campaign intended to roll back what they describe as a mounting threat from Tehran. Multiple explosions were reported across Iranian cities, with damage confirmed at several strategic sites, including nuclear facilities and military headquarters.
Why Iran Was Hit: Inside Israel's 'Pre-emptive Strike'
Israel launched sweeping airstrikes on Iran early Friday, in what it described as a pre-emptive military operation targeting nuclear facilities, ballistic missile sites, and top military commanders. The assault, part of Operation Rising Lion, marked the start of a prolonged campaign aimed at neutralising what Israel views as an 'existential threat" from Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a 'decisive moment" in the country's history, declaring that the strikes would continue 'for as many days as it takes" to remove the danger.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) stated that the decision to launch the attack stemmed from fresh intelligence indicating that Iran's nuclear weapons programme had reached the 'point of no return."
In an official statement, the IDF labelled the assault a 'pre-emptive strike," prompted by fears that Iran — an openly hostile regime with missiles capable of striking anywhere in Israel — was on the brink of weaponisation. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the situation had crossed critical thresholds, and that Israel could no longer afford to wait.
Iran's uranium enrichment has been accelerating, according to the UN's nuclear watchdog, adding further urgency to Israeli concerns. Netanyahu, in a prerecorded address released during the strikes, claimed Iran now possesses enough enriched uranium to build nine nuclear weapons. He also warned that Tehran was taking unprecedented steps toward assembling a nuclear bomb.
However, a US official cited by Reuters indicated there had been no shift in Washington's intelligence assessment, which still holds that Iran has not restarted its nuclear weapons programme since it was shut down in 2003. Despite this, Israel's leadership felt compelled to act decisively to prevent what it described as a fast-approaching threat to its national survival.
Where Israel Struck
Israeli strikes reportedly hit dozens of locations across Iran, including key nuclear and military sites. Among the most significant targets was the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, where explosions were reported by Iranian media and witnesses. Israel also struck the headquarters of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards in Tehran, killing its top commander, Hossein Salami. At least two nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, were also reportedly killed in strikes on Tehran.
The offensive extended beyond air raids. According to Axios, citing Israeli officials, Mossad also led covert sabotage missions inside Iran, targeting missile sites and air defence systems.
(With inputs from Reuters)