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News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Iran's Costly 'Miscalculation' Led To Overwhelming Losses In Israel's Operation Rising Lion: Report
Last Updated: Iran suffered huge losses after Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Friday with Operation Rising Lion, with most of its military leadership killed. Iran suffered a crushing blow after Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Friday with Operation Rising Lion, with most of its military leadership killed and several key military assets and nuclear sites destroyed, in the biggest direct conflict between the two arch-foes. More than 20 military commanders, including Iranian Army chief Mohammed Bagheri, and nine scientists working on Tehran's nuclear programme were killed. Iran's air defence systems, military airbases and parts of their key nuclear sites were decimated by Israel's onslaught. The magnitude of Israel's attack was shocking as reports came that Iran was made aware by a 'friendly country" of an imminent strike. However, Iranian leaders made an enormous miscalculation – waiting till the nuclear talks with the United States. Iran's Giant Miscalculation Officials close to Iran's leadership told the New York Times that senior Iranian leaders had been planning for over a week for an Israeli attack should nuclear talks with the US fail. However, they did not actually expect Israel to strike before another round of talks scheduled on Sunday, which has now been called off. Iranian officials dismissed reports that an attack was imminent as Israeli propaganda meant to force Iran to make concessions on its nuclear programme. Because of that, Iranian officials also ignored safety precautions and refused to take shelter. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards' aerospace unit, and his senior staff ignored a directive against congregating in one location. They held an emergency war meeting at a military base in Tehran and were killed when Israel struck the base. The government was reeling from the extent of damage from Israel's offensive as 200 fighter jets struck 100 targets over Isfahan, Tabriz, Ilam, Lorestan, Qom, Arak and more. Israel's strikes on Iran have killed more than 60 people, including children. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said a key, above-ground component of Iran's Natanz nuclear site had been destroyed, citing Iranian officials. The attacks also destroyed backup power for the underground section of the plant, potentially damaging more sensitive equipment and setting Iran's nuclear ambitions back by months or years. Iran's nuclear programme has progressed rapidly since 2018, when the US withdrew from a deal to limit Tehran's capacity to enrich uranium, which is necessary to build a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its programme is peaceful, but the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. First Published: June 14, 2025, 23:02 IST
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Israel Escalates Iran Conflict, Striking World's Largest Gas Field: Reports
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Israel has reportedly escalated its ongoing conflict with Iran, striking the world's largest gas field and other energy infrastructure as part of a two-day assault that had otherwise largely targeted sites and personnel tied to the Islamic Republic's armed forces and nuclear program. Iranian semi-official media outlets, including Tasnim News Agency and Fars News Agency, reported on Saturday that an Israeli drone struck Iran's South Pars Gas Field, which is shared with Qatar, where it is known as the North Dome Gas Field. The attack was said to have targeted Phase 14 refineries of the Iranian section, with at least one unit reportedly on fire, leading to a suspension in operations. Footage circulating on news channels and social media appeared to show flames and smoke rising from a section of the complex, which is located in the Kangan area of Iran's south coast Bushehr province. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has yet to confirm the attack. Newsweek has reached out to the IDF for comment. Israeli officials continued to announce operations Saturday in line with what's been dubbed "Operation Rising Lion," a sweeping and unprecedented series of attacks launched late Thursday targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, military infrastructure and senior personnel, including commanders and nuclear scientists. Vowing severe retaliation, Iran commenced a retaliatory "Operation True Promise III" on Friday and fired several waves of missiles and drones against Israel. Iran claims to have severely damaged a number of Israeli military bases, while the IDF has said the majority of incoming attacks have been intercepted. Iranian ambassador to the United Nations Saeed Amir Iravani said Friday that the Israeli strikes had thus far killed 78 people, the majority of them civilians, and injured more than 320. Among the dead are Iranian Armed Forces chief of staff Major General Mohammed Bagheri, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Major General Hossein Salami and IRGC Aerospace Forces commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, as well as several nuclear scientists. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service director Eli Bin reported Friday that the toll of Iranian attacks on Israel included at least 44 wounded. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Iran's lies about its nuclear plans finally at an end
Iran's nuclear weapons strategy lies in tatters in the wake of this week's extensive, and ongoing, targeted Israeli strikes. Ever since the Islamic Regime's clandestine program to obtain a nuclear weapon was first exposed almost a quarter century ago, the ruling mullahs have pushed the fiction that their ambitions are exclusively peaceful. At the same time, they led the United States, Europe, and the International Atomic Energy Agency down a path of obfuscation and outright lies. Advertisement No more. Israel is in the early stages of a campaign that could last days or even weeks and will seek to set back this nuclear program years. Their targeting so far is an attempt to force the complete, irreversible dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program and, eventually, the radical Islamist regime behind it. Last night's attack struck all the systems, resources, and personnel who led Iran's drive for a nuclear weapons program: enrichment and storage facilities, missile launch sites, the nuclear scientists driving the research, and the military leaders responsible for implementing it. Israel targeted Iran's principal enrichment facility at Natanz for a second time, as well as the nuclear facilities at Fordow and Isfahan. Multiple floors at the Natanz facility have been destroyed, according to the Israel Defense Forces, including the main hall housing uranium-enriching centrifuges that provide the fuel for a nuclear weapon. Advertisement Israeli jets also struck hard at Iran's surface-to-surface missile array, seen in action on two separate occasions last year when Iran fired hundreds of missiles at Israel's population centers. Initial reports suggest that dozens of Iranian launchers, missile storage facilities, and other military sites have been destroyed. The fatality list among the nuclear program's military and scientific leadership is already devastating. Gone are the Iranian military's commander-in-chief, Gen. Mohammed Bagheri, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Gen. Hossein Salami, and the commander of the IRGC's Air Force, Gen. Amir Hajizadeh, along with several of his senior aides. Advertisement Gone too are nuclear researchers Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and Mohammad Tehranji, a nuclear physicist who was based at the Azad University in Tehran. There can be no serious doubt that the leaders of the Islamic Republic have brought this disaster upon themselves. A mix of conceit and hubris gained from more than two decades of nuclear deception led them to believe that President Donald Trump's ultimatum – 60 days to make a deal or else face military action – wouldn't be followed through. Israel's preemptive strike took place on the 61st day. The Iranian regime has been deeply foolish. Since lending support to the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, the Iranians have lost their client regime in Syria, witnessed the destruction of their Hamas and Hezbollah proxies by the IDF, swallowed the decision of their Houthi allies in Yemen to end attacks on the US Navy and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, and sustained two previous Israeli air strikes that wiped out their air defenses along with several missile factories. Advertisement Even so, as Israeli officials have emphasized again and again over the last 24 hours, this is far from over. Gauging the success of 'Operation Rising Lion' will be a complex task, but by targeting key military and scientific personnel alongside the physical infrastructure, Israel has eliminated key human assets integral to Iran's nuclear program, setting its development back years, not mere months. By deploying its significant imagery, signals collection, and human intelligence capabilities, Israel will be in a position to make an authoritative assessment of the operation over the coming days and weeks. Meanwhile, Israel is sensibly bolstering its home-front defenses and preparing its citizens for the inevitable attempted mass casualty attack. As hated as the Iranian regime is by its own people, there are no signs of imminent collapse. Further, as a member of the 'axis of aggressors,' Tehran can count on its allies in Russia, China, and North Korea to assist it militarily, economically, and diplomatically. Just last week, Iran ordered thousands of tons of ammonium perchlorate, a key ingredient in ballistic missile fuel, from a Chinese company in Hong Kong. The Chinese Foreign Ministry disingenuously claimed it had no knowledge of the transaction. Advertisement At this juncture, Israel and its allies have good reason to feel optimistic. Trump himself deemed the Israeli strikes 'excellent,' but the Trump administration's support needs to go beyond mere tweets and praise. Iran is actively threatening U.S. forces in the Middle East, and cannot be allowed to bolster its threats with nuclear weapons. The United States must quickly furnish Israel with any tools needed to finish the job – first-rate intelligence, offensive and defensive munitions, and THAAD missiles to counter the ballistic missile threat from Iran. And if Iran is foolish enough to strike out at the United States in retaliation for this, then America should respond with B-2 Stealth Bombers and Massive Ordinance Penetrators that would finish up the job on Iran's nuclear enrichment and storage assets. Advertisement Only then will Iran's insidious efforts to weaponize its nuclear program be consigned to the garbage can of history. Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery (retired) is a senior fellow and a senior director at the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Ben Cohen is a senior analyst with FDD and director of FDD's rapid response outreach.
