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What We Know: Iran-Israel Conflict, Military Targets And Civilian Casualties
DUBAI, June 17: In a swift and deadly escalation, Israel has launched one of its most intense and coordinated military operations against Iran in recent memory, killing several of the Islamic Republic's top military and nuclear officials and striking more than 250 targets across the country in just four days. Iran, for its part, responded with a wave of missile and drone attacks aimed at Israeli cities, causing civilian casualties but failing to inflict damage on the Israeli military infrastructure.
Precision Strikes Decimate Iran's Military Elite
On June 13, Israel initiated Operation Rising Lion, deploying more than 200 fighter jets in a surprise assault on strategic Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. Among those killed were some of the highest-ranking figures in Iran's defense establishment.
Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was reportedly killed in Tehran alongside Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of Iran's armed forces. In what observers have called a 'decapitation strike,' the offensive also eliminated Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid and Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of IRGC's Aerospace Force, is responsible for Iran's missile programs.
Israel also targeted the country's nuclear elite. Among the dead were former atomic energy chief Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, senior nuclear physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and engineering academic Ahmadreza Zolfaghari Daryani. Iranian authorities confirmed their deaths following missile strikes on academic and military complexes.
In a second wave of strikes on June 15, Israeli drones reportedly destroyed the headquarters of the IRGC's intelligence unit, killing both Brig. Gen. Mohammad Kazemi, the head of the IRGC's intelligence organization, and his deputy, Hassan Mohaqeq. Their deaths were considered a severe blow to Iran's internal and external surveillance operations.
Then, just two days later, Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani, appointed as chief of staff following Bagheri's death, was also killed in a missile attack, underscoring the sweeping nature of Israel's offensive.
Iran Responds with Retaliatory Barrage
Iran's response came swiftly but with limited strategic effect. Throughout three nights, it launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and armed drones toward Israel. Iranian projectiles struck multiple cities, including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Petah Tikva, Rehovot, Bat Yam, and Kiryat Ekron, with many missiles intercepted mid-air by Israel's missile defense network.
A missile that evaded interception struck an apartment block in Petah Tikva, killing four civilians. In Haifa, another direct hit left several dead and wounded. Elsewhere, infrastructure, including shopping malls, labs at the Weizmann Institute, and residential areas, sustained damage.
However, the Israeli military confirmed that its layered defense systems — Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow — intercepted over 99% of incoming threats. No Israeli airbase or missile defense facility was significantly damaged, according to officials.
The Motive Behind the Firestorm
Israel's dramatic escalation appears to have been sparked by Iran's alleged advancement in uranium enrichment and recent drone activity against Israeli interests in Syria and the Gulf. Analysts say the assassination of top generals and scientists aimed to 'paralyze Iran's strategic command' and set back its nuclear program by years.
For Iran, the barrage of missiles was as much a show of resilience as it was retaliation. Tehran framed the strikes as justified defense, but its inability to hit critical Israeli military targets highlighted its limited strategic options.
A Region on the Edge
This latest confrontation, unfolding in less than a week, has left both nations bracing for more. The international community, led by the UN Security Council, has urged restraint as fears grow that regional proxies — including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq — could enter the fray.
As of now, Israel has declared its key objectives 'achieved,' but has not ruled out further operations. Iran has promised 'unrelenting revenge.' In capitals across the Middle East, embassies are on alert and citizens have been urged to shelter.
