Translated with AI
On Friday night, Israel launched a large-scale air strike on Iranian territory. According to Israeli authorities, the operation targeted facilities related to the Islamic Republic's nuclear and military infrastructure. This event was the most serious escalation of the Israeli-Iranian confrontation in recent years and has already led to a state of emergency inside Israel.
Reports of explosions began coming in from the Iranian capital Tehran at 3 a.m. local time. Local sources also reported detonations in the cities of Isfahan, Arak and Kermanshah, key locations for military bases and nuclear facilities. Iranian state television confirmed the explosions, without providing details.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the operation is called "The People Like a Lion" and is aimed at destroying Iran's nuclear and missile potential. In particular, a strike on the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, one of the main links in the Iranian nuclear program, has been confirmed.
"The operation will last as long as it takes. We have reached the point of no return and there is no other way out but to act now," Netanyahu said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in an official statement that the operation was being carried out at the direction of the political leadership and was based on high-precision intelligence. It involved dozens of combat aircraft. The first wave of airstrikes has already been completed, hitting dozens of targets, including sites related to Iran's nuclear program.
The Israeli military stresses that the operation is a preventive measure caused by the growing threat from Iran, which Tel Aviv believes continues to secretly develop nuclear weapons and supports terrorist groups throughout the Middle East.
"Once the operation is completed, the nuclear threat from Iran will be eliminated," the IDF said in a statement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a warning to Tehran, stressing that American interests should not be the target of retaliatory actions. He said the US had been informed of Israel's intentions, adding that Washington's top priority was to protect its military installations in the region.
Inside Israel, the Home Front Command's instructions were urgently changed: schools and businesses not related to critical infrastructure were closed, and movement near potential risk areas was restricted. The country officially entered a state of emergency.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed information has spread in Iranian media about an assassination attempt on one of the high-ranking military leaders, presumably the Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, General Mohammad Bagheri. There is no official confirmation of this information yet.
Experts warn of a possible retaliatory escalation by Iran and its allies. According to analysts, the situation in the Middle East could escalate into a full-scale armed conflict involving other countries in the region.
The material is being supplemented.
