Israel Launches Major Strikes on Iran's Nuclear and Military Facilities

Israel launches a surprise large-scale attack on Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure, bombing Natanz and other sites, assassinating senior military officials, and triggering the Twelve-Day War.

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched its most ambitious military operation in decades — a massive surprise attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, air defense systems, and senior military leaders. Multiple nuclear sites including Natanz were targeted. Prominent military commanders, nuclear scientists, and political figures were killed. Iran's air defenses, significantly degraded by Israeli strikes in October 2024, failed to stop many of the attacks. Iran retaliated within hours with over 550 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 drones aimed at Israeli cities and military targets. The United States intercepted many Iranian attacks and, on June 22, bombed three Iranian nuclear sites directly. Iran responded by striking a US base in Qatar. The Twelve-Day War ended on June 24 with a US-brokered ceasefire, having transformed the regional security landscape.