Amna Nasir Jamal
WE will destroy the Jewish nation,” Iran makes clear.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, declared that the Israeli government had destined its own fate to be “bitter and painful.” “The Zionist regime committed a crime in our beloved nation with its nefarious and bloody hands, and it further exposed its evil nature by attacking residential areas. The regime ought to expect a severe reaction.
Israeli assaults resulted in about 320 injuries and over 78 fatalities. Following strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, important military facilities, and personnel, which resulted in the deaths of several military commanders, leaders, and nuclear scientists, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi pledged to retaliate against Israel. He claimed that the Israeli regime’s nightly attacks that were conducted out with American assistance will be met with a strong reaction.
Prior to the strike, the U.S. and Iran were negotiating an agreement in which the U.S. would relax sanctions that have severely damaged Iran’s economy in exchange for Iran reducing its nuclear program. Israel has no interest in seeing the United States and Iran work out their differences and strengthen their bond. The Israelis estimate that a decrease in U.S.-Iranian tensions and an improvement in Iran-U.S. relations will not translate into a decrease in Israeli-Iranian tensions. Therefore, the Israelis since past two decades have attempted to undermine any diplomatic efforts and influence the June 15 nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran. The strikes were merely “psychological pressure.”
It is thought that Iran has created enough uranium enriched to near-weapons grade levels to produce several nuclear weapons in a matter of months if it so chooses. Iran’s nuclear program has advanced in recent years. However, it would take Iran significantly longer to create a missile or other weapon. But Israel, which has already targeted nuclear and ballistic missile manufacturing centers, doesn’t seem willing to take that risk.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Iran is getting close to ‘no return’ in its nuclear arms race. In order to defend itself in the area, to lessen the Iranian threat to Israel’s existence, and in response to intelligence suggesting Iran had acquired enough material to produce up to 15 nuclear weapons, the Israeli military offensive known as Operation Rising Lion (codename “Am Kelavi”) launched more than 200 strikes throughout Iran in the early hours of Friday, June 13, 2025 in Musqat. Mossad operatives operating in tandem with the Israeli military had long established the foundation for the strikes, which were intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and military capabilities.
Precision-guided weapons were placed close to surface-to-air missile batteries in central Iran and fired when instructed. At the time of the attack, Iran’s air defense systems were also destroyed by disguised vehicles. In the meantime, long-range missile launchers at the Esfajabad site were destroyed by explosive drones stationed close to Tehran. Iran’s retaliatory move followed Israel’s launch. On June 15, aroud 4:30 a.m., Iran launched two salvos of roughly 100 missiles in the first round. Iran has launched a third round of strikes against Israel in retaliation after launching the second round on Saturday local time. During the initial phase, Israel’s Iron Dome (a strong missile defense system) was breached by a hundred of Iran’s missiles.
The Israeli air force, the Military Intelligence Directorate, Mossad, and the nation’s military industries worked together in unprecedented fashion to produce the preemptive operation “Am Kelavi.” They put in years of “shoulder to shoulder” labor to compile the intelligence documents required to destroy Iran’s most vital nuclear and military assets.In order to operate at the maximum level of penetration possible, the Mossad collaborated with a vast number of individuals—a mass of operatives deep inside Iran. What transpired in Lebanon: using surgical intelligence to remove corrupt leadership. Known as the “pagers” operation, Israel used Chinese-made radios with explosives hidden in them to penetrate and disrupt Hezbollah’s command network in Lebanon. Israeli experts claim that the latest operation was more extensive, profound, and strategically significant.
As part of their infiltration campaign, the Mossad smuggled advanced weapons into Iran covertly by embedding them close to key locations and hiding them inside cars. Among the weapons that Mossad commandos had secretly placed throughout Iran were explosive drones fired at a surface-to-surface missile site close to Tehran. The Iranian agents collected intelligence on the elements of Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system and scouted IDF installations. In order for Iran to land more accurate strikes in the future, they also gave their handlers information on the locations of Iranian missile landings after Tehran’s attack on Israel in April 2024.
Israel’s military is far more technologically advanced than Iran’s. The United States, which has long aimed to secure Israel’s advantage as part of its commitment to the security of the Jewish state, is somewhat to blame for this. Iran, on the other hand, has been forced to create its own weapons, such as the missiles and drones it fired on Israel in April, as a result of sanctions and political isolation that have limited its access to global military technology.
Iran’s military is believed to have a sizable stockpile of the ballistic and cruise missiles as well as inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, that it used against Israel in its 2024 attacks, despite being technologically inferior. Iran discovered from such attacks that it is difficult to breach Israel’s strong air defenses. It must first overcome fighters from the Israeli Air Force.
Additionally, Israel’s military claims that its Arrow and David’s Sling air defense systems, in conjunction with the United States and other regional allies, intercepted 99 percent of the more than 300 drones and missiles fired by Iran during the April 2024 bombardment. Iran’s own defensive weaponry consists of the locally produced Arman anti-ballistic missile system, surface-to-air missile systems, such as Russia’s S-300, to fight aircraft and cruise missiles. Iran prefers asymmetric warfare, where it can project disproportionate power, over head-to-head conflict, as seen by the fact that these defenses aren’t nearly as battle tested as Israel’s.
Iran has more than 220 ships in the Persian Gulf, several of which are run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Small, swift boats that can use swarming tactics are among them. Long-range deterrence and technological superiority are provided by Israel’s smaller fleet of about 60 sophisticated ships, which includes German-built Dolphin-class submarines that are thought to be nuclear-capable. Iran has strategic geographic depth, spanning a large area and having access to several borders. Despite its small size, Israel has made significant investments in preemptive strike capacity, intelligence, and strategic mobility to offset its vulnerability.
Iran, however, has become a powerful cyber power unto itself. Israel reported a threefold rise in cyberattacks in late 2023, many of which were attributed to hackers with ties to Iran who targeted defense companies, banks, and water infrastructure. Iran and Israel are both capable of cyber war. The malware known as The Stuxnet which is thought to have been a US and Israeli operation, affected activities at an Iranian nuclear enrichment facility more than ten years ago.
According to a 2024 assessment by the US Defense Intelligence Agency, Iran is capable of “a range of cyber operations, from information operations to destructive attacks against government and commercial networks worldwide.” One of Iran’s cyber- attacks aimed to disrupt two Israeli districts’ water supply and computer systems. Israel has the qualitative advantage—more weaponry, better training, and better intelligence but Iran is particularly hazardous in a protracted conflict because of its capacity to sustain losses and fight through proxies and may utilize strong network of regional proxies to keep its influence.
