In a bold and unprecedented operation dubbed “Rising Lion,” Israel launched a coordinated military assault across Iran on Friday, striking dozens of high-value targets including military bases, nuclear facilities, and private residences. Among those killed were several of Iran’s most senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, marking one of the most consequential escalations between the two countries in recent history.
At the forefront of the casualties was Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military official and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Bagheri, a key figure in both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian army, had recently called for peace a message seen by some as controversial within Iran’s hardline establishment.
Hossein Salami, the IRGC commander-in-chief known for his fiery rhetoric against Israel, was also killed. Salami had warned of severe retaliation if Iran was attacked, often invoking apocalyptic imagery in his speeches. He was succeeded by Mohammad Pakpour.
The head of the IRGC’s central operational command, Gholamali Rashid, was also confirmed dead. Rashid was a key strategist and veteran of the Iran-Iraq War. Ali Shadmani has been appointed to replace him.
One of the most significant losses to Iran’s strategic defense was Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force. The Israeli Defense Forces reported that Hajizadeh and his team of air force commanders were killed in an underground bunker where they were allegedly planning future strikes.
In addition to military leaders, the operation also targeted Iran’s nuclear program. Former Atomic Energy Organization head Fereydoon Abbasi, a vocal advocate for nuclear armament, was killed along with six other scientists. Notable among them were Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Abdulhamid Minouchehr, both senior academic figures involved in nuclear research.
Iranian media report that dozens of civilians, including children, also perished in the strikes, adding to the operation’s controversial nature.
As Iran reels from the blow to its military and scientific elite, the international community braces for Tehran’s likely response an escalation that could ignite wider conflict across the region.
