UPDATE: After Israel Hits Iran's Nuclear Sites and Top Military Leaders, Iran Strikes Back
JERUSALEM, Israel – After years of preparation and months of speculation, Israel took strong military action against its number one enemy, Iran. In an unprecedented operation, Israel attacked Tehran's nuclear facilities and eliminated many nuclear scientists, as well as officers in Iran's senior military leadership.
The Netanyahu government is now preparing for the possibility of weeks of war and retaliation from the Iranian regime.
On Friday, Iran fired back with hundreds of drones and missiles aimed at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Some of the missiles made it through Israel's defenses, causing an unknown number of casualties:
PHOTO: A projectile hit buildings as Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
BREAKING: #Iran launches 150 ballistic #missiles towards #Israel. Pray for Israel pic.twitter.com/Px236YxUUe
— Jerusalem Dateline (@JlemDateline) June 13, 2025
PHOTO: An explosion is seen during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Tomer Neuberg)
Called "Operation Rising Lion," Israeli warplanes attacked strategic sites throughout Iran and in the capital of Tehran overnight.
Just after the attack began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation and the world. He said, "This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat. For decades, the tyrants of Tehran have brazenly, openly called for Israel's destruction. They backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop nuclear weapons."
The prime minister warned that Iran was on the verge of producing those nuclear weapons.
He asserted, "In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before, steps to weaponize this enriched uranium. And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year. It could be within a few months, less than a year. This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival."
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President Donald Trump had given Iran two months – 60 days – to negotiate an end to its nuclear program. Israel attacked on day 61.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. is not participating directly in the attack.
The Israel Defense Forces revealed that Israeli warplanes hit targets throughout Iran. Iranian videos showed the aftermath of explosions at nuclear sites such as Natanz, Isfahan, and others.
The IDF also confirmed it eliminated senior Iranian leaders, including Armed Forces Commander Muhammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami, and Air Defense Commander Ghulam Ali Rashid.
The IDF and Mossad also eliminated several key nuclear scientists.
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Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised that Israel will face "severe punishment," as Iran launched hundreds of drones in retaliation. The IDF announced that most of them were destroyed.
Global terrorism expert Dr. Amir Amidi told CBN News about the reaction inside Iran.
"Many Iranians, especially in major cities like Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz, and Mashhad, may be silent in public, but privately there is a sense of quiet relief. A growing portion of society blames the regime for dragging Iran toward war and international isolation through secrecy of nuclear ambitions."
Amidi added that many hope this could be the beginning of the end of the regime.
"They saying, 'You (leaders) are out of time. Your weapons are compromised, your secrets are exposed, and collapse has begun.' The time is ticking. And see what happens. Now. Everybody's hoping it will be end of this nightmare and will be end of this tyranny of the Islamic Republic.”
Netanyahu ended his message quoting Moses.
He stated, “Over 3,000 years ago, Moses gave the people of Israel a message that has steeled their resolve ever since: 'Be strong and courageous,' he said. Today, our strong and courageous soldiers and people stand together to defend ourselves against those who seek our destruction, and by defending ourselves, we defend many others, and we roll back a murderous tyranny for generations.”
Netanyahu prayed Thursday at the Western Wall and inserted a note with a scripture from Numbers, chapter 23. It read, "He shall rise like a lion and lift himself like a lioness."
About The Author
CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief
In a time where the world's attention is riveted on events in the Middle East, CBN viewers have come to appreciate Chris Mitchell's timely reports from this explosive region of the world. Mitchell brings a Biblical and prophetic perspective to these daily news events that shape our world.
Chris first began reporting on the Middle East in the mid-1990s. He repeatedly traveled there to report on the religious and political issues facing Israel and the surrounding Arab states. One of his more significant reports focused on the emigration of persecuted Christians from the Middle East.
In the past, Chris's reporting has been distinguished by award-winning coverage of revival movements and other spiritual issues. In addition to the Brownsville revival in Pensacola, Fla., he also covered an outbreak of revival in Missouri. His report on the "holy laughter" revivals in Toronto and London was named CBN's "Focus Story of the Year" in 1994.
That same year, Chris also earned a "Short Story of the Year" award for his examination of religious coverage in network news. He has also reported on such movements as the Promise Keepers and the annual "Prayer and Fasting" campaign led by the late Campus Crusade founder Dr. Bill Bright.
In addition to his reports for The 700 Club, Chris is also a regular contributor to Christian World News, a weekly 30-minute newscast that airs nationally in multiple markets.
Prior to joining CBN News in 1992, Chris worked for three years as a researcher, producer, and reporter for the Features/Testimonies department of The 700 Club.
A native of the Boston area, Chris earned a B.A. in History at the University of New Hampshire in 1975. In 1987, he graduated with honors from Regent University, earning an M.A. in Communication. While a student at Regent (then CBN University), Chris anchored "Newsight," a student-produced Christian news program.
Chris's goal at CBN News is to provide in his stories the Biblical "understanding of the times" described in I Chronicles 12:32.
