Israel Launches Assault on Iran: Netanyahu States Operation ‘Rising Lion’ Will Continue Until Objectives Are Met

Israel launched an attack on Iran early Friday, with powerful explosions echoing through the capital, Tehran. In a video statement shared on X, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that the operation, dubbed ‘Rising Lion’, would persist for as long as necessary to eliminate the ‘threat Iran poses to Israel’s existence’.

“In recent years, Iran has enriched enough uranium to produce nine atomic bombs. Recently, Iran has made efforts to weaponize this enriched uranium. If not curtailed promptly, Iran could manufacture nuclear weapons in a relatively short period—possibly within a year or even just a few months,” Netanyahu stated.

Israel has

issued a state of emergency in preparation for potential retaliatory missile and drone strikes from Tehran.
On Thursday, the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency censured Iran for the first time in two decades due to its lack of cooperation with inspectors. Following this, Iran announced plans to create a third enrichment facility within its borders and to replace several centrifuges with more advanced models.

“We have struck at the core of Iran’s nuclear program. We have targeted the heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponization efforts by hitting its primary nuclear enrichment site in xx and focusing on key nuclear scientists involved in the program.

Earlier, an Israeli military official indicated that the Israeli Air Force had targeted Iranian nuclear and military installations, although specifics were not disclosed. The official provided this information to reporters on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the operation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that the US was not involved in the strikes against Iran, adding a warning: “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel,” he stated.

This is a developing story