Tehran: In an overnight operation, Israel launched a sweeping air assault on Iranian military infrastructure, targeting missile and nuclear development facilities with a fleet of more than 50 fighter jets. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed early Wednesday that the strike was guided by precise intelligence and focused on key sites around Tehran.
The operation specifically targeted locations involved in the production of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles. Among the most significant hits was a centrifuge manufacturing facility that Israel claims plays a critical role in Iran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to the IDF, the objective was to disrupt what it called Iran’s “nuclear weapons development program.”
The Israeli military asserted that Iran is actively enriching uranium with the aim of building nuclear arms—a claim Tehran has repeatedly denied. “The Iranian regime is enriching uranium intended for the purpose of developing nuclear weapons,” the IDF stated, justifying the scale and urgency of the offensive. These strikes represent one of the most forceful military responses in the region in recent months, reflecting heightened tensions between the two long-standing adversaries.
However, US intelligence assessments have consistently painted a more cautious picture. In March, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not yet authorized the resumption of the nuclear weapons program suspended in 2003. This divergence in interpretations has fueled debate over how imminent the Iranian nuclear threat truly is, and how far Israel may be willing to go unilaterally.
This escalation comes amid broader geopolitical friction in the Middle East, where regional powers are increasingly acting on their own intelligence and security judgments. The background to these tensions lies in years of Israeli concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions, combined with a complex history of secret operations, sabotage campaigns, and diplomatic stalemates. The latest strikes mark a sharp turn in Israel’s strategy—public, large-scale, and unmistakably targeted.
