On June 14, 2025, Iran announced that it was preparing to launch a missile strike on Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv in response to the Israeli military operation Rising Lion, which began on the night of June 13. The statement was made by a representative of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who, according to the Al Mayadeen news agency, warned that the airport would be one of the targets in Operation True Promise 3. Iranian authorities also called on Israeli citizens to avoid the airport area, which caused the temporary closure of the airport, as reported by VGTRK correspondent Alexander Pashkov.

Israel's operation against Iran began with massive airstrikes on nuclear and military sites, including the Natanz and Fordow centers, as well as military bases and ballistic missile depots. According to the IDF, more than 200 aircraft destroyed more than 150 targets, including 400 military infrastructure components. On Saturday night, 70 fighter jets attacked 40 sites in the vicinity of Tehran, killing key military personnel such as IRGC commander Hossein Salami and Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri. Iranian media reported 78 dead and more than 320 wounded. In response, Iran launched about 200 missiles and drones at Israel, striking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where Israeli authorities say four people were killed and 19 injured. Some Telegram channels claim that an Iranian hypersonic missile hit an Israeli air defense system in Tel Aviv, as well as damaged Ben Gurion Airport and a nuclear research center. However, Israel denies hitting military targets, saying the strikes only affected civilian infrastructure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 14 announced new, "even more deadly" strikes on Iran, promising that Air Force jets would once again appear over Tehran.

"We have seriously damaged Iran's nuclear program by killing its top scientists, and that will set it back for years," " he said in a video message published by The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu stressed that the operation is aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, which he said Tehran could use against Israel.