On June 15, 2025, Israel completed a series of massive airstrikes on sites in Tehran related to the Iranian nuclear program, dealing a major blow to the military infrastructure of the Islamic Republic. According to the IDF Spokesperson's Office, the operation, dubbed "Lion Rising," was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The targets included the headquarters of the Iranian Defense Ministry, the SPND (Defense Research and Innovation Organization) nuclear development center, and other sites where, according to Israeli intelligence, Iran's "nuclear archive" was stored. This was stated in an official statement by the Israeli army, published on the IDF Telegram channel.

According to Israeli sources, the operation involved about 200 F-35I Adir fighter jets, which struck more than 100 targets, including ballistic missile depots and air defense systems. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that the attack had "dealt a crushing blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions," stressing that Israel would not allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.

"We acted decisively to protect our future", - he added.

Iranian media, including Tasnim, confirmed that one of the Defense Ministry’s administrative buildings in Tehran had sustained “minor damage,” while the SPND, which is involved in nuclear research, had also been damaged. However, Iranian authorities have downplayed the scale of the damage, claiming that their air defenses had intercepted most of the Israeli missiles. Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars news agency reported the deaths of several senior military officials, including IRGC commander Hossein Salami and nuclear scientists such as Fereydoon Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.

The attack was in response to a series of Iranian missile strikes on Israel, including attacks on Tel Aviv and Haifa, which Ynet reported killed a woman in Bat Yam and injured more than 120 people. Iran, for its part, said its attacks were “retaliation” for Israeli strikes on the Shahran oil depot and other targets. Iran used Hajj Qasem missiles and drones, some of which were intercepted by Israeli air defenses, Reuters reported.