Early Friday, the IDF published its formal assessment of Operation Rising Lion, the military campaign launched on June 13 to counter Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear and missile initiatives. The strike was described as a proactive measure taken to eliminate what Israeli officials considered an imminent and existential danger.
The report details how, in the months before the operation, Israeli Military Intelligence compiled compelling evidence showing that Iran had begun enriching uranium to 60% purity—enough to quickly assemble multiple nuclear weapons. Intelligence services also uncovered clandestine activity involving sophisticated weapons development across several sensitive domains.
At the same time, Iran was accelerating plans to increase production of precision-guided missiles, aiming to expand its stockpile from 2,500 to 8,000. This military buildup was part of a comprehensive plan that included a wide-scale assault on Israel, combining long-range missile attacks—directly from Iran and via its regional allies—with an eventual ground incursion on multiple fronts.
Faced with a shrinking window to act, Israeli forces, closely aligned with the United States, pinpointed critical weaknesses in Iran’s infrastructure. A coordinated and unexpected assault was launched to halt Iran’s momentum before it crossed a point of no return.
Operational planning intensified in October 2024, while the IDF was engaged in significant clashes with Hezbollah. The military effort zeroed in on essential Iranian assets including nuclear installations, leadership centers, missile production facilities, strategic air defenses, and government institutions.
The initial wave of attacks caught the Iranian military completely off-guard, giving the Israeli Air Force immediate control of the airspace. Flying over 2,000 kilometers into hostile territory, Israeli pilots carried out over 1,500 missions, hitting in excess of 900 targets. Roughly 80 out of 100 Iranian anti-aircraft batteries were neutralized. The IAF conducted 370 airstrikes, some over 2,400 kilometers away, supported by more than 600 mid-air refueling operations.
Concurrently, Israeli forces managed to dismantle roughly half of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile platforms. In addition, 80 anti-aircraft batteries, 70 radar installations, six military airbases, and more than 35 weapons manufacturing sites were destroyed. The offensive involved full cooperation across Israel’s military branches—air, ground, naval, and intelligence—with thousands of soldiers, including reserves, participating.
Throughout the conflict, over 30 top-ranking Iranian defense figures were killed, including the country’s three highest military officials. Numerous Iranian troops were also eliminated. Israel hit crucial nuclear development locations in Natanz, Arak, and Isfahan, wiping out thousands of uranium centrifuges. According to the IDF, this cut Iran’s enrichment capabilities by about 90%, greatly delaying its ability to construct a nuclear core.
Israel’s defensive systems were also put to the test. Air defense units successfully intercepted hundreds of incoming rockets and drones, with a success rate surpassing 99%. The Israeli Navy took out more than 30 aerial threats. Meanwhile, the Home Front Command played a critical role, issuing over one million alerts to the public, deploying 100+ mobile shelters, and managing operations at more than 170 emergency sites.
In its final summary, the IDF stated that Operation Rising Lion fulfilled its core mission: dismantling the existential nuclear threat, crippling Iran’s missile capabilities, exposing the vulnerability of the regime’s defenses, and asserting clear Israeli aerial superiority in Iranian airspace.

{Matzav.com Israel}