Operation “Rising Lion”: Israel’s strike on Tehran weakens the autocratic axis

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched Operation “Rising Lion,” targeting Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile production infrastructure.

Within the first few days, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Mossad damaged key nuclear and military facilities of the ayatollah regime, eliminated several senior Iranian military leaders, and killed scientists deeply involved in the Islamic Republic’s development of weapons of mass destruction.

The deaths of at least three senior nuclear physicists, including the head of the centrifuge sector in Natanz, and the commander of an IRGC anti-missile brigade in Hamadan were confirmed.