Israel Launches Its Largest Air Attacks on Iran in Years

Israel hit Iran with its largest campaign of air attacks in years, focused on uranium enrichment plant near Natanz, multiple sites at Tehran and a few military sites around the country.

The targets of Operation Rising Lion were chosen to strike nuclear facilities, missile facilities, radar defenses, scientists and military commanders. Among the dead were former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation Fereydoon Abbasi, at least six nuclear scientists including Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and some key Iranian commanders including the chief of staff of the armed forces Mohammad Bagheri and the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Civilians, including children, were also killed.

Iran responded by launching about 100 drones toward Israel. Most were intercepted.

USA talks about Iran’s nuclear program had recently stalled and were due to resume Sunday. Donald Trump withdrew the USA from its agreement with Iran during his first term in office, undoing the diplomatic work that had gone into keeping Iran’s nuclear program within limits acceptable to its neighbors which worry about Iran developing the capability to build a nuclear bomb.

Both the UK and USA denied involvement in the Israeli attack. The UK urged restraint. Trump called the Israeli blitz “excellent” and said the USA had been forewarned about it.

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