In a major escalation in Middle East tensions, Israel launched a series of preemptive airstrikes overnight on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, resulting in the confirmed death of Major General Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian state media.

The coordinated operation, carried out without involvement from the United States, marks one of the most significant Israeli strikes against Iran to date. Israeli officials said the decision to act came after intelligence assessments revealed that Iran may have been just days away from assembling as many as fifteen nuclear bombs. According to those assessments, Iran had enriched sufficient uranium and was close to finalizing warhead construction.

Airstrikes reportedly targeted multiple locations across Iran, including Tehran and the Natanz uranium enrichment site. Explosions were heard across the capital, with heavy damage reported in military and nuclear compounds. Fires broke out in several locations linked to the IRGC, and Iranian media later confirmed that Salami had been killed along with other senior IRGC officials and nuclear scientists.

In addition to Salami, multiple reports suggest that Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s chief of staff and the highest-ranking officer in the country’s armed forces, was also killed in the strikes. Iranian authorities have not yet officially confirmed Bagheri’s death, but regional intelligence sources believe he was present at one of the targeted military compounds in Tehran.

Further reports from Iran’s Fars News Agency indicate that Major General Gholam-Ali Rashid, commander of the IRGC’s Central Command (Khatam-al-Anbiya Headquarters), was also killed in the Israeli strikes. Rashid was a key figure in Iran’s strategic military planning and oversaw many of the regime’s conventional and unconventional operations.

In addition to top military leadership, two of Iran’s most prominent nuclear scientists, Dr. Mohammad Tehranchi and Dr. Fereydoon Abbasi, were also reportedly killed in the strikes. Abbasi is a former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and a central figure in Iran’s suspected weaponization program. Both men were believed to be instrumental in advancing Iran’s nuclear capabilities and had been under surveillance by Western intelligence agencies for years.

The Israeli government declared a national emergency in the wake of the strikes. Air defense systems were activated and bomb shelters were opened nationwide amid expectations of retaliation from Iran and its allied militias, including Hezbollah and the Houthis. No Israeli casualties were reported from any immediate Iranian response.

In a televised address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of what he called Operation Rising Lion. He said the military campaign would continue “as long as necessary” to eliminate threats to Israel’s security and to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement confirming that Israel had acted unilaterally and that the United States was not involved in the strikes. “Our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said, warning Iran not to target U.S. personnel or assets.

The international reaction was swift. Australia, New Zealand, and several European nations expressed deep concern and called for restraint on all sides. The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency session for Friday to address the escalating conflict.

The confirmed deaths of Salami and Rashid—and the possible loss of Bagheri—represent the most severe blow to Iran’s military leadership in decades. Analysts warn that these assassinations, combined with the targeting of nuclear infrastructure, could provoke a powerful response from Tehran.

Iran has vowed to retaliate, and military observers caution that the conflict could quickly widen into a regional war. As of Friday afternoon, Israeli forces remain on high alert, and authorities are urging the public to follow all safety directives as the situation unfolds.