Israel&rsquo;s Aerial Offensive: Targeted Deterrence or War Prelude?
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In a dramatic and calculated escalation, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have launched a sustained aerial campaign across Iranian territory, claiming to exclusively target critical components of Iran&rsquo;s nuclear programme and missile production infrastructure.
The multi-pronged operation, described by the Israeli military as &ldquo;Nation of Lions,&rdquo; saw precision-guided airstrikes in at least eight strategic locations, including Tehran, Natanz, and Tabriz. Israel maintains the targets were strictly military and nuclear in nature &mdash; including uranium enrichment plants and ballistic missile depots &mdash; designed to curb what Tel Aviv sees as an existential Iranian threat.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a pre-recorded address released early Friday, justified the operation as a defensive imperative. Without naming casualties or discussing the broader fallout, he framed the offensive as a necessary step to neutralise Iran&rsquo;s advancing nuclear capabilities, which he described as having reached a &ldquo;point of no return.&rdquo;
Military officials in Israel confirmed that the operation involved five waves of coordinated strikes, reportedly involving hundreds of sorties. While Israeli sources stress the surgical nature of the strikes, the damage appears to have been significant &mdash; Iranian media has confirmed the deaths of senior IRGC and military commanders, as well as nuclear scientists long associated with Tehran&rsquo;s controversial nuclear programme.
Among those reported dead are Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Bagheri, Iran&rsquo;s Armed Forces Chief of Staff, and nuclear experts Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi.
From Israel&rsquo;s perspective, the operation was not merely punitive but preemptive &mdash; designed to forestall what Defence Minister Israel Katz called an &ldquo;imminent offensive capability&rdquo; being amassed by Iran. According to Israeli intelligence assessments, recent Iranian advancements in missile accuracy and nuclear fuel enrichment had crossed critical thresholds that could no longer be ignored.
Anticipating retaliation, Israel has entered what military planners term a &ldquo;readiness posture.&rdquo; Air raid sirens sounded in major Israeli cities in the early hours of Friday, and emergency civil defence protocols have been activated. Educational institutions, non-essential workplaces, and public gatherings have been suspended nationwide.
Tehran, meanwhile, has vowed a decisive response. Iran&rsquo;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the strikes as an act of war and warned Israel of &ldquo;a bitter and painful fate.&rdquo; Iranian authorities argue the strikes violate international law and have hinted at U.S. complicity, alleging the operation could not have occurred without Washington&rsquo;s foreknowledge.
The geopolitical stakes have now dramatically shifted. Israel's message &mdash; that it will not wait for diplomatic mechanisms to contain Iran &mdash; sets a precedent that may redefine red lines in the region. The coming hours may reveal whether this remains a strategic deterrent move or the ignition point of a broader regional conflict.

Residential complex hit by Israel air strike in Tehran (image social media)

Tel Aviv says strikes were precision-targeted at Iran’s nuclear sites, not civilian centres

Israel Pounds Iran’s Nuclear, Missile Targets

Tel Aviv says strikes were precision-targeted at Iran’s nuclear sites, not civilian centres

June 13, 2025 | 18:51 IST