The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday declared that three of Iran's key nuclear sites&mdash;Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan&mdash;were significantly damaged during a 12-day military campaign, &ldquo;Operation Rising Lion,&rdquo; which concluded with a ceasefire earlier this week.
According to the IDF, the operation began on June 13 with the aim of crippling Iran&rsquo;s nuclear and missile infrastructure, which Israel claims posed an existential threat. During the offensive, the Israeli military reportedly eliminated 11 senior nuclear scientists and struck the inactive nuclear reactor at Arak to prevent any future activation.
The IDF said more than 35 strategic locations were attacked, including 200 missile launchers and 50% of Iran&rsquo;s total launcher stockpile. Additionally, 1,500 critical components, 15 aircraft, 90 military targets, 80 air defense systems, and six airfields were destroyed. The strikes resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Iranian personnel, including dozens of commanders and over 30 senior figures from Iran&rsquo;s security establishment.
The operation included 1,500 fighter jet sorties and 600 in-flight refuelings. Precision airstrikes were conducted as far as 2,400 km away at Mashhad airport. Of the drones launched from Iran, Israel claims to have intercepted 99%.
The IDF also credited its intelligence and technological capabilities for enabling full aerial dominance over Iran. At home, Israel&rsquo;s Home Front Command and emergency forces responded to incidents across 170 locations during the operation.
Following the ceasefire confirmation by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel declared that all strategic goals of the mission had been achieved &mdash; including neutralizing dual threats from Iran&rsquo;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Israel Hits Iran’s Key Nuclear Sites in 12-Day Raid

IDF says major damage dealt to Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in precision airstrikes

Israel Hits Iran’s Key Nuclear Sites in 12-Day Raid

IDF says major damage dealt to Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in precision airstrikes

June 27, 2025 | 17:35 IST