On June 13, 2025, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a series of preemptive air strikes against military and nuclear facilities across Iran. In a major escalation, multiple local news agencies report that Major General Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in the strike on Tehran.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, dozens of aircraft targeted both conventional military installations and the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. Explosions rocked Tehran’s skyline, and air-raid sirens blared across the capital as interceptors engaged incoming munitions.

Live Updates:

   02:22 GMT: Eyewitnesses near Natanz heard thunderous blasts and saw smoke rising over the enrichment site—unconfirmed reports now suggest a fire broke out.

   02:00 GMT: Tasnim News Agency announced that Major General Salami and several senior IRGC officers, including Deputy Chief Gholam Ali Rashid, were among the casualties.

   01:49 GMT: Iran’s state media confirmed civilian casualties in Tehran, as barrage after barrage set residential blocks ablaze.

   01:43 GMT: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the strike on Natanz, declaring that “Operation Rising Lion will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”

   01:22 GMT: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement: “The United States is not involved in Israel’s unilateral action against Iran.”

   01:16 GMT: IDF spokespeople reported that the opening wave included “dozens of precise strikes” on nuclear sites and military bases across multiple provinces.

   01:08 GMT: In an official IDF briefing, spokesman Effie Defrin warned, “Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. These strikes were necessary to halt their progress.”

   01:00 GMT: Amateur video circulating on social media shows devastation in residential districts—rescuers are combing through rubble in search of survivors.

   00:52 GMT: Thick smoke plumes over Tehran were captured on camera as overnight air-raid sirens continued to reverberate.

This attack comes just days before the sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, set to reconvene in Oman this Sunday. Western diplomats fear this preemptive strike may derail any remaining prospect for a diplomatic resolution and could trigger broader regional conflict.

As night falls over the Middle East, both sides are on high alert. Iran’s Supreme Leader has vowed “severe revenge” against Israel, while Israeli officials maintain they will act decisively to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

We will continue to follow developments closely, bringing you live updates and expert analysis as the situation unfolds.

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