Operation Rising Lion deals crushing blows to Iran’s nuclear and military programs, as Netanyahu, Katz, and Zamir execute a masterstroke—but Iranian missiles have turned Israeli cities into war zones. 12 Israelis are reported dead and about 200 injured. Trump supporting Israeli defensively and diplomatically but the US remains on the sidelines for offensive action–for now.
As the third day of the Israel–Iran War unfolds, the balance sheet is both heroic and harrowing. In a campaign that stunned even seasoned military observers, Israel’s Operation Rising Lion has decapitated much of Iran’s nuclear program and senior command structure in less than 48 hours. But the price has been severe: a dozen Israeli civilians dead, hundreds injured, and the skies above Israel filled with the persistent threat of Iranian missile fire.
What began as a daring preemptive strike has now escalated into a multi-front war, with Tehran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis targeting Israeli cities from north to south. Missiles have fallen on homes, hospitals, research centers, and apartment blocks. Among the hardest hit: Bat Yam, Tamra, Ramat Gan, Rishon LeZion, and Rehovot.
While Israeli defense systems have intercepted the vast majority of projectiles, Iran’s use of advanced hypersonic and maneuverable warheads has overwhelmed even Arrow-3 and David’s Sling at times. The emotional and strategic costs of Iran’s retaliation are still being absorbed.
The operation began at 2:17 AM Friday morning. Aerial footage released by the IDF shows waves of F-35I Adir, F-15I Ra’am, and F-16I Sufa aircraft streaking through the night sky. Their targets: Iran’s hardened nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan; missile development centers in Shiraz and Mashhad; and a Quds Force naval command base near Bandar Abbas.
Simultaneously, Mossad-directed explosions erupted in Tehran, where internal assets detonated charges within a high-security IRGC bunker during a senior leadership meeting. Initial assessments suggest 10–15 top officers were eliminated, including members of Iran’s Strategic Weapons Command.
“This was a war Netanyahu was preparing for while the world was still writing press releases,” noted military commentator Alon Ben-David. “It was a surprise attack—but not a spontaneous one.”
The coordination among military, intelligence, and diplomatic wings has been described as flawless. Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly coordinated with allies in CENTCOM to secure overflight permissions from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Mossad Director Dadi Zamir had personally overseen the exfiltration of assets just 48 hours before the strike began.
Iran’s retaliation came swiftly. On Friday evening, Tehran launched over 600 missiles and drones, including the Fattah-2 hypersonic missile and a new, radar-evading drone variant allegedly developed with North Korean assistance. The majority were intercepted. But several—too fast, too unpredictable—hit their targets. In all, 12 Israeli are reported killed and up to 200 injured in all.
In Bat Yam, a projectile struck HaMa’apilim Street late Saturday night, leveling a residential apartment building. Among the dead: two children, a young mother, and three elderly residents.
In Tamra, a majority-Arab town in northern Israel, four women from the Al-Khatib family were killed when a missile hit their home directly. Tamra’s mayor called the strike “a barbaric act against civilians” and warned that “Iran’s missiles do not discriminate.”
In Ramat Gan, Eti Cohen Engel, 73, died trying to reach a shelter. Her granddaughter, speaking to Channel 12, said: “She survived the Holocaust as a child. And now, in Israel, she dies in a missile attack.”
Two residents of Rishon LeZion’s Neot Shikma neighborhood were killed in a Saturday morning strike. An entire row of duplexes collapsed after a missile breached the rooftop of one unit, triggering a gas line explosion.
In Rehovot, a missile landed near the Weizmann Institute of Science, damaging a physics lab. At least five civilians were injured. The attack is seen as symbolic—targeting one of Israel’s leading research facilities.
Confirmed deaths from missile strikes over the weekend have reached at least 13, with more than 150 injured. These numbers reflect only those officially verified by Magen David Adom and the IDF’s Home Front Command. Some sites remain active search-and-rescue zones.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wartime leadership has proven unyielding. In a Sunday night statement, he said: “Israel did not choose this war. But we will finish it—with victory and with justice. Iran’s dream of a second Holocaust dies here.”
Israel Katz, who once battled for political relevance, has emerged as the war’s chief architect. His ability to synchronize military assets and ensure IDF readiness has drawn praise from across the aisle. Even critics of the government, like Benny Gantz, have backed Katz’s conduct in wartime.
Zamir, known for his calm under fire, is reportedly leading the second phase of the campaign—deep asset activation in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. Mossad’s success has forced the Iranian regime to shut down several intelligence ministries, fearing further infiltration.
Defense analysts estimate Iran’s nuclear program has been set back by at least five to eight years. Enrichment facilities at Fordow are reportedly flooded. The Arak heavy water reactor is offline. Storage bunkers in Karaj and Natanz are destroyed. Western intelligence confirms that no IAEA-safeguarded site remains operational.
Iran’s missile stockpile has been significantly depleted. Reports indicate that Israel’s second wave of strikes targeted Khorramabad’s missile development center, severely disrupting Iran’s ability to manufacture new medium-range warheads.
Tehran now faces an agonizing choice: continue retaliation at the risk of full regime collapse, or enter negotiations from a position of weakness.
President Donald J. Trump, now serving his third term following the 2024 election, has offered firm rhetorical support to Israel while maintaining strategic caution regarding direct U.S. involvement in the conflict. Since the launch of Operation Rising Lion, Trump has walked a tightrope between cheering on Israeli strength and avoiding escalation that might entangle American forces in the Middle East.
In a press conference held at Mar-a-Lago on Friday afternoon, just hours after the first Israeli bombs struck Iranian nuclear sites, Trump stated: “Israel has the absolute right to defend itself. They’ve shown incredible courage, and frankly, incredible capability. Iran has been asking for this for a long time.”
Sources within the National Security Council told American outlets that Trump was notified of the Israeli operation approximately six hours before the first wave of strikes. The IDF reportedly shared real-time satellite imagery and air corridor data with CENTCOM under a standing joint intelligence protocol.
However, Trump made clear that U.S. military forces will not be drawn into combat unless Iran directly attacks American assets or allies beyond Israel. In a national address from the Oval Office on Saturday, he reiterated: “This is Israel’s fight—and they’re winning it. We are supporting them with intelligence and logistics, but we will not spill American blood unless American lives are directly targeted.”
That statement followed Iranian threats to strike U.S. bases in Qatar and Bahrain. So far, no such attacks have materialized.
While Trump remains publicly unequivocal in backing Israel, his advisers have debated the strategic implications behind closed doors. Secretary of State Ric Grenell told reporters, “Bibi did what had to be done. I told the Europeans in Brussels last month: if you don’t want Israel to act, stop appeasing the Ayatollahs.”
National Security Advisor Kash Patel has reportedly advocated for tightening oil export sanctions on Iran immediately, as a form of secondary pressure without military risk. Defense Secretary Mike Waltz is said to have urged CENTCOM to quietly increase air patrols over Iraq and the Gulf, to both deter Iranian escalation and offer backstop capabilities to Israel in case of mass casualty events.
Although Riyadh and Amman have made no public comment, multiple diplomatic sources confirm that Trump personally secured passive cooperation from both countries, allowing the Israeli Air Force to pass through their airspace during the initial strikes. A senior Israeli official told Israel Hayom: “Trump handled it. He called MBS and King Abdullah. We got what we needed. No red lights.”
While the Trump administration remains unified in its support for Israel, Congress is predictably divided. House Speaker Elise Stefanik and Senate Majority Leader J.D. Vance have introduced a resolution expressing full congressional support for Israel’s right to preemptively defend against existential threats. Progressive Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have criticized the strike as “reckless” and accused Trump of enabling “escalation.”
Trump responded in a Truth Social post: “The Squad is crying for Iran again. Sad! But we stand with Israel—100%.”
Trump’s calculation appears rooted in letting Israel take the lead militarily while using the conflict to reinforce his global narrative of strength and sovereignty. In private briefings, Trump reportedly told advisers: “Bibi doesn’t need us to fly the planes. He needs us to have his back. And we do.”
This approach allows Trump to contrast his posture with that of previous administrations. During a campaign-style rally in Florida on Saturday night, he reminded the crowd: “Under Obama, Iran got billions. Under Biden, they got appeasement. Under me, they got silence—and fear.” The crowd chanted “Bibi! Bibi!” as Trump smiled.
The Trump administration’s response has been strong, clear, and carefully calculated. Israel is being treated not as a client state, but as a sovereign partner acting in its own defense. Trump’s model is one of empowered allies, not proxy wars. He has reasserted his belief in Israel’s ability to defend itself without U.S. boots on the ground, while ensuring Iran knows that escalation against American assets will meet overwhelming force.
In the words of one senior Israeli official quoted in Maariv: “This is exactly the kind of American leadership we needed. Not hand-wringing. Backbone.”
Despite the pain, Israel’s citizens remain resilient. Blood donation lines stretch outside hospitals. Volunteers from across sectors have mobilized to assist evacuees. Hundreds of reservists posted videos of their return to duty, many in uniform within hours of the first strike.
A particularly moving scene was broadcast Sunday: a Bat Yam father, holding his bandaged son, planting an Israeli flag in the rubble of their destroyed home. “We’re still here,” he told reporters. “And we will always be here.”
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari has been invited back to strengthen the Israeli army’s ability to update the media and public.
Rumors of an Israeli strike on Iran’s Supreme Leader compound in Qom remain unconfirmed but have sparked panic on Iranian social media. The Israeli government has denied a ground incursion is imminent—yet elite Golani and Duvdevan units are reportedly on standby.
Netanyahu concluded his latest address with a message to both enemies and allies: “The Lion of Judah has risen. We will not rest until Iran’s sword is broken and Israel’s skies are safe once again.”
Sources: Kan 11, Ynet, Israel Hayom, The Guardian, AP, Times of Israel, IDF Spokesperson Unit, U.S. CENTCOM, statements by PM Netanyahu, DM Katz, and Mossad Director Barnea.
Thank you for the great report!!!
If Israel really wants victory needs to crush the lgbtq agenda/movement, terminating it completely, to not test The God of Israel and the whole world.