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Israel released footage of its air force striking Iranian ballistic missiles that it says were aimed at the Jewish state.
Before Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, the Mossad set up a drone base in Iran, according to a senior Israeli security official. Once Israel’s strikes began, the drones were activated and launched toward surface-to-surface missile launchers, which the official said posed a risk to Israeli civilians.
As part of Operation Rising Lion, Israel struck ballistic missiles in Iran on Friday, June 13, 2025. (IDF/Reuters)
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In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in Hebrew that the Iranian ballistic missiles targeted in the strike were aimed at Israel. Additionally, a military official told reporters that Israel was working to combat what it considered to be an “immediate, concrete threat” to its citizens.
Early Friday morning Israel time, Jerusalem launched Operation Rising Lion, a historic attack on Iran with the goal of stopping Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
The Mossad, Israel’s equivalent of the CIA, carried out a series of covert operations inside Iran ahead of Israel’s preemptive attack. According to a senior Israeli security official, Mossad commando units deployed precision-guided weapons systems into open areas near Iranian surface-to-air missile systems. As Israel’s attack began, the systems were armed and launched at targets.
Israel released video of it striking surface-to-surface missiles in Iran as part of Operation Rising Lion on June 13, 2025. (IDF)
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Additionally, the official said that there was a separate operation targeting Iranian air defense capabilities that threatened Israeli fighter jets. The Mossad secretly set up strike systems which “completely destroyed” the targeted defense systems.
The official also stated that the Mossad was able to establish a drone base in Iran, which was used during the attack to target surface-to-surface missile launchers. The official said that the launchers posed a threat to Israeli civilians.
Smoke rises after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, on Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP/Vahid Salemi)
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Israel claims it has taken out the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Force commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, as well as “the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Commander of the IRGC, and the Commander of Iran’s Emergency Command.” Additionally, Israel said it struck Iran’s largest uranium enrichment site.
