M A Hossain,
In a dramatic display of precision warfare and strategic preemption, Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran in what has been named 'Operation Rising Lion'. Orchestrated under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and executed by Brigadier General Effi Defen of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), this audacious air campaign was aimed squarely at crippling Iran’s nuclear capabilities and curbing its expanding influence through regional proxies. This operation, while militarily focused, has set off geopolitical tremors that extend far beyond the Middle East, carrying profound implications for global security, diplomacy, and military preparedness.
At the core of Operation Rising Lion lay a singular objective: to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear breakout capability. Intelligence reports indicated that Iran had accumulated sufficient uranium for up to nine nuclear bombs and was rapidly enhancing its ballistic missile systems, raising alarm in Tel Aviv about the possibility of a nuclear-tipped missile arsenal under Tehran’s control. Coupled with Iran’s active support for militant proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, Israel deemed the risk of inaction unacceptable.
Rather than wait for a confrontation or a miscalculated provocation, Israel resorted to a doctrine of strategic preemption, consistent with its long-held belief in eliminating existential threats before they materialize. The scale and complexity of the operation suggest careful planning, high-grade intelligence, and state-of-the-art military integration.
'Operation Rising Lion' was executed with the precision and sophistication that have become hallmarks of Israeli air campaigns. An estimated 30 to 60 aircraft—including F-35I Adir stealth fighters, F-15I Ra'am bombers, and Gulfstream Sa’ar SIGINT aircraft—participated in the strike, with electronic warfare units jamming Iranian radar systems and cyber operations blinding early-warning defenses. The operation occurred at dawn, a calculated choice to exploit the transition between night and day, complicating detection and response.
Key nuclear facilities—Natanz, Khondab, and Khorramabad—were severely damaged, with Natanz reportedly out of operation due to sustained bombing and massive fires. Secondary military targets near Tehran, including missile storage depots and airbases, were also hit. Perhaps most notably, several high-ranking officials, including IRGC Commander Hossein Salami and nuclear scientist Fereydoon Abbasi Davani, were reportedly killed. Despite the scale of the operation, civilian casualties were minimal, a result of targeted precision strikes and operational intelligence that allowed the IDF to focus on military installations.
Iran’s failure to repel the Israeli offensive revealed glaring weaknesses in its defense systems. The much-vaunted Bavar-373 and S-300 air defense systems failed to detect, much less intercept, the stealth fighters. Electronic jamming and cyber operations had effectively blinded Iranian early-warning radars. Adding to this was an evident intelligence failure—Iran appeared completely unprepared for the strike, a remarkable lapse considering its otherwise robust counterintelligence capabilities.
Iran’s overconfidence in its defensive posture and its recent aggressive rhetoric—boasting that it could strike Israel within a week—contributed to its vulnerability. This hubris, now proven misplaced, could lead to a fundamental reassessment of Iranian military doctrine and defense posture.
The international community’s response was fragmented and subdued. The United States, having been informed in advance, reportedly approved the operation, although it distanced itself from direct involvement. European powers, notably France and Germany, expressed concern and urged de-escalation but refrained from outright condemnation.
Russia, a close ally of Iran, expressed strong disapproval and is expected to respond by increasing arms supplies to Tehran. China maintained its customary call for restraint, while India took a strategically neutral stance, balancing its energy ties with Iran and defense partnerships with Israel.
Interestingly, Muslim-majority countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey were either silent or issued token condemnations without any indication of military or diplomatic action. The region’s shifting alliances and internal divisions have left Iran increasingly isolated, despite its regional ambitions.
In the wake of the strikes, Ayatollah Khamenei declared the attack a formal act of war, directly blaming both Israel and the United States. Iran reportedly launched 100 drones toward Israel in retaliation, though the impact remains limited due to Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems, including the Iron Dome and Arrow systems.
Simultaneously, Iran announced plans to rapidly enrich uranium at a third nuclear site and ramp up weapons production. The likelihood of proxy escalation is high, with Iran expected to unleash Hezbollah and other regional actors in a retaliatory wave of asymmetric warfare.
Meanwhile, calls for an emergency session at the United Nations are growing, but any meaningful resolution is unlikely due to the U.S. veto power. The coming weeks may see further Israeli strikes, increased volatility across the Levant, and the possibility of economic fallout, particularly in the energy markets. Oil prices are expected to spike, creating ripple effects in energy-dependent economies worldwide.
Operation Rising Lion has changed the strategic calculus in the Middle East. But beyond the immediate battlefield, it also offers a textbook example of modern military doctrine, intelligence-based warfare, and geopolitical maneuvering. The international community must urgently intervene to de-escalate tensions before the situation deteriorates further. Israel as Frankenstein must be held accountable for its whimsical deeds. The world is watching and diplomacy, not military confrontation, remains the only viable path to preventing a catastrophic regional war.
M A Hossain, political and defense analyst based in Bangladesh. He can be reached at: writetomahossain@gmail.com
This article published at :
1. Pakistan Today, Pak : 15 June, 25
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