Israel Unleashes Military Strike on Iran, Netanyahu Blames Regime [WATCH]

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a wide-scale military strike on Iran late Thursday, targeting key elements of the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as reported by Fox News.

The operation, dubbed “Operation Rising Lion,” comes amid escalating tensions and a stalled diplomatic process led by the Trump administration.

In a statement Thursday evening, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the United States was not involved in the operation.

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“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said. “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation following the operation and said, “We targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb, we also struck the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program.”

Netanyahu emphasized that Israel’s actions were aimed at the Iranian regime, not its people. “Our fight is not with the people of Iran, our fight is with the Iran’s dictatorship,” he added.

A spokesperson for the IDF stated the strikes were conducted after receiving “high-quality intel” indicating that Iran was closer than ever to acquiring nuclear capabilities. “We have no choice but to act against these existential threats to the State of Israel,” the spokesman said.

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According to reports from Fox News’ Trey Yingst, explosions were heard in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Israel has since declared a state of emergency in anticipation of possible retaliatory strikes by Iran.

The military action follows months of increasing hostility between Israel and Iran. Tehran launched its first direct strikes on Israeli territory in April 2024. Israel responded days later by targeting Iran’s S-300 air defense system.

In October, tensions escalated when Iran fired a ballistic missile at Israel on October 1. Israel retaliated on October 26, striking Iranian missile storage facilities and military sites. Netanyahu later confirmed those strikes had partially weakened Iran’s nuclear program.

Efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions through diplomacy had resumed under President Donald Trump earlier this year, with negotiations mediated by Oman. Talks began in Muscat on April 12, with Trump advising Netanyahu to allow diplomacy to proceed.

Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff initially stated the U.S. aimed to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment to 3.67%, a level consistent with civilian nuclear energy use. However, on April 15, Witkoff clarified that “Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.”

Rounds of negotiations took place in Muscat and Rome throughout April and May. Talks were reportedly productive but ultimately stalled after the U.S. imposed a new wave of sanctions on Iran in late April, prompting the cancellation of a May 3 meeting.

By June, both President Trump and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had drawn firm lines on uranium enrichment. Despite the stalemate, a sixth round of talks had been scheduled for June 15 in Oman.

It remains unclear whether that round will proceed in the wake of Israel’s military action. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously described the negotiations as “difficult but useful,” and rejected the U.S. demand for zero enrichment as a “non-negotiable.”

The international community is now bracing for the fallout, as tensions between Israel and Iran reach their highest point in years.

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