Israeli military officials have announced plans for a sustained 14-day airstrike campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, military command centers, and missile capabilities, according to The Wall Street Journal. The operation, codenamed “Operation Rising Lion,” follows an earlier wave of Israeli strikes and reflects a calculated strategy expected to span nearly two weeks.
A senior Israeli official told the Wall Street Journal that “a single wave of attacks would not suffice,” and that targeting key facilities across multiple phases was essential to significantly degrade Iran’s strategic capabilities.
The first strike, launched on June 13, involved approximately 200 aircraft and included precision targeting of uranium enrichment sites such as Natanz and Fordo, missile-production facilities, senior IRGC bases, and residences of high-ranking commanders—leading to the reported deaths of Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and IRGC aerospace commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
In response, Iran launched over 100 Shahed drones toward Israeli territory. Air defense systems intercepted most drones, yet the barrage prompted airspace closures across Israel, Jordan, and Iraq. Regional civilian aviation—including Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and Amman’s Queen Alia Airport—suspended flights amid heightened risk.