By Abiola Olawale
Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to crush Iran over “nuclear ambitions” against his country.
Netanyahu made this declaration after Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear and military facilities.
Netanyahu, in a fiery televised address, said that the operation which is dubbed “Rising Lion”, is a critical mission to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”
“In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before, steps to weaponise this enriched uranium.
“If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year. It could be within a few months, or less than a year. This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival,” he added.
The New Diplomat reports that in the early hours of Friday, Israel’s military unleashed over 200 fighter jets, dropping more than 330 munitions on over 100 targets across Iran, including the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
According to reports, the operation delivered a devastating blow to Iran’s military hierarchy.
Among the casualties were General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, and Ali Shamkhani, a key advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian state media reported six nuclear scientists were also killed, further.
Iran responded with fury, launching over 100 drones toward Israel in a retaliatory strike, though Israeli forces claimed to have neutralized most of them.
