Israel vows to “eliminate” enemies following major strikes on Iran

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that Israel is prepared to eliminate its adversaries following the country’s large-scale airstrikes on Iranian soil, which targeted facilities linked to Tehran’s nuclear and military programs.

“The precise targeting of senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian military, and nuclear scientists — all of whom were involved in advancing the plan to destroy Israel — sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel’s destruction will be eliminated,” Katz said in an official statement, quoted by foreign media.

He further warned that Iran “would pay an increasingly heavy price the longer it continues its aggressive actions.”

His remarks came after Israel carried out a wave of coordinated air raids across Iran in the early hours of June 13. The Israeli Air Force reportedly executed at least five distinct strikes, hitting more than a dozen strategic sites believed to be tied to Iran’s nuclear weapons research and ballistic missile development.

The attack followed a televised statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who confirmed the launch of a broad military campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces had successfully hit the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, as well as targets connected to Iran’s missile program and research infrastructure.

Despite Israel’s claims, Iranian officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant had not been hit, and no abnormal radiation levels were recorded at Natanz. Similarly, there were no reports of damage at other major nuclear sites, including the Isfahan and Fordow enrichment facilities.

The Israeli assault represents one of the most extensive direct attacks on Iran in recent years, both in scale and in strategic impact. The airstrikes reportedly resulted in the deaths of several top Iranian figures. Among those confirmed killed were Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, and General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC has acknowledged Salami’s death.

Also reported among the casualties were Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s former national security chief, and multiple senior officers and nuclear scientists.

Hours after the strikes, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of “severe punishment” for Israel. Around the same time, the Israeli military said it had intercepted approximately 100 drones launched toward its territory, heightening fears of a broader regional conflict.

By Tamilla Hasanova