'Massive Explosion' Reported Following Israeli Drone Strike on Iranian Oil Facility, Says Iranian Media<br /><br />Israel has reportedly initiated Operation Rising Lion, a large-scale campaign involving air and drone strikes targeting over 100 Iranian military and nuclear facilities. Key sites affected include Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan, and Tehran. The coordinated offensive allegedly resulted in the deaths of senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), high-ranking officials, and six nuclear scientists.<br /><br />Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strikes as a preemptive measure to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “We will target every facility and objective of the Ayatollah regime,” he declared, emphasizing that Israel’s conflict is not with the Iranian people. “I believe your day of freedom is near,” he added.<br /><br />In response, Iran launched a retaliatory barrage of drones and ballistic missiles aimed at several Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Although the majority were intercepted—with support from the U.S.—at least three fatalities and dozens of injuries were reported. Air-raid sirens were activated across numerous cities.<br /><br />Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz responded with a stark warning: “If Khamenei continues these missile attacks, Tehran will face devastating consequences.”<br /><br />The escalating conflict prompted the United Nations to convene an emergency session of the Security Council. Western leaders appealed for calm and urged both nations to step back from the brink. Former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the crisis could reopen diplomatic discussions, giving Iran a “60-day deadline” to rejoin talks.<br /><br />In Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed severe retaliation against Israel and withdrew from scheduled nuclear negotiations in Oman. Government-led rallies expressed public support for the regime, though some citizens reportedly expressed muted approval of the Israeli attacks and a desire for political reform.<br /><br />This confrontation marks the most overt and extensive clash between the two nations, surpassing years of shadow warfare and covert operations.
