Israeli military radio reported today that an official from the Israeli Mossad indicated the list of targets assassinated in Iran is unprecedentedly long.
According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, two prominent Iranian nuclear scientists, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi, were killed in Israeli attacks today.
In another development, Iranian television confirmed the death of the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, in an Israeli airstrike. Reuters reported that the Iranian military has become “headless” following these recent Israeli strikes. The agency highlighted a significant possibility that Israel could target all members of the Iranian General Staff, including the Chief of Staff and senior nuclear scientists, in this initial strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Israel aimed at senior officials involved in Iran’s nuclear program during the attack. He stated that this operation would severely damage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, military capabilities, and ballistic missile factories. Netanyahu noted, “We struck at the heart of the Iranian nuclear enrichment program and its weapons development, targeting key Iranian nuclear scientists working on an Iranian bomb.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant issued a formal statement following the preemptive strike, warning of expected missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilians in the near future. He mentioned that, in accordance with civilian defense law, he signed a special order imposing a comprehensive state of emergency across Israel, urging the population to adhere to directives from the Home Front Command and remain in fortified areas.
This escalation in tensions highlights the ongoing conflict and the potential for further violence in the region. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop, but having clear responses in terms of civil defense could help mitigate the impacts on Israeli civilians.