Operation Rising Lion: Day 6

Mission Brief: June 17, 2025

We’re in Day 6 of our Rising Lion Operation, a concentrated effort to eliminate the existential threat that Iran’s nuclear program and massive ballistic missiles stocks pose.

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Coming up to speed on this operation?

In recent months, we gathered intelligence that the Iranian regime is approaching the point of no return, enabling the regime to obtain a nuclear weapon in a short period of time. Here’s the deep dive into the operational “Rising Lion”’s context

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Before I continue…

I’m Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, the IDF Spokesperson for International Media. Help us cut through the fake news and bots by sharing this post, either on Substack or with your friends.

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Let’s dive in to this latest update..

Day 6…but this didn’t just start last week.

This is the result of years of planning, long nights, and constant vigilance. Everyone is playing their part—from the analysts to the planners to to pilots navigating the skies of Tehran with near impunity.

As Major General Shlomi Binder, Head of the Intelligence Directorate, told his teams yesterday:

“From extraordinary challenges, you led us to an extraordinary achievement. I am proud of you and I trust you. Stay humble, stay modest, and keep moving forward.”

Words worth remembering.

Now let’s talk about what some of the extraordinary achievements Major General Binder was referring to…

Top Iranian Commander Eliminated

Last night, the IDF eliminated Ali Shadmani, Iran’s War-Time Chief of Staff and de-facto top military commander. Acting on emerging intelligence, Israeli aircraft struck a secret staffed command center deep in the heart of Tehran, eliminating Shadmani.

Shadmani held the role for all of four days after replacing his already-eliminated predecessor.

Shadmani’s Dossier:

• Commanded the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Army

• Was responsible for managing Iran’s firepower plans and combat operations across the region.

• Before his predecessor’s elimination, Shadmani was the Deputy Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command center

• He had also served as the Head of the Operations Directorate in the General Staff forum of the Iranian Armed Forces.

His death marks another blow to Iran’s senior military leadership and further degrades its chain of command. Iranian military leaders have learned our ability to carry out quick and precise operations against any commander who threatens us.

Iranian commanders are on the run.

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Inside the Operation: Intelligence + Air Superiority

We’re fighting 1,500 kilometers from home. And we’re doing it with precision.

Thanks to total aerial superiority over Tehran and a clear intelligence edge, our forces continue to:

• Strike components of Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure, hitting some 200 missile launchers so far

• Disrupt the regime’s nuclear weapons development program through a series of hits on sites including the Natantz enrichment facility, Isfahan, a centrifuge production facility, ten nuclear scientists behind the nuclear weapon program and more

• Target the highest echelons of Iran’s military leadership, with over 20 senior commanders targeted
  

But wars aren’t only won in dramatic, high-value attacks.

They also accrue from the day to day operations.

As Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar told his soldiers a few days ago:

“Every launcher we dismantle at this point is saving lives in the State of Israel. Work professionally, objectively, with humility and in cooperation, and we will achieve our objectives. I trust you. Keep it up.”

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The Threat to Israel Continues

Despite the success of these strikes, Iran has fired nearly 400 ballistic missiles—each with hundreds of kilograms of explosives—directly at Israeli civilians.

This number is far lower than it could have been - we have carried out actions to thwart those missiles from being fired at real time and have seen the barrages dwindle from over 100 in the first nights to “just” 30 over the past day

Still, millions of Israelis are being sent to shelters—multiple times a day. And yesterday evening, it was announced that three people had been killed in the previous night's strike on a refinery in Haifa.

As the Israel Defense Forces, we don’t take that lightly.

This is exactly why we’re acting. Because if this is what Iran can do with hundreds of missiles… imagine thousands. Or worse.

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On the Ground in Gaza

While much of the world’s attention is on Tehran, we continue our mission in Gaza to dismantle Hamas and bring back the 53 remaining hostages.

Yesterday, we mourned two more soldiers:

• Staff Sergeant Naveh Leshem

• Captain (Res.) Tal Movshovitz

Both were in the Golani Brigade and killed in action by an IED.

May their memories be a blessing.

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Through the pain, the soldiers around me are driven.

I see it every day.

We are brought together by an incredibly powerful vision - one of safety, without the threat of Iran’s nuclear program looming over us.

And, so, we will continue to act, decisively and precisely, until the threat is neutralized.

Help us make that clear. Share this with someone who is following the conflict and needs info directly from the source.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani

IDF Spokesperson to International Media

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