Operation Rising Lion: Two More Nuclear Sites Targeted

Mission Brief: June 19, 2025

Early this morning (Thursday), a massive ballistic missile slammed into the Soroka Hospital; a hospital that cares for over one million residents of southern Israel; Jews, Christians, and Arabs alike.

As my team and I were debriefed, our stomachs dropped. A ballistic missile with many hundreds of kilograms of explosives. On a hospital.

Miraculously, this area of the hospital was mostly evacuated only yesterday.

But we cannot rely on miracles when facing this enemy.

Which is why we continue with Operation “Rising Lion”.

We are on day seven of this historic operation, degrading the Iranian regime’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

In this issue of Mission Brief, I’ll share:

• A clip from a briefing that my commander, IDF Spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, conducted at the scene of the impact earlier today.

• An explanation of the Iranian nuclear sites targeted last night by Israeli aircraft

• An overview of IDF activity over the past day, ranging from Iran to Gaza to Lebanon

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Direct From Soroka Hospital

See below for a clip from my commander, IDF Spokesperson, BG Effie Defrin:

”We cannot allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. We cannot allow Iran to obtain ballistic missiles. It is an existential threat for Israel.”

And now, on to what’s been happening in the operation.

The Daily Update

The Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program

In recent months, we accumulated evidence that the Iranian regime is approaching the point of no return, enabling the regime to obtain a nuclear weapon within a short period of time.

We are removing the threat from the root - precisely striking Iranian military sites, focusing on ballistic missile capabilities, launchers, nuclear weapon capabilities and more.

Last night, as part of a broader sortie of 40 IAF fighter jets striking dozens of targets, two additional nuclear weapon targets were targeted:

The Nuclear Reactor in Arak

The nuclear reactor in Arak was built to produce weapons-grade plutonium. Construction started in 1997 but the site was never completed; the international community intervened, demanding that it be downgraded to only support civilian-level enrichment.

The Iranians refused.

The regime deliberately ordered that the conversion of the facility to civilian-use only not take place.

So yesterday, as part of the operation, the IDF targeted the site.

The strike targeted key components used for plutonium production, preventing the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development.

And it leaves the world a safer place.

Natanz

The second site targeted last night was in Natanz.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because in the opening salvo of the operation, the IDF targeted Natanz, the largest uranium enrichment site in Iran and one which has operated for years to achieve nuclear weapons capability. During the strikes, the underground area of the site was damaged, including the multi-story enrichment hall with centrifuges, electrical rooms, and additional supporting infrastructure.

Last night, the IDF continued activity there, striking a nuclear weapons development site in Natanz.

This site contained specialized equipment used to advance nuclear weapons development, and projects designed to accelerate the regime’s nuclear program were hosted there.

Additional Military

Targets

Activity against the Iranian ballistic missile program continued as well. As a reminder, the Iranians started this operation with some 2,000 ballistic missiles - just the kind that slammed into Soroka hospital today - and had short-term plans to scale production to 8,000 missiles.

During strikes last night, the IDF targeted military production sites belonging to the Iranian regime, including factories producing raw materials, components used in assembling ballistic missiles, and sites for the production of Iranian air defense systems and missiles.

Strikes on Iranian military targets continued today.

For example, at about 14:00 Israel time, a wave of about 20 IAF aircraft completed strikes on surface-to-surface missile infrastructure sites, launchers and Iranian military forces.

Another example, using round-the-clock intelligence, the IAF identified the movement of trucks with surface-to-surface missiles… and targeted trucks were struck when they arrived at the launch sites.

The IDF has and will continue to exercise its aerial superiority. For example, in another instance, the IAF destroyed eight Iranian attack helicopters in a number of strikes.

This aerial superiority is a key component of the IAF's operations in Iran, enabling the continued maintenance of aerial superiority in the region.

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Combating Iran’s Proxy Armies

In addition to striking in Iran, we are simultaneously striking in Yemen, targeting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, and fighting Hamas, targeting all terrorism sponsored by the Iranian regime.

During the past few days in Lebanon, we eliminated two Hezbollah commanders - working towards rearming themselves in preparation for more attacks against the State of Israel.

These terrorists continued to advance terror activity in southern Lebanon, violating the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

In Gaza, we are continuing our mission to dismantle Hamas and bring back the 53 remaining hostages.

Tragically, yesterday, we announced that another soldier had fallen in action - Staff Sergeant Stav Halfon. May his memory be a blessing.

Zooming Out

Thanks to our soldiers' bravery and precision, as well as the Israeli people’s continued vigilance and courage, through the loss and hardships, we have had the privilege of seeing with our own eyes the remarkable effects of our historic fight against evil.

As the IDF Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, put in a letter sent today to every IDF soldier and commander:

“Our strength depends on our unparalleled humanity.

I am proud of the privilege to be your commander at this time.

I am proud of your spirit, proud of your commitment, and of your heroism.

Today, our actions are speaking - and history is being written. We advance together - with determination, humility, unity, responsibility, and with faith in the justice of our cause.

"A nation rises like a lioness, and lifts itself like a lion." (Numbers 23:24)

May we continue to rise.

LTC Nadav Shoshani

IDF Spokesperson for International Media