By 8 am, the Israel Air Force had carried out at least six waves of attacks, having effectively achieved air superiority in the skies over Iran.

Israeli officials said the operation could last days, until the threat of a nuclear ayatollah regime was eliminated.

The following is a collection of official IDF statements issued over the course of the morning explaining what was happening.

Senior leadership taken out

In the initial waves, more than 200 Israel Air Force fighter jets, guided by precise intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate, struck over 100 targets across Iran, including the hideouts of senior operatives in the Iranian military leadership.

The strikes eliminated the three most senior military commanders of the Iranian regime:

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Iranian regime, Mohammad Hossein Bagheri
Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami
Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya (Emergency Command), Gholam-Ali Rashid

IDF reveals the Iranian plan to destroy Israel

For years, the Iranian regime has been waging a direct and indirect campaign of terror against the State of Israel by developing a nuclear weapon, developing advanced long-range missiles and warheads, and funding and directing terror proxies across the Middle East. The goal of destroying the State of Israel is rooted in the founding principles of the extremist regime, and leaders of the regime have openly proclaimed this.

In recent years, and especially since the beginning of the current war, the IDF Intelligence Directorate has collected and analyzed vast quantities of intelligence materials that reveal the regime has a concrete plan to destroy the State of Israel, which they call "The Destruction of Israel Plan."

In parallel to the efforts of the Iranian regime to obtain nuclear weapons, the regime has focused on manufacturing tens of thousands of missiles and UAVs, and are advancing plans for a combined ground offensive against Israel on multiple fronts simultaneously.

Materials collected during the war show the coordination between the Iranian regime and the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, including after the October 7th Massacre, which demonstrates how the regime plans to re-arm the terrorist organizations.

The State of Israel was left with no choice. The IDF is obligated to act in order to defend the citizens of the State of Israel and will continue to do so.

Information on the Iranian nuclear project

In recent months, accumulated intelligence has provided evidence that the Iranian regime is approaching the point of no return. The convergence of the Iranian regime's efforts to produce thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium, alongside decentralized and fortified enrichment compounds in underground facilities, enables the Iranian regime to enrich uranium to military-grade levels, enabling the regime to obtain a nuclear weapon within a short period of time. Additionally, in recent years, and more so since the beginning of the war, concrete progress has been identified in the Iranian regime's efforts to produce weapons components adapted for a nuclear bomb.

The Iranian regime has been working for decades to obtain a nuclear weapon. The world has attempted every possible diplomatic path to stop it, but the regime has refused to stop.

The IDF is revealing for the first time that the Iranian regime is advancing a secret plan for the technological advancement of all parts of the development of a nuclear weapon. In the framework of this plan, senior nuclear scientists in Iran have been working to secretly develop all components needed for developing a nuclear weapon.

In recent months, this program has accelerated significantly, bringing the regime significantly closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon. This is clear evidence that the Iranian regime is operating to obtain a nuclear weapon.

The State of Israel has been left with no choice. The IDF has the obligation to act in defense of the civilians of Israel and will continue to do so.

Point of no return

IDF Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir told his troops that "the time has come, we are at the point of no return. We cannot afford to wait for another time to operate, we have no other choice. Recent and past events of history have taught us that when the enemy is attempting to destroy us, we must not turn a blind eye. We need to fight for our survival, freedom is granted to those willing to fight for it."

"We are amidst an historic campaign unlike any other. This is a critical operation to prevent an existential threat, by an enemy who is intent on destroying us," stressed Zamir. "Right now, we need, more than ever, bravery, spirit and unity among us. I promise you that the IDF's operations are being conducted as a result of immediate and justified operational needs and in a secure and precise manner. It is necessary at this time to make difficult decisions and be confident that all the decisions made are taken with the gravity of the situation."

The IDF chief cautioned that he "can't promise absolute success," and warned that "the Iranian regime will attempt to attack us in response, and the expected toll will be different to what we are used to."

Rising Lion

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a prerecorded statement to the nation and the world said Israel had waited as long as it possibly could to allow for some other solution, any other solution. But given Iran's continued intransigence and its dangerous advancement toward a nuclear weapon, the Jewish state was finally compelled to act. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

The name of the operation, "Rising Lion" as Netanyahu officially dubbed it in English, is in Hebrew "Am ke'Lavi", which comes from the Book of Numbers (23:24):

Behold the nation rises like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.

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