Operation Rising Lion

Overview

This is a list of airstrikes and bombardments during the Twelve-Day War. The war began on 13 June 2025, when Israel attacked targets at more than a dozen locations across Iran. Under the codename Operation Rising Lion, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Mossad attacked key nuclear sites, military installations, and residential areas, including targeted assassinations of military and civilian personnel, many of whom were killed in their homes or in meetings. Beginning on the evening of 13 June, Iran initiated retaliatory strikes against Israel, under the codename Operation True Promise III. The operation consisted of ballistic missiles and drones targeting military sites, intelligence sites, and residential areas. Iran also threatened to target American, British, and French military bases if they provided assistance to Israel. On 22 June, the United States conducted Operation Midnight Hammer, which involved airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran responded by attacking U.S. bases in Iraq and Qatar as part of Operation Glad Tidings of Victory.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Rising Lion was the opening action of the Twelve-Day War, launched on 13 June 2025, when the Israel Defense Forces and Mossad struck targets at more than a dozen locations across Iran simultaneously. The operation targeted key nuclear sites, military installations, and residential areas, and included targeted assassinations of military and civilian personnel, a number of whom were killed in their homes or during meetings. By striking nuclear and military infrastructure in a single coordinated wave, the operation sought to degrade Iranian strategic capabilities. Its immediate consequence was Iranian retaliation under Operation True Promise III, which directed ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli military, intelligence, and residential sites, escalating the conflict into a sustained exchange. Operation Rising Lion also drew in the United States, which launched Operation Midnight Hammer against Iranian nuclear facilities on 22 June, prompting Iran to strike American bases in Iraq and Qatar. The operation thus set the trajectory of the entire twelve-day conflict, triggering a multilateral escalation that extended well beyond the initial Israeli-Iranian bilateral confrontation. Israeli casualties across the war reached 3,238.

Forces & casualties