Israel executed a wide-ranging military operation Friday night against Iran's nuclear installations, missile infrastructure, and command systems, including precision strikes targeting senior Iranian regime leadership and critical scientific personnel.
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, IDF Chief of Staff, declared Israel had reached "the point of no return, there was no alternative," as the Iranian regime achieved unparalleled advancement in recent months toward nuclear weapons development that would drastically transform Middle Eastern power dynamics and create an existential threat to Israel.
As Israel Hayom first disclosed this week, Iran has pursued accelerated development of a Nuclear weapon detonation mechanism over recent months – intelligence regarding this advancement activated all warning systems and clearly indicated Iran's dangerous approach to the "point of no return." Today, we can reveal that Iran has been working in recent weeks to modify its missile systems for future nuclear warhead deployment.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reporting indicates Iran expanded its 60% enriched uranium reserves to 900 pounds, increasing from 606 pounds in February. This stockpile quantity provides sufficient material for approximately 10 nuclear weapons if processed to 90% enrichment.
Nuclear weapons development demands expertise in three essential elements. First, fissile material comprising uranium enriched to 90% concentration or plutonium. Second, the detonation mechanism is termed the "weapons assembly," incorporating the "nuclear trigger" that compresses fissile material to initiate a nuclear reaction. Third, the delivery system – the missile platform that transports the nuclear warhead to its intended target. Iran has demonstrated substantial advancement across all three categories in recent months.
Our Wednesday publication detailed intelligence assessment disparities between Israel and the United States. American intelligence agencies partly evaluated Iranian technological development as constrained, while at least one additional Western intelligence service determined that the advancement posed genuine and serious threats.
The IDF spokesman disclosed unprecedented details Friday regarding Iranian nuclear progress that necessitated military action. "Recent months witnessed the accumulation of various intelligence indicating the Iranian regime's approach to the point of no return. Iranian regime efforts to produce thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium, combined with distributed and compact underground enrichment infrastructure, provide the regime capability to enrich uranium to military specifications for nuclear weapons achievement within abbreviated timeframes."
Definitive evidence
The IDF confirmed that "the Iranian regime advances clandestine technological development programs across all nuclear weapons development vectors. Recent months have demonstrated program acceleration, bringing the Iranian regime substantially closer to nuclear weapons achievement. This constitutes definitive evidence – the Iranian regime pursues nuclear weapons capability."
Iran's nuclear infrastructure spans multiple locations nationwide. Primary facilities encompass Natanz and Fordow – principal enrichment installations, with Fordow constructed deep underground and fortified with substantial concrete protection. Additional sites throughout Iran support uranium extraction, processing, centrifuge manufacturing for enrichment, and facilities developing the "weapons assembly" – the nuclear detonation system. Iran operates two nuclear reactors – the operational Bushehr reactor, which generates electricity, and Arak, whose core received concrete sealing under the 2015 agreement.
The "Talagan 2" installation at Parchin, approximately 19 miles southeast of Tehran, represents one of the most significant facilities identified recently. This location, targeted by Israel in October 2024, conducted detonation experiments supporting nuclear weapons research resumption and reportedly engaged in nuclear bomb core design activities.
Israel confronted an extraordinary challenge. Previous operations in Iraq (1981) and Syria (2007) eliminated single reactors, whereas this operation required coordinated strikes against dozens of targets. Complexity increased as Iran cultivated indigenous expertise. Numerous Iranian nuclear scientists developed decades of experience, making their elimination integral to the operation.
"An extremely complex situation"
Danny Sintirovitch, former Iran division chief in the Research Department, explained to Israel Hayom, "The primary objective undoubtedly involves maximally reducing Iran's remaining nuclear capabilities to prevent immediate nuclear breakout. However, the Israeli operation extends far beyond nuclear concerns, apparently attempting to minimize potential retaliation.
"We have initiated an extremely complex situation, effectively declaring war against Iran. Nuclear issues represent only one component – Iran possesses extensive conventional capabilities, including ballistic systems and drone operations. The regime now faces the critical decision whether to target American assets in response."
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy published an analysis in March outlining successful strike requirements – maximally reversing Iran's nuclear program, preventing broader conflict escalation, and enabling future program prevention efforts.
Considering accelerated Iranian development, Israeli operations pursued multiple critical objectives – eliminating Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles, substantially damaging enrichment infrastructure through destroying thousands of centrifuges across facilities, and neutralizing the 'weaponization' initiative – programs developing detonation mechanisms and nuclear warheads.
Previous Israeli operations successfully prevented nuclear weapons acquisition by Saddam Hussein and Bashar Assad through single decisive actions. Iran's program presents entirely different challenges – distributed infrastructure, enhanced protection, and deep indigenous knowledge.
Iranian control encompasses the complete nuclear production sequence from mining through enrichment. Destroying Iranian capabilities – centrifuges, testing facilities, processing, extraction, and additional infrastructure – proves essential to prevent situations where military action pushes Iran toward nuclear weapons development, precisely the outcome the operation intended to prevent.
