Israel’s air campaign against Iranian targets represents an unprecedented long-range operation for its relatively small air force.
The strikes, launched during the night of 12-13 June, are aimed at Iran’s nuclear programme, with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that Tehran is accelerating plans to obtain nuclear weapons and increasing its arsenal of ballistic missiles.
Media reports indicate that targets have included locations associated with Tehran’s nuclear effort, key personnel in the Iranian regime, including nuclear scientists, and missile product facilities.
Explosions were reported in the cities of Kermanshah, Tabriz, and Tehran.
Also struck was Natanz, Iran’s main facility for the enrichment of Uranium. The site is a particularly difficult target because a large part of the facility is buried deep underground.
Unlike Israel’s previous limited air strikes against Iran in April and October 2024, this campaign, named ‘Rising Lion’, looks set to last for days.
“Dozens of [Israeli air force] jets completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran,” the Israel Defence Forces says.
“Today, Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and the wider world.”
Israel did not specify the types of jets involved in the attack, but the reported strikes against specific members of the Iranian regime indicate that Israeli aircraft may have penetrated Iranian airspace to deliver precision munitions. Moreover, Natanz lies deep within Iranian territory.
Iraq has closed its airspace during the attack, suggesting that Israeli jets used Syrian and Iraqi airspace to reach Iran. Flight tracking sites show that airlines are giving Iranian airspace a wide berth by flying well to the north and south.
If Israeli fighters penetrated deep into Iranian airspace, the effort likely involved Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir fighters. FlightGlobal’s 2025 World Air Forces directory indicates that Israel operates 38 examples.
These jets are specially adapted to carry Israeli electronic warfare gear and weapons. These reportedly include ground attack munitions such as the Rafael Spice family, the Elbit Systems Rampage (carried externally), and the Delilah cruise missile.
In addition, Israel operates a powerful force of 174 Lockheed F-16C/Is and 66 Boeing F-15s of various variants, of which the F-15I is best suited for carrying heavy payloads.
Given its weapons capacity, the F-15I is probably the best aircraft to address the deeply buried bunkers of Natanz with the GBU-28, a 2,300kg (5,000lb) ‘bunker buster’ munition. Given that the F-15I is not stealthy like the F-35, Israel will need to aggressively shut down enemy air defences for a GBU-28 strike against Natanz.
Among specific Israeli standoff weapons, the Rampage offers the most utility. According to Elbit, it can be launched from a variety of aircraft against a broad spectrum of targets, including bunkers, air defence sites, and time critical targets. The weapon can be fitted with a penetration warhead to strike deep bunkers.
In addition, Israeli aircraft carry a range of US-supplied weapons, such as the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition.
Also playing a critical role will be Israel’s seven Boeing KC-707 tankers. These ageing assets will allow Israeli fighters to take off with full weapons payloads and a reduced fuel load. After becoming airborne, the fighters can top off from the tanker. Tankers will also support aircraft egressing from Iran.
Even more important will be Gulfstream G550 airborne early warning and control aircraft, coordinating Israeli forces and monitoring Iranian responses.
Israel is regarded as perhaps the best air force in the Middle East, but its small size poses a major test, especially given the vast geographical distances involved. That said, Israel has long been concerned about Iran’s nuclear programme. It is all but certain that it has refined very detailed strike plans with which its well-trained aircrew are highly familiar.
Rising Lion adds another chapter to Israeli strikes against nuclear programmes operated by rival nations.
In June 1981 the Israeli air force destroyed Iraq’s Osirik nuclear reactor near Baghdad. The attack involved eight F-16As in the strike role, along with six F-15As providing fighter cover.
In September 2007, F-15Is and F-16Is destroyed Syria’s secretive Al-Kabir nuclear reactor, which had been developed with help by North Korea. Unlike Rising Lion, this strike was conducted in secret and only revealed a year later.
Although these earlier strikes are better characterised as raids, Rising Lion appears similar in that it places a premium on precision and (in all likelihood) local air superiority. The campaign also likely aims to achieve maximum results with minimal losses – reports of lost Israeli aircraft have yet to emerge.
Iran, for its part, has retaliated with explosive drones, but Israel claims that it has been able to deal with this threat. Tehran’s air force is also no match for Israel’s and is unlikely to play a significant role in the conflict.
Given the dispersal of Iran’s nuclear weapons programme – with an eye to blunting the impact of Israeli or US airstrikes – Israel will likely need a few days to achieve all of its objectives. Moreover, Natanz is understood to be a very challenging target, potentially requiring multiple strikes to ensure its total destruction.
