Operation Rising Lion aimed to halt Iran’s alarming progress toward nuclear weapons. Key scientists were eliminated simultaneously in their homes, striking at the heart of the development effort.
Operation Rising Lion, a surprise mission inside Iran, was revealed Sunday evening by Channel 12 News as a direct response to the Islamic Republic’s accelerated and alarming progress toward developing nuclear weapons.
According to the report, Iran has made a significant leap in its ability to assemble a nuclear device in a shorter time than previously estimated.
A covert group of Iranian scientists had been working under the radar, raising concerns among Israel’s defense and intelligence communities. Once it became clear that the nuclear program was advancing rapidly, Israeli authorities decided to directly target those leading the effort.
The report stated that Iran possessed 408 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, along with a well-established industrial infrastructure that had been active for some time. These factors combined led Israeli officials to fear a drastic reduction in the time required for Iran to produce a nuclear weapon.
The coordinated elimination of the scientists, codenamed Operation Narnia, marked the opening phase of the mission. In a precisely timed strike, nine scientists were killed simultaneously in their homes, preventing early warnings that could have resulted from staggered eliminations. A tenth operative was eliminated at a later stage.
It was also reported that the scientists had been under close surveillance for years, with Israeli intelligence maintaining exceptionally tight oversight throughout.
