After a week of war between Israel and Iran, the hidden motives behind Israel’s attack on Iran have been revealed. During the first attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the military operation, called Operation Rising Lion, was aimed at targeting the heart of Iran’s nuclear development centers. Netanyahu emphasized that if it were not stopped, Iran could develop nuclear weapons shortly. Israel assured that the attacks were directed at Iranian military leaders, uranium enrichment centers, and nuclear experts in Iran.
On June 12, 2025, the Israeli Defense Minister called on residents living in Tehran’s District 18 to immediately evacuate their homes. District 18 consists of military buildings surrounded by residential areas. A few hours after the call, the first Israeli attack was carried out at 3:00 a.m. on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Just a few hours later, Iran retaliated against the Israeli attack by launching ballistic missiles at several Israeli military centers and air bases. The operation was named True Promise 3.
Mutual attacks then escalated between Israel and Iran. By Saturday, June 21, 2025, Israeli attacks had reportedly killed 639 people and injured 2,500 in Iran. Meanwhile, Iran’s retaliatory attacks in Israel had killed 24 people and injured 240.
More than 200 Israeli fighter jets launched attacks on more than 100 nuclear, military, and infrastructure targets in Iran, including the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.
In an interview with Fox News on June 15, 2025, it was revealed that the motive behind the attack on Iran was not merely to destroy Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, but to overthrow the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Prime Minister Netanyahu believed that efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities could be achieved if the Iranian leader were overthrown. Netanyahu considers the current Iranian leader to be a tyrant who constantly sends messages about the destruction of Israel and the United States and deprives the Iranian people of hope.
This motivation explains why, in recent days, Israeli attacks on Iran have also targeted government offices, police stations, and the national television headquarters.
Image: Iranian Military and Nuclear Facilities
Source: Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/13/israel-kills-nuclear-scientists-strikes-sites-in-iran-who-did-it-target
Author: YP Hermawan
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXOR6ebjBJo
References:
Israel warns 300,000 people in Tehran to evacuate as Trump issues ominous message. https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-06-16-2025-c98074e62ce5afd4c3f6d33edaffa069
Lana Lam, Sofia Ferreira Santos, Jaroslav Lukiv & Nathan WilliamsIsrael-Iran: How did latest conflict start and where could it lead? https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdj9vj8glg2o
Iran and Israel continue trading strikes, as Iranian official says the US can end the conflict with one call, https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-conflict-06-20-25-intl-hnk
Israel-Iran conflict live updates: Fresh attacks as Trump sets two-week deadline for U.S. action https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/live-blog/israel-iran-live-updates-trump-two-week-deadline-us-action-uk-eu-talk-rcna214040
The Latest: Israel threatens Iran’s supreme leader as Iranian strikes wound over 200 https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-iran-war-latest-06-19-2025-14b868f4514a7c337d5b9859de130bf0
