Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on Iran early Friday, reportedly hitting key nuclear sites and military installations. The attack triggered a series of explosions across Tehran, lighting up the night sky. Among the footage circulating online was a clip from a security camera showing a massive building engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing into the air.
One of the widely shared clips came from the X account ‘Oli London,’ who posted the video with the caption: “Building goes up in flames in Tehran following Israeli airstrikes.”
Watch the video:
Building goes up in flames in Tehran following Israeli airstrikes. pic.twitter.com/GE9JWNcsGF
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) June 13, 2025
Israeli airstrikes kill top IRGC commander in Tehran
In a dramatic escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of “Operation Rising Lion” during a televised address. “Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” Netanyahu said, adding that the offensive would continue “for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”
The operation has already led to one of the most significant blows to Iran’s leadership in recent memory. Major General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was confirmed killed after Israeli airstrikes struck the IRGC headquarters in Tehran early Friday. Iranian state media confirmed his death, alongside reports that at least three other senior Iranian officials were also killed.
Explosions echoed through Tehran and several other Iranian cities, with reports from the Associated Press indicating that Israel’s military also struck Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility.
Responding to the attacks, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the strikes, and warned Israel of grave consequences. “Israel opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to a crime in our beloved country,” Khamenei said, promising that Israel would face “severe punishment” for what he described as a direct attack on Iran’s sovereignty.
What is the Israel-Iran conflict?
Tensions have spiked after the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors passed a resolution on Thursday formally rebuking Iran for its lack of cooperation with nuclear inspectors, marking the first formal censure in two decades.
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In a swift reaction, Iran revealed plans to set up a third uranium enrichment facility and enhance its centrifuge technology.
Although Tehran maintains that its nuclear ambitions are purely civilian, both the United States of America and Israel remain convinced that Iran is edging closer to acquiring the capability to produce nuclear weapons. According to the AP, Iran could, in theory, assemble multiple warheads within months. However, American intelligence agencies currently assess that Iran does not have an active weapons program.
