• الرئيسية
• المشهد الدولي

Both Iran and Israel confirmed on Saturday the death of nine senior Iranian nuclear scientists and experts as a result of Israeli airstrikes targeting sites within the Islamic Republic, in the ongoing military escalation that began on Friday.

According to an official statement from the Israeli Defense Forces, the airstrikes targeted key scientific figures described as “active minds” behind Iran's nuclear program. The statement noted that each of them had decades of experience in critical fields such as nuclear physics, atomic and chemical engineering, and materials science.

The Israeli statement said: “Nine senior scientists and experts involved in the development of Iran’s nuclear weapons program have been eliminated.” It added that the strikes were carried out based on precise intelligence tracking their movements.

Meanwhile, Iranian state television announced the deaths of three additional nuclear scientists in the Israeli attacks: Ali Baghaei Karimi, Mansour Asghari, and Saeed Borji.

Earlier, Iranian media had reported the deaths of six scientists in the strikes, bringing the total number of confirmed fatalities to nine since the bombardment began Friday evening.

According to both Iranian and Israeli sources, the following names were confirmed among the deceased:

Fereydoun Abbasi – Atomic Engineering Expert

Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi – Physics Expert

Akbar Motlabzadeh – Chemical Engineering Expert

Saeed Borji – Materials Engineering Expert

Amir Hassan Fekri – Physics Expert

Abdulhamid Manouchehr – Nuclear Reactor Physics Expert

Mansour Askari – Physics Expert

Ahmad Reza Zolfaqari Daryani – Atomic Engineering Expert

Ali Baghaei Karimi – Mechanical Engineering Expert

What Happened in the Initial Attack?
At dawn on Friday, June 12, 2025, Israel launched a wide-scale military operation targeting strategic sites inside Iran, including nuclear facilities such as Natanz and Fordow, missile bases, and high-ranking military leaders, including nuclear scientists and senior IRGC commanders. According to Iranian reports, the assault killed approximately 78 people, including 20 children.

Over 200 Israeli aircraft participated in the operation, deploying around 300 precision bombs, missiles, and explosive drones, according to Israeli military sources quoted by al-Mashhad al-Yemeni. The airstrikes hit high-value targets, including the Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities, Parchin airbases, and air defense and ballistic missile installations.

The Israeli military confirmed the operation specifically targeted Iran’s surface-to-surface missile systems, stating that the strikes were based on “precise intelligence.” Tel Aviv declared it was acting according to a “systematic and gradual plan” to achieve strategic goals.

In response, Iran acknowledged the death of several senior military leaders, including IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, in addition to multiple leading nuclear scientists — a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program.

Iranian Retaliation (Night of June 13–14)
On the night between June 13 and 14, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel, killing three Israelis and injuring dozens, despite many projectiles being intercepted by air defense systems.

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed to “burn Tehran to the ground” if Iranian attacks continued. In turn, Iran threatened to strike U.S., British, and French military and naval bases if those countries assisted in intercepting Iranian missiles.

Waves of Iranian Counterattack
The Israeli military reported that seven of its soldiers were lightly wounded on Friday after an Iranian missile struck central Israel. They were taken to hospital but later discharged.

Iran launched a sixth wave of ballistic missiles toward Israel early Saturday. Al Jazeera quoted a U.S. official predicting the confrontation could last a full week.

Iranian media reported that Iranian air defenses were activated in multiple regions, including Isfahan and Kermanshah, in response to ongoing Israeli attacks.

Iran began what it called a "crushing retaliation" by firing hundreds of missiles at Israeli territory. Israeli media described a “very serious incident” in Tel Aviv.

Israeli emergency services confirmed three fatalities and 172 injuries from the Iranian strikes, noting “unprecedented destruction” in the Greater Tel Aviv area.