Assassination of elite Iranian nuclear scientists by Israeli airstrikes.

The early hours of the day witnessed a dangerous escalation in the escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran, as Tel Aviv launched a wide-ranging attack targeting strategic sites inside Iranian territory, most notably the Jurf Al-Sakhar border crossing in Khuzestan province, in addition to sensitive nuclear and military facilities. According to Hebrew Channel 14, Hezbollah informed Iran just two hours before the Israeli strike began of movements indicating Israel's intention to launch an imminent attack. This security leak attributed to "Hezbollah intelligence" is believed to have contributed to Iran taking precautionary measures, which may prompt Israel to directly retaliate against the party later. Meanwhile, Israeli broadcasting authorities reported, citing officials, that the attack targeted at least 10 Iranian nuclear scientists in what was described as a precise operation against the minds behind the Iranian nuclear project. The assassination of Ahmad Reza Dhou al-Fakari, a nuclear engineering professor at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, was also confirmed in these strikes. Iranian reactions were swift, with the Iranian army and Revolutionary Guard announcing that "the armed forces are at the highest level of readiness" and Tehran threatening a "decisive and severe" response, affirming that "Netanyahu will receive a bitter lesson." US President Donald Trump commented on the escalation, saying, "We wait to see the response, and we will defend Israel if necessary," adding, "Some Iranian leaders will never return," and reiterating that his country still hopes for Iran to return to the negotiating table but emphasizing that "Iran possessing nuclear weapons is unacceptable." Regarding questions about the performance of Iranian air defenses, reports clarified that the density of missiles used in the attack exceeded the capability of any air defense system in the world to intercept them, in a scene reminiscent of previous failures of Israeli defenses despite their advancement, reflecting the scale and sudden nature of the strike. The recent escalation signals an explosion in the region, with strong possibilities of expanding the confrontation to involve other parties, a situation the world is anxiously watching.