Iran hit hard: Nuclear sites hit, commanders killed in Israel’s 'shadow' war

Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Israeli strikes targeted three main categories of sites in Iran: residences and military compounds where Iranian generals and nuclear scientists were present, nuclear facilities, and sensitive military sites.

- Targeted nuclear sites -

The most prominent target was the Natanz nuclear facility, one of Iran’s largest uranium enrichment centers. The strike reportedly destroyed the facility without causing casualties or radiation leaks, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. 

The attack carries significant technical and symbolic weight.

Also targeted was the Khondab nuclear complex in central Iran, a facility capable of producing material for nuclear weapons. While Israel said it struck the site, Iranian authorities claimed the explosion occurred at the city's entrance where the complex is located, not inside the facility.

Bushehr, another nuclear site, was not targeted. Located near Gulf countries, the facility is used for power generation, not uranium enrichment. That may be one reason Israel avoided striking it.

- Sensitive military targets -

Iran confirmed that a site in Khorramabad, in western Iran, was hit. It houses a strategic air base belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

Israel did not name the exact location but said it was in the west, confirming the destruction of the base along with air defense systems, radars and surface-to-air missile launchers — effectively weakening Iran’s deterrence capabilities.

The city of Tabriz, in northwestern Iran, was also struck. The targeted sites reportedly included ballistic missile systems and weapons storage facilities.

In Shiraz, a missile production plant was destroyed.

- High-level assassinations -

Residences and compounds belonging to senior Iranian commanders were also targeted, particularly in Tehran. 

Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami was reportedly killed at IRGC headquarters while performing what Iranian officials described as sensitive national security duties.

Senior Revolutionary Guards commander Gholam Ali Rashid, was also killed at his residence.

Prominent Iranian nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi were both targeted and killed in their homes.