The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday that its fighter jets, guided by the IDF's Intelligence Directorate, had successfully eliminated nine senior Iranian nuclear scientists and experts. The precision strikes were carried out early Friday morning at the onset of an Israeli operation in Iran. According to the IDF statement, these individuals were crucial "knowledge centers" within the Iranian nuclear project, possessing decades of invaluable experience in the development of nuclear weapons. Their expertise spanned various critical fields, including nuclear engineering, physics, chemical engineering, materials engineering, and mechanics.

Israel's military asserted that a primary objective behind its airstrikes against Iran was to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing nuclear arms. However, Iran has consistently refuted these claims, repeatedly denying any intentions of pursuing nuclear weapons.

The extensive Israeli airstrikes on Friday targeted not only Tehran but also other cities across Iran. In addition to the nuclear scientists, several high-ranking Iranian military officials were also reportedly killed in these operations. These included Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces; Hossein Salami, Chief Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC); Gholam-Ali Rashid, Commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters; and Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division.

In a swift response to the Israeli attacks, the IRGC declared late Friday that it had launched a retaliatory military operation. This operation targeted "tens of" military centers and aerial bases located within Israel, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.