Iran–Israel war

The operation targeted nuclear facilities, military sites, and regime infrastructure in Iran. It killed several top military leaders—most notably Hossein Salami, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Mohammed Bagheri, the chief of staff of the armed forces—as well as several nuclear scientists.

Iran and Israel both have formidable military might. Iran has a general advantage in numbers, with some 600,000 active personnel (and 350,000 reservists) compared to Israel’s 170,000 (and 450,000 reservists). Iran also has a greater amount of tanks, artillery, and naval force, and has cultivated an expansive network of allied militant groups and state-controlled armed forces (known as the Axis of Resistance) that are bolstered by its clandestine Quds Force. Israel has an advantage in technology and air force, as well as one of the world’s most effective intelligence services. In strikes in 202

The confrontations followed years of enmity between the two countries during which Iran extended its military reach in the region, directed hostility toward Israel, and built a nuclear program. The Israel-Hamas War, which diminished some of Iran’s allies and revealed Iran’s military vulnerabilities, brought matters to a head.