From 'Rising Lion' to 'True Promise III': How 12 Days of War Nearly Ignited World War Three

Israel-Iran War — The devastated buildings in Tehran depict the outcome of the 12 days of war between Israel and Iran which nearly ignited World War Three. Instagram

The most dangerous twelve days in modern Middle Eastern history ended with a fragile ceasefire on 24 June 2025, after Israel's devastating 'Operation Rising Lion' and Iran's retaliatory 'Operation True Promise III' , and America's nuclear-targeting 'Operation Midnight Hammer' brought the world closer to global conflict than any crisis since the Cuban Missile standoff.

What began as Israel's pre-emptive nuclear strikes against Iran transformed into a regional conflagration that killed hundreds of civilians, triggered massive refugee movements, and forced US President Donald Trump to broker an emergency ceasefire between two nations whose mutual destruction could have spiralled beyond control.

Operation Rising Lion: Israel's Nuclear Gambit That Shattered Iranian Command

Israel launched surprise attacks on key military and nuclear facilities in Iran on 13 June 2025, using over 200 fighter jets to drop more than 330 munitions on about 100 targets.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's audacious gamble aimed to cripple Iran's nuclear programme permanently, targeting the critical Natanz uranium enrichment facility alongside Tehran's military elite.

The operation's devastating precision shocked international observers. Israeli forces assassinated Iran's prominent military leaders, nuclear scientists, and politicians, including Major General Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC commander Hossein Salami, and at least 10 leading nuclear scientists.

Beyond personnel targets, the strikes systematically dismantled Iran's air defence network and damaged nuclear infrastructure across 18 of Iran's 31 provinces.

Reports indicated that the operation's extraordinary preparation: Israeli Mossad agents had spent months pre-positioning explosive drones and precision weapons inside Iran, establishing covert bases near Tehran that bypassed Iranian early-warning systems entirely.

Iran's 'True Promise III' Unleashes Regional Chaos

Iran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at military bases and air bases under the codename Operation True Promise III, including more than 100 Shahed drones. The counter-strike targeted Israeli population centres, with missiles striking Tel Aviv's military headquarters and civilian areas, marking Iran's most aggressive direct assault on Israeli territory.

The Iranian response extended far beyond missiles. Tehran activated its regional proxy network, with Houthi forces launching attacks from Yemen whilst threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint for 20% of global oil supplies. Syrian forces engaged Israeli aircraft, and Iranian-backed militias across Iraq mobilised against American bases in the region.

Iranian State media reported that at least 78 people had been killed and more than 300 wounded in Israel's attack overnight, with most of the casualties being civilians, providing Tehran with the justification for its massive retaliation campaign.

Two previous attacks in April 2024 and October 2024 had similar names, demonstrating Iran's escalating response capability against Israeli targets.

Operation Midnight Hammer: America's Nuclear Intervention

The United States Air Force and Navy attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran as part of the Iran–Israel war. The attack, which was given the codename Operation Midnight Hammer, was the United States's first offensive action in the Iran–Israel war.

UNPRECEDENTED MILITARY OPERATION:

Aircraft Deployed: 7 B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, 125 total aircraft
Weapons Used: 14 GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bombs
Additional Munitions: 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles from USS Georgia submarine
Mission Duration: 18-hour non-stop flight from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri
Targets: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called the attack 'an incredible and overwhelming success.' 'The operation President Trump planned was bold, and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back'.

According to him, six B-2s dropped twelve GBU-57A/B MOP bombs on the Fordow facility, and the seventh B-2 dropped two MOPs on Natanz. A submarine also fired 30 Tomahawk missiles at the Natanz and Isfahan sites. The operation marked the first combat use of the MOP bunker-buster bombs.

Civilian Casualties Mount as Regional War Spreads

Iranian authorities said 610 people were killed in their country by Israeli strikes and 4,746 injured. Iran's retaliatory bombardment killed 28 people in Israel, the first time its air defences were penetrated by large numbers of Iranian missiles.

The war's geographic scope stunned military analysts: The Red Crescent Society said Israel had attacked 18 of the 31 provinces of Iran, whilst Iranian missiles reached targets across Israel from the Lebanese border to the Red Sea coast.

Civilian infrastructure suffered extensive damage. Much of Tehran, a capital city of 10 million people, has emptied out, with residents fleeing to the countryside to escape Israeli bombardment. Israeli cities experienced unprecedented missile penetration, with at least 42 people injured in the central city of Rehovot and several campus buildings at The Weizmann Institute of Science struck.

Trump's Emergency Diplomacy Prevents Global Catastrophe

As the two countries lifted civilian restrictions after 12 days of war - which the US joined on day nine - Trump publicly scolded them for violating a ceasefire he announced at 0500 GMT.

The American leader's intervention proved crucial as both nations teetered on the brink of total war. Before departing the White House en route to a NATO summit in Europe, Trump told reporters he was unhappy with both sides for the ceasefire breach but particularly frustrated with Israel, which he said had 'unloaded' shortly after agreeing to the deal.

Trump's extraordinary outburst revealed the diplomatic pressure: 'I've got to get Israel to calm down now,' Trump said. Iran and Israel had been fighting 'so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing.'

Fragile Peace Masks Unresolved Tensions

The truce appeared fragile: Both Israel and Iran took hours to acknowledge they had accepted the ceasefire and accused each other of violating it.

Oil prices plunged and stock markets rallied worldwide in a sign of confidence inspired by the ceasefire, which allayed fears of disruption to critical oil supplies from the Gulf.

As families across Israel and Iran began rebuilding their shattered lives, the world learned a sobering lesson: in an age of advanced military technology and nuclear capabilities, twelve days can bring civilisation closer to the abyss than anyone dared imagine.

The ceasefire may hold, but the precedent of 'Rising Lion', 'True Promise III', and 'Midnight Hammer' will cast shadows over Middle Eastern stability for generations to come.