Daijiworld Media Network - Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Jun 19: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced the killing of Muhammad Ahmed Kharis, a senior Hezbollah anti-tank commander, during an overnight airstrike in southern Lebanon's Nabatiya region. According to the IDF, Kharis was instrumental in orchestrating cross-border attacks on Israel, including the April 26 anti-tank missile strike on Mount Dov that killed Israeli soldier Sharif Su’ad.

Labeling Kharis a key figure in Hezbollah’s Shebaa compound operations, the IDF accused him of violating prior ceasefire understandings between Lebanon and Israel. “The IDF continues to thwart Hezbollah's efforts to escalate hostilities from southern Lebanon under Iranian direction,” said the military in a statement on X.

Simultaneously, Israel intensified its campaign against Iran with a massive overnight aerial assault. Forty Israeli Air Force fighter jets, guided by precise intelligence, struck dozens of Iranian military targets across Tehran and other regions. More than 100 munitions were deployed.

Among the key targets was the non-operational Arak nuclear reactor, which the IDF described as “a central component in plutonium production.” Though construction on the reactor had halted years ago, Israel claimed the attack would prevent any future capability to use it for weapons development.

The IDF also confirmed a strike on a nuclear weapons development facility near Natanz, citing its role in accelerating Iran’s nuclear program. Military factories, missile assembly plants, air defense systems, and radar installations were among the other targets destroyed.

These developments follow Israel's launch of "Operation Rising Lion" last Friday—an offensive aimed at neutralizing what Prime Minister Netanyahu described as an existential nuclear threat from Iran. Tehran’s retaliatory strikes have since escalated the conflict, with fears growing of a broader regional war.