Operation Narnia: Israel’s Daring Midnight Blitz Wipes Out Iran’s Top Nuclear Scientists

Israel’s 12-day air campaign against Iran, launched on June 13, 2025, delivered a devastating blow to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by killing at least 11 senior nuclear scientists in a series of targeted strikes. Dubbed Operation Narnia for its audacious precision, the operation targeted Iran’s top nuclear experts, many of whom were killed simultaneously in their homes, aiming to disrupt a program Western officials say could produce a bomb within months. A U.S.- and Qatar-brokered cease-fire on June 25 paused the conflict, but the loss of these scientists has set Iran’s nuclear efforts back significantly, Israeli officials claim.

The Strikes and Their Targets

The operation began with a stunning opening salvo on June 13, when Israeli operatives, reportedly using a special weapon under censorship, killed nine scientists as they slept in their beds across Iran, preventing them from going into hiding. A tenth scientist was killed hours later, and an eleventh, Sayyed Seddighi Saber, was struck on June 24 in northern Iran’s Gilan province, hours before the cease-fire. The attacks, part of Israel’s broader Operation Rising Lion, also targeted nuclear facilities like Natanz and military leadership, with over 200 Israeli jets hitting more than 100 sites.

The scientists were key figures in Iran’s nuclear program, particularly the AMAD project, which the U.N. confirmed ran until 2003, and its successor, the SPND. Below are details of the most prominent scientists killed, their roles, and how they died, based on verified reports:

1. Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani: A nuclear engineer and former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (2011–2013), Abbasi-Davani was a senior AMAD program adviser specializing in neutron initiators, critical for triggering nuclear chain reactions. He survived a 2010 car-bomb attempt but was killed in a June 13 airstrike on his Tehran home. He recently claimed on Iranian TV that Tehran had the expertise to build a bomb if ordered, underscoring his strategic importance.

2. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi: A theoretical physicist and president of Islamic Azad University, Tehranchi led a unit under Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, assassinated in 2020, focusing on high explosives for nuclear warheads. He was linked to experiments at the Parchin Military Complex and was killed in a June 13 strike on his residence. Iran’s Tasnim news agency highlighted his role as a major nuclear scientist.

3. Ahmadreza Zolfaghari Daryani: A nuclear physics professor and former dean at Shahid Beheshti University, Zolfaghari was killed in a June 13 airstrike on his Tehran home. His work focused on nuclear reactor physics, and he co-authored a 2024 study on neutron source behavior, applicable to weapons development.

4. Abdolhamid Minouchehr: Chair of Shahid Beheshti University’s nuclear engineering faculty, Minouchehr specialized in reactor physics and was killed in a June 13 strike. He co-published the 2024 neutron study with Zolfaghari, advancing Iran’s nuclear knowledge.

5. Amir Hassan Fakhahi (Faghihi): A physics expert at Shahid Beheshti University, Fakhahi was killed in a June 13 residential strike. His work supported nuclear weapons research, though specific contributions are less detailed.

6. Akbar Motallebzadeh: A chemical engineering expert and faculty member at Shahid Beheshti and Yazd Islamic Azad Universities, Motallebzadeh was killed in a June 13 airstrike. His expertise likely supported nuclear material processing.

7. Saeed Borji (Barji): A materials engineering specialist, Borji was killed in a June 13 strike on his home. His work contributed to nuclear component development.

8. Ali Bahuei Katirimi: A mechanics expert, Katirimi was killed in a June 13 airstrike. His role likely involved engineering nuclear device components.

9. Mansour Asgari: A physics specialist, Asgari was killed in a June 13 residential strike. His contributions supported Iran’s nuclear research, though specifics are limited.

10. Seyyed Amir Hossein Feghhi: A prominent nuclear engineer, Feghhi was killed in a June 13 airstrike. His academic work advanced Iran’s nuclear science capabilities.

11. Sayyed Seddighi Saber: Head of the SPND’s Shahid Karimi Group, Saber oversaw explosives projects linked to nuclear devices. Sanctioned by the U.S. on May 12, 2025, he was killed in a June 24 drone strike in Gilan, after surviving an earlier attack that killed his 17-year-old son.

12. Seyed Esar Tabatabaei Qomsheh: Reportedly killed with his wife in a June 13 strike on their home, though this is mentioned only in an unverified X post and not confirmed by major outlets. His specific role in the nuclear program remains unclear.

Execution and Impact

The June 13 strikes, orchestrated by Israel’s Mossad and monitored by the IDF Intelligence Division, used a secretive weapon, possibly drones or precision explosives, to target scientists’ residences, ensuring simultaneous kills to maximize disruption. A subsequent drone strike on June 20 killed an unnamed scientist in a Tehran safe house, and Saber’s death involved a targeted drone attack. The operation leveraged years of intelligence, with Israel tracking these scientists since the AMAD project’s exposure in 2003 and a 2018 archive raid.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the strikes neutralized Iran’s ability to enrich uranium to 90% and produce a nuclear warhead core, delaying its program by years. The IDF called the scientists’ deaths a significant blow to Iran’s weapons ambitions, as they held decades of accumulated experience in fields like nuclear physics, explosives, and materials engineering. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised the operation, though he criticized media leaks.

Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons, insisting its program is civilian. However, the IAEA reported Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpile could yield nine bombs if further refined, a concern heightened by its non-compliance with nonproliferation obligations in June 2025. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed severe punishment, and state media reported 627 deaths, including civilians, though independent verification is limited.

Long-Term Implications

Experts are split on the impact. Andrea Stricker of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said the killings targeted Iran’s brain trust, hindering its ability to rebuild warhead components. Eric Brewer, a former U.S. counterproliferation official, noted that losing expertise mid-conflict could delay Iran’s bomb-making capacity significantly. However, Israeli analyst Ronen Solomon highlighted Iran’s system of training younger scientists at universities like Shahid Beheshti, where Zolfaghari, Minouchehr, and others mentored students, ensuring knowledge transfer. A 2024 study by Zolfaghari and Minouchehr on neutron sources underscores this pipeline.

Iran’s nuclear archive, seized by Israel in 2018, and dispersed enriched uranium remain concerns, with the IAEA seeking answers. While Natanz’s above-ground facilities were damaged, the underground Fordow site sustained limited harm, suggesting Iran retains some capacity. Funerals on June 28 drew thousands in Tehran, with coffins of scientists and military leaders displayed, some reportedly including family members, though Israel has not confirmed civilian deaths.

As the cease-fire holds, the region braces for potential Iranian retaliation. The loss of these scientists, coupled with strikes on Natanz and other sites, has weakened Iran’s nuclear program, but its resilience through academic networks and hidden materials poses ongoing challenges.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Getty Images, Maxar Technologies, Tasnim News Agency, Fars News Agency