Israel’s opening attack against Iran last week saw the simultaneous killing of nine of the Islamic Republic’s top ten nuclear scientists

The nuclear scientists were killed using a special weapon whose details were barred from publication, Amit Segal from Channel 12 says.

The 10th nuclear scientist was killed shortly after the other nine, as part of the overnight Thursday-Friday Israeli operation, which included strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile program and the Natanz nuclear site, along with the elimination of top members of the Islamic Republic’s military leadership. 

Planning began in late 2022 under the codename “Narnia,” with the understanding among Israeli intelligence leaders that Iran had crossed the uranium enrichment threshold. The focus shifted to the weaponization team - the scientists building the actual bomb. The effort gained momentum after a string of regional developments in late 2024, including Hezbollah’s defeat, Israeli strikes in Iran, and the Assad regime’s collapse in Syria. These events, according to Israeli officials, created a rare strategic window to weaken Iran decisively.

The scientists were assessed for uniqueness of knowledge, irreplaceability, and proximity to core weaponization efforts. Those deemed critical were marked for elimination in a covert joint operation between Military Intelligence and the Israeli Air Force.

The nuclear scientists were all killed while they were sleeping in their beds, with Israel deciding to carry out the assassinations simultaneously so that there wouldn’t be time to tip off those being targeted.

The scientists apparently believed they were safe from such targeting in their homes, a senior Israeli official tells Channel 12, noting that previously assassinated nuclear scientists were killed while heading to their cars after work.

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