Israel confirms 'Rising Lion' name linked to Iran's pre-revolution Shah flag

Israel has confirmed that its covert operation against Iran, named 'Rising Lion', draws inspiration from the iconography of Iran's pre-1979 monarchy under the Shah in what appears to be a calculated act of psychological warfare and ideological provocation.

In an X post on Tuesday by Israel's official Persian-language account, Tel Aviv appeared to reference the imperial Lion and Sun emblem associated with the Pahlavi dynasty. The caption, in Persian, read: "The rise of the lions for the victory of light over darkness."

The message was shared alongside a cartoon image showing Iran's current flag being pierced by a golden lion wielding a sword.

While Israel has not officially explained the choice of name, many see Rising Lion as a direct allusion to the Shah-era emblem, in a move that frames the campaign as not just military, but ideological.

Last week, before launching the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left a handwritten note at the Western Wall in Jerusalem quoting a biblical verse: "Look, a nation like a lioness will rise up, and like a lion he raises himself."

While initially read as a Jewish religious framing, confirmation from Israel's Persian-language office suggests the real messaging was targeted at Iran as symbolic intimidation.

Last week, Netanyahu - who is wanted by the ICC for war crimes in Gaza - called on the Iranian people to overthrow their government and openly framed Israel’s military campaign as a moment for regime change in Tehran.

On Monday, speaking with the Saudi-funded, anti-Iran Iran International outlet, he declared: "This is the time. Your hour of freedom is near—it’s happening now."

On Sunday, in an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said that regime change "could certainly be the result" of Israel's military operation on Israel, even while insisting the official aim was the destruction of Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure.

خیزش شیران برای پیروزی نور بر تاریکی. pic.twitter.com/73Wp1gh2LI

— اسرائیل به فارسی (@IsraelPersian) June 17, 2025

Largest confrontation in decades

Israel launched the Rising Lion operation in the early hours of Friday, striking more than 100 nuclear and military targets across Iran.

Satellite imagery released over the weekend showed damage near the Natanz nuclear site and in the city of Isfahan.

Israel said it had killed key military figures, including Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC commander Hossein Salami, and several nuclear scientists.

By Sunday, Israeli strikes hit over 80 other targets in Tehran, including defence ministry facilities and missile sites. Iran's health ministry said 224 people were killed in the capital and responded with missile barrages, killing dozens of Israelis and wounding hundreds more.

Another strike on Bat Yam killed six people, while four members of the same family were killed in Tamra. Fires were also reported at a power station in Haifa.