On the afternoon of June 7, 1981, fourteen Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets launched from Etzion Airbase in the Sinai Peninsula, then under Israeli control. In less than two hours, they would ...

Thirty years ago, on June 7 at 5:31 in the evening, eight Israeli F-16s attacked Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor near Baghdad. Within 80 seconds they dropped 16 MK-84 iron bombs. When the last two were ...

Israel Declares Independence (1948): Why did Britain leave its mandate in Palestine? The First Intifada (1987): What impact did the Palestinian uprising have? Leaders: What Is Yasser Arafat’s Legacy?

In June 1981, Israel stunned the world with one of the boldest military operations in modern history. Operation Opera, also known as the Osirak raid, was a daring preemptive strike that destroyed Iraq ...

The Iraqi government acquired its nuclear reactor in 1975, after finalizing a nuclear cooperation agreement with France. In addition to the Osiris-class research reactor, the French government ...

In Operation Opera, on June 7, 1981 at 4 pm, 14 fighter jets took off from Etzion airport in Israel. At approximately 5.30 pm, they struck and destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq, ...

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what’s behind ...