Israel’s unprecedented attacks on Iran had at their core an elusive and high-risk goal: eradicating the country’s controversial nuclear program.

Israel’s sweeping attack across Iran struck at the heart of Tehran’s nuclear program, delivering a blow to the country’s ability to enrich uranium and potentially setting its nuclear ambitions back by months or years.

Israel attacked Iran in a “precise and integrated preemptive strike” against Iranian nuclear facilities and military targets. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) said in a statement that the overnight strikes were carried out with the “aim of damaging the Iranian nuclear program and in response to the Iranian regime's ongoing aggression against Israel.