At least 71 civilians were killed by Israeli strikes during Operation Narnia, which was coordinated with the US, according to an investigation conducted by The Washington Post in a Wednesday report, as well as open-source investigative outlet Bellingcat.
Operation Narnia consisted of several targeted IDF strikes against multiple nuclear scientists in Iran during the Israel-Iran War.
Despite the extensive preparation and Israeli security officials affirming that all possible measures to limit civilian casualties, “the operation was not flawless,” The Washington Post wrote.
They, as well as Bellingcat, found that one strike killed 10 civilians, including a two-month-old infant. They also confirmed that a strike targeting scientist Mohammed Resa Sedighi Saber hit his home in Tehran while he was absent, killing his 17-year-old son.
Saber was later killed along with 15 civilians, including four minors, after returning home for his son’s mourning ceremony, The Washington Post stated.
President Trump was informed in advance, prepared for IDF strikes
Despite reports to the contrary, the US was well informed of Israel’s plans to strike Iran, the report added.
Citing sources “familiar with the matter,” the US daily newspaper wrote that while Israeli leadership thought seeking a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear threat would have a beneficial effect on global public opinion, they were concerned President Trump might agree to a bad deal.
On June 12, the deadline Trump had given for Iran to agree to a deal, despite US knowledge that Israel had decided to strike, the US leader continued to publicly state that he was unsure that such a strike might happen and that he preferred a diplomatic solution.
Even after the operation began, the Trump administration offered what Iran didn’t know was their final opportunity to agree to a deal before US firepower joined the campaign. The Washington Post reported that this deal included Iran discontinuing support for Hezbollah and Hamas and replacing all fuel enrichment plants with alternative facilities.
A senior diplomat was cited by the newspaper as saying that Iran rejected the proposal shortly after it was offered through Qatari diplomats, and that Trump authorized the US strikes.