- Israel has launched fresh attacks on Iran, with two loud explosions heard near Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, saying it was the start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
- Iran has retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles, with explosions seen in the sky over Israeli cities.
- Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed concern over Israel‘s attack on Iran and warned of possible contagion and a spreading of the conflict across the Middle East.
Key reads
- Arab states unite in condemnation of Israel’s attack
- Most Israelis view a nuclear Iran as an existential threat
- Iranians react to Israel’s strikes with anger and fear: ‘We can’t afford not to respond’
Iran’s UN ambassador said that 78 people were killed and 320 were wounded in Israel’s air strikes on Iran. The death toll comes after Israel’s attacks across Iran which hit dozens of targets in and around Tehran including nuclear facilities and official headquarters. Among those killed by Israeli air strikes include scientists and commanders.
As reported by the Guardian’s Jason Burke and Deepa Parent, Iranians described chaotic scenes where they saw windows shaking and people screaming. “Traffic jams and clueless crowds are still trying to make sense of what’s happening,” witnesses told the Guardian, adding: “Smoke is still billowing from residential streets and there’s debris around homes. The sky is red and we fear there will be more attacks.”
Satellite images do not show significant damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, with experts saying Israel may have avoided big attacks on nuclear sites to avoid harming international inspectors.
Israel’s attacks succeeded in killing Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists and striking military command and control facilities and air defences, but satellite imagery did not yet show significant damage to nuclear infrastructure, several experts said.
“The first day was aimed at things that you would get through surprise – killing leadership, going after nuclear scientists, air defence systems, the ability to retaliate,” said nuclear expert David Albright at the Institute for Science and International Security.
“We can’t see any visible damage at Fordow or Isfahan. There was damage at Natanz,” said Mr Albright, referring to Iranian nuclear sites. But “there’s no evidence that the underground site was destroyed.”
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday that the above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site had been destroyed and Iran had reported attacks on Fordow and Isfahan.
Mr Grossi said electricity infrastructure at Natanz was also destroyed and the loss of power to a cascade hall may have damaged centrifuges there. But he said the level of radioactivity outside Natanz remained unchanged and normal.
The sprawling Natanz nuclear complex is Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility. The site includes a vast underground uranium enrichment plant and a smaller, above-ground pilot enrichment plant.
In a telephone interview with Reuters, US president Donald Trump said it was unclear whether Iran still has a nuclear program following the Israeli strikes. “Nobody knows,” Mr Trump said. “It was a very devastating hit.”
Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed in the attack, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon’s once-feared Hizbullah militia last year. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists were killed.
Mr Albright said the status of Iran’s stocks of enriched uranium was not known and that it was possible Israel had avoided major attacks on nuclear sites due to concerns about harming international inspectors who were there. – Reuters
Another late night statement from a senior Israeli official has been issued.
In it Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz expressed the view that Iran crossed “red lines” by targeting civilian areas on Friday night.
“Iran has crossed red lines by daring to fire missiles at civilian population centres in Israel,” Mr Katz said.
“We will continue to defend the citizens of Israel and ensure that the Ayatollah regime pays a very heavy price for its heinous actions,” he said.
The Israeli military has said Israelis could leave protected spaces but urged them to stay nearby. “Following the situational assessment, the Home Front Command published that it is now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas across the country and to remain near them,” the military said in a statement.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has just posted a statement on “Operation Rising Lion” in which he said the objective of his country’s recent attacks on Iran is to “thwart the Islamic regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat to us”.
He said Israel’s fight is not with the Iranian people, but against Iran’s leadership and he listed Iranian targets that have been hit by Israel, adding: “More is on the way. The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker.
“This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard,” he said in the message aimed at the Iranian people.
“As we achieve our objective, we are also clearing the path for you to achieve your freedom,” he said. “The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from the evil and oppressive regime.”
Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Israel tonight, most of which have either been intercepted or fallen short, the Israeli military said. “A limited number of buildings were affected, some of them as a result of shrapnel from the interception operations,” the Israeli military’s Arabic language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X.
Israel’s firefighting service is responding to several “major” incidents resulting from an Iranian missile attack, including efforts to rescue people trapped in a high-rise building.
“Firefighting crews are handling several major incidents, mainly in the Dan region” around Tel Aviv [while] firefighters are working in a high-rise building to rescue trapped individuals and extinguish a fire, as well as responding to two additional destruction sites.”
At least seven people have been reported injured in the centre of Israel after a barrage of missiles was launched by Iran in response to the attacks against its nuclear sites and military leaders early this morning.
The spokesman for the Magen David Adom rescue service told Israeli television that the people suffered mild injuries while television images showed what appeared to be a building hit by a missile.
Iranian state media IRNA is now reporting that two Israeli fighter aircraft have been shot down with one pilot captured. The reports have been denied by Israel.
After striking sites critical to Iran’s nuclear weapons programme early this morning, Israel indicated it would next set its sights on the enrichment facility known as Fordow, Iran’s second-largest and most fortified nuclear complex.
The Fordow facility, built deep underground to thwart such an attack, is where Iran has stockpiled weapons-grade uranium and could quickly produce a bomb, experts said. Fordow, they added, is Israel’s most formidable impediment to halting Iran’s nuclear program altogether.
As Israel continued attacking Iran, Michael Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, confirmed his country’s intention to target the site.
“The entire operation,” he told Fox News in an interview, “really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow.”
Iranian state television is reporting that its forces have downed at least one Israeli jet with the pilot captured. There is no independent verification as yet.
Speaking to Reuters, a senior official said: “Our revenge has just started, they will pay a high price for killing our commanders, scientists and people.”
He added that “nowhere in Israel will be safe” and that “our revenge will be painful”.
Multiple reports of explosions in the sky above Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are coming in, while huge plumes of smoke have been seen over the cities.
Iran’s state media has said the country’s response to Israeli attacks has begun, with hundreds of ballistic missiles launched in the direction of Israel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has said in the last few moments that it has launched strikes against dozens of targets across Israel.
While there are reports of sounds of explosions in Israeli cities, it remains unclear if they are as a result of interceptions or detonations.
A televised briefing from Israeli Brig Gen Effie Defrin was cut short due to an incoming Iranian attack on central Israel, according to Israeli officials. “The live feed of BG Defrin’s statement was cut due to an incoming Iranian attack on central Israel,” an official said.
The Russian president Vladimir Putin has condemned Israel’s attack on sites across Iran and held separate phone calls with Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian.
“Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia condemns Israel’s actions, which violate the UN Charter and international law,” the Kremlin said in a statement. Mr Putin told Mr Netanyahu of his “readiness to provide mediation” to prevent further escalation.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said Iran bore a heavy responsibility for destabilisation in the Middle East and that it had pushed ahead with an unjustified nuclear programme.
He also urged restraint after Israel struck Iran.
Mr Macron, speaking at a news conference, said he regretted that Iran had not taken up the overtures by the United States to find a diplomatic solution to its nuclear programme and hoped that these talks could resume.
The first reports from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s televised address suggest the conflict is far from over and he warned that Iranian armed forces will leave Israel “helpless”, adding that Tehran will not deploy “half measures” in its response. He said Israel would not be allowed to carry out a “hit-and-run” attack.
An exceptional meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors will be held on Monday to discuss Israel’s strikes on Iran after at least one country on the board requested the meeting at Friday’s regular, quarterly session of the body, diplomats said.
Any country on the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can call a meeting under its rules.
Iran, which is not on the board, requested a meeting and its call was supported by board members Russia, China and Venezuela, diplomats said. The diplomats gave differing accounts as to which board member was the first to clearly make the request.
The meeting will start at 9am on Monday, diplomats at Friday’s closed-door meeting said before any public announcement of the emergency meeting.
The IAEA said earlier on Friday that Iran’s Natanz nuclear site, which includes an underground uranium enrichment plant and a smaller above-ground pilot enrichment plant, had been targeted by Israel’s strikes.
There was no sign of any push for a resolution or other action on Monday by the 35-nation board, said the IAEA’s top policymaking body.
A televised statement by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is set to begin shortly.
Sirens have also been sounding across Israel as what looks almost certain to be a tense night across the region begins.
Israel’s army chief Lieut Gen Eyal Zamir has said the military is keeping up “full force” to achieve its goals.
“We are continuing with full force, at a high pace, in order to meet the goals we have set for ourselves,” he said in a statement.
“There will be difficult moments, we need to be prepared for the range of scenarios we have planned for; very high readiness and discipline are required on the home front.”
Iranian air defences were activated this evening in central Tehran, where supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound and the presidential office are located, Iranian state media has been reporting.
The Israeli military said in a statement just released that it was working on intercepting a missile launched from Yemen towards Israel, as air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem.
Israel sent Mossad commandos deep into Iran to destroy weapons systems during the attack on nuclear and military targets, an Israeli security source said, while a ploy was used to suggest no strike was imminent.
The Israeli officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity because of the clandestine nature of the operations, described secret and lengthy preparations that went into an attack that sent oil prices rising sharply higher on fears of regional escalation.
Reuters could not independently verify the accounts.
Iranian officials who spoke to the news agency shortly before the attack had been dismissive about any imminent action and repeatedly said talk of strikes was just “psychological pressure” to influence US-Iranian nuclear negotiations that were due on Sunday.
In advance of the strike, Israel gave the impression its focus was still on US diplomacy towards a nuclear deal with Iran, briefing journalists that its spy chief would go to Washington before the next negotiations.
Instead, Israel said it sent 200 warplanes to conduct a wave of air strikes across Iran before dawn today, hitting nuclear facilities and missile factories, and killing military commanders and nuclear scientists, in a culmination of its efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Iran says its nuclear programme is purely civilian.
The Israeli security source said Israel’s military and Mossad had worked for years on the intelligence needed for the strikes, which killed the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps among others.
The security source said Mossad commandos had covertly deployed weapons across Iran, including explosive drones that were launched at a surface-to-surface missile base near Tehran.
The Mossad commandos also fired precision-guided weapons systems at Iranian surface-to-air missile systems as the Israeli attack got under way, reducing the threat to Israeli warplanes.
A grainy black-and-white video distributed by Mossad showed what it said were the organisation’s operational force – two camouflaged figures crouched in what looks like desert terrain, deploying the precision weapons system meant to destroy Iran’s air defence systems.
Some of the operation’s components would have taken years to be put together, said Sima Shine, a former chief Mossad analyst and now a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
The decision to strike Iran was made on Monday, the same day Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US president Donald Trump spoke by phone, when Mr Netanyahu, defence minister Israel Katz and military chief Eyal Zamir decided the operation would begin on Friday, said a second source, an Israeli defence official.
Their discussion was held after the conversation between Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu, a third official, close to Mr Netanyahu, said. The final green light was given by Mr Netanyahu’s security cabinet, which convened on Thursday night. – Reuters
Reports are coming in of a fresh wave of Israeli attacks on sites in Iran. Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Fars outlet has reported in the last few minutes that two loud explosions were heard near Iran’s Fordow nuclear site.
Meanwhile, Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said he expects “several waves of Iranian attacks” in response to Israeli strikes.
“We expect to be exposed to several waves of Iranian attacks,” Mr Netanyahu said in a video statement. “It was necessary to act and I set the implementation date for the end of April 2025,” he said. “For various reasons, it did not work out.”
Donald Trump has told Reuters he is unconcerned about the prospect of a wider Middle East war and said it is unclear if Iran still has a nuclear programme following Israeli strikes on the country.
He said the US still has nuclear talks planned with Iran on Sunday but that he is not sure if they will still take place.
“I tried to save Iran humiliation and death,” Mr Trump said, adding that he is not concerned about a regional war breaking out as a result of Israel’s strikes.
Dublin MEP Barry Andrews has condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran as “highly reckless and unilateral”.
The Fianna Fáil MEP said: “Iran is a repressive regime which denies human rights to its citizens, but Israel’s highly reckless and unilateral pre-emptive military strikes on Iran overnight must be condemned.”
He said Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech “trying to justify the attack echoed president Bush’s justification for attacking Iraq in 2003. The international community did address the Iran nuclear issue in 2015 with a painstakingly negotiated agreement, co-ordinated with the EU. However, it was president Trump who withdrew from that multilateral deal in 2018.
“Since then, Iran’s regime has taken seriously regressive steps, and I have called for stronger EU action on Iran in 2023 but this unilateral military strike on Iran risks an outbreak of regional violence and instability.
“The EU foreign ministers are meeting on June 23rd to decide on the future of the EU/Israel trade agreement, which is so vital to the Israeli economy. Now is the time for the EU to finally act.”
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been detained along with a group of people who are travelling through Egypt to reach Rafah on the Global March to Gaza.
The Egyptian authorities have confiscated their passports and are attempting to get Mr Murphy and the other marchers to board a bus without stating where the bus is going. At the moment they are refusing to board the bus, according to a People Before Profit statement.
Mr Murphy posted a video on X showing protesters chanting “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has been giving an update on the strikes against Iran last night, describing them as a “necessary action” in the face of what he described as growing threats on multiple fronts.
He told reporters that in “recent months, the Iranian threat took a dramatic turn” and said Iran had “advanced significantly” in its nuclear capabilities and had enough material for “multiple nuclear weapons”.
He claimed Israel had found evidence that Iran was planning a surprise attack and planned to “invade”, which prompted Israel to “act protect our citizens ... We won’t sit quietly while our people are targeted, not again, not ever. Empty words will not stop Iran. Israel will.”
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper is reporting that the IDF has announced the call-up of reserve soldiers “as part of preparations for defence and offence across all fronts”.
The IDF has also released footage of what it says are drone interceptions.
US president Donald Trump has appeared on multiple media platforms so far today and in his latest interview – this time with the NBC – he repeated his suggest that Iran had missed an opportunity to make a deal but said it might have another opportunity now.
“They missed the opportunity to make a deal. Now, they may have another opportunity. We’ll see,” Trump was quoted as saying.
Trump told NBC that Iranian representatives were calling him to suggest they still want a deal.
The Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed concern over Israel‘s attack on Iran and warned of possible contagion and a spreading of the conflict across the Middle East.
Nations across the Middle East have condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran, calling for urgent de-escalation amid concerns that tit-for-tat retaliation could lead to a wider war with regional fallout.
The foreign ministries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – with the exception of Bahrain – all denounced the Israeli strikes and urged a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
Lebanon and Jordan issued similar statements.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said that the Israeli attacks against Iran “constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms”.
“While the Kingdom condemns these heinous attacks, it affirms that the international community and the Security Council bear a great responsibility to immediately halt this aggression,” a statement from the Saudi foreign ministry said. The Saudi foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, later called his Iranian counterpart, urging a “rejection of the use of force”.
World stock markets tumbled and oil prices surged in the wake of Israel’s military strikes on Iran, sparking a rush into safe havens such as gold and the dollar.
Brent crude oil prices were last up almost 7 per cent at $74.2 per barrel, having jumped as much as 14 per cent during Asian tradings. They were set for their biggest one-day jump since 2022, when energy costs spiked after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Gold, a classic safe-haven at times of global uncertainty, rose 1.8 per cent to $3,445 per ounce, bringing it close to the record high of $3,500.05 from April.
The rush to safety was matched by a dash out of risk assets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.17 per cent, the S&P 500 dropped 0.66 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.78 per cent. European shares dropped almost 1 per cent and in Asia, major bourses in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong fell over 1 per cent each.
The BBC is reporting that air raid sirens have sounded across northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, warning of possible incoming rocket fire. The 10 alerts are in the areas of Ma’ayan Baruch, Margaliot, Misgav Am, Kfar Yuval, Metula, Kfar Giladi, Kiryat Shmona, Manara, Beit Hillel, and Tel Hai.
The United Nations Security Council will meet later today to discuss Israel’s strikes on Iran, diplomats have confirmed.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi requested the meeting in a letter to the 15-member body, saying Israel “has now crossed every red line, and the international community must not allow these crimes to go unpunished”.
“Iran reaffirms its inherent right to self-defence as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter and will respond decisively and proportionately to these unlawful and cowardly acts,” Mr Araghchi wrote.
Article 51 of the UN Charter covers the individual or collective right of states to self-defence against armed attack.
US president Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal this morning that he and his team had known about Israel’s plans to attack Iran.
The newspaper said that, when asked what kind of a heads-up the United States received before the attack, Trump said in a brief phone interview: “Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, we know what’s going on.”
Trump said he had spoken to Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday and planned to speak with him again on Friday. Trump called the operation “a very successful attack, to put it mildly”, the Wall Street Journal said.
The IDF has announced that its air force and naval forces have intercepted drones launched from Iran.
Irish citizens have been urged not to try to travel to Iran, or Israel following overnight attacks by Israeli jets, missiles and drones on Tehran, which have been described as “deeply alarming” by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris.
“The last thing the Middle East region needs is escalation. In fact, it needs immediate de-escalation. I want to join with all European countries in calling for an immediate de-escalation,” Mr Harris said in Newcastle, Co Down.
Mark Hennessy reports that the Department of Foreign Affairs has for some time warned Irish citizens not to travel to Iran, but today “we’re extending that travel advice to advise against any travel to Israel for all Irish citizens”, said Mr Harris.
Irish diplomats in both countries are “keeping in close contact with the relatively small number of Irish citizens” living there, but he held back from encouraging any of those to leave since many have been there for decades.
The overnight attacks are “a deeply alarming development” and the potential for “regional instability here and devastation is very high”, said Mr Harris, speaking after a meeting of the British-Irish Council.
78 people killed and 329 injured by Israel’s attacks in Tehran, reports say
Iran’s Nournews said that 78 people have been killed and 329 injured by Israel’s attacks on residential areas in Tehran, Reuters reports.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have condemned Israel’s attacks on Iran, saying that Iran has the “right to defend itself and develop its nuclear programme”.
“Israel is an aggressive entity that threatens not only Palestine but also the security and stability of the region and the entire nation,” a statement from the group’s political office read.
“Israel’s claims about the Iranian nuclear program are baseless, and it has no right to be the region’s policeman, given its nuclear arsenal.”
French president Emmanuel Macron called for de-escalation after Israel’s strikes on Iran, “to avoid jeopardising the stability of the entire region”.
After convening a special national defence and security meeting in Paris, Mr Macron wrote in a on social media:
“To avoid jeopardising the stability of the entire region, I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate.
“France has repeatedly condemned Iran’s ongoing nuclear programme and has taken all appropriate diplomatic measures in response. In this context, France reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and ensure its security,” he said.
Mr Macron spoke to several leaders including Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, US president Donald Trump, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK prime minister Keir Starmer.
Israeli embassies around the world close
“Israeli missions around the world will be closed and consular services will not be provided,” according to a statement posted to the websites of Israeli embassies in Berlin, Stockholm and Rome.
The statement, which appeared to come from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also urged Israelis abroad to avoid displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols in public.
No timeframe was given for how long the embassies would be closed.
Trump calls Israeli strikes on Iran “excellent” and says there are more to come
US president Donald Trump called the Israeli strikes on Iran “excellent” and said there were more attacks to come, in an interview with ABC news.
“I think it’s been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it,” Trump told ABC on Friday morning.
“They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come, a lot more.”
In a further post to Truth Social, Mr Trump added: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’”
“They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
Iran has confirmed that Israel killed Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s missile programme.
Iranian state television made the acknowledgment on Friday afternoon, Associated Press reports. The confirmation came shortly after Israel said its strikes killed Mr Hajizadeh.
Protesters have gathered in central Tehran after Israel’s attack on the Iranian capital.
Top Iranian missile programme commander, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, reportedly killed by Israeli strikes
At least 20 senior Iranian commanders, including the head of the revolutionary guards missile programme, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, were killed in Israel’s strikes on Iran, Reuters reports.
The news agency cited two regional sources.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it had “eliminated” the senior Iranian military leader.
“IAF [Israeli Air Force] fighter jets struck the command center where Commander of the IRGC’s Air Force Amir Ali Hajizadeh was located along with other senior officials,” read its post on X.
Lebanon’s Iran-backed militant group Hizbullah has accused the US of providing “approval, coordination, and direct cover-up” for Israel’s strikes.
Hizbullah said Israel “has crossed all red lines, believing that by doing so, it will change the equations.”
In a statement, the group issued condolences to Tehran for the leaders who were killed, but did not threaten to join in the retaliation, Associated Press reports.
Iran calls Israeli attack “declaration of war”
Iran said Israel’s strikes on its military and nuclear facilities were a “declaration of war” and called on the UN Security Council to act immediately.
In a letter to the United Nations, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, described the attack as a “declaration of war” and “called on the security council to immediately address this issue”, Agence France-Press reports.
Trump says Iran must make a deal “before nothing is left”, in Truth Social post
US president Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Friday to say he “gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal”.
“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done,” Mr Trump said in the post.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left,” he added, “and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire”.
“There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end.
“No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!”
IDF said its strikes have “eliminated” three key Iranian military leaders
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, commander of the Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and the commander of Iran’s Emergency Command “were all eliminated in the Israeli strikes across Iran”.
The IDF said its overnight attack focused on “over 100 targets, including senior figures of the Iranian General Staff and leaders of the nuclear program.”
Iranian state media reported that those killed included Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, Gholamali Rashid, the commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, and the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri.
Netanyahu says attacks part of a ‘targeted military operation’
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the strikes – called Operation Rising Lion – were “a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival”.
He said the operation would “continue for as many days as it takes to remove the spread”.
“In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before, steps to weaponise this enriched uranium.
“If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year. It could be within a few months, less than a year. This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”
Prominent military leaders killed in strikes, Iranian state media reports
Israel’s strikes killed Hossein Salami, chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards – a powerful branch of the country’s armed forces – and other senior military figures, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
Civilians, including children, were also among those killed, state media said.
Explosions were first reported in Iran’s capital Tehran around 3:30am local time (1am IST).
US reaction
US president Donald Trump said that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon”, in an interview with Fox News, as news broke of the Israeli air strikes on Iran.
“Other than that we want them to be successful. We’ll help them be successful. We’ll trade with them, we’ll do whatever is necessary,” Mr Trump added.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the United States was not involved in the strikes and Israel had acted unilaterally for self-defence.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Mr Rubio said in a statement.
“President Trump and the administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners.”
“Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” he added.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday it is closely monitoring the “deeply concerning situation” in Iran.
The IAEA said it is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels.
Director general Rafael Mariano Grossi addressed the IAEA’s board of governors on Friday morning.
Iranian authorities have reported at present that the Isfahan and Fordow sites have not been impacted, Mr Grossi said.
“I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment,” he said in his address.
“Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security.”
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif called Israel’s attacks a “grave and highly irresponsible” act that risked further destabilising an already volatile region.
“I convey my deepest sympathies to the Iranian people on the loss of lives in this attack,” Mr Sharif said in a post shared to X.
“We urge the international community and the United Nations to take urgent steps to prevent any further escalation that could imperil regional and global peace.”
What do we know about Israel’s ambition to “destroy the heart” of Iran’s nuclear programme? We have an analysis here that examines why the Natanz facility – where Iran has produced the vast majority of its nuclear fuel – is being targeted.
Video footage of Israel’s strikes on Iran’s capital, Tehran, shared on social media shows burning and damage to buildings.
Flight cancellations
German airline Lufthansa on Friday said it had suspended all flights to and from Tehran following wide-scale strikes by Israel against Iran.
“Lufthansa Group flights to and from Tehran will be suspended until further notice due to the current situation,” the company said in an emailed statement, adding it would also avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace for now.
Russia’s Aeroflot also said on Friday that it had cancelled flights between Moscow and Tehran, and made changes to other routes in the Middle East after Israeli strikes on Iran.
Qatar Airways said it had cancelled flights to and from Iraq and Iran, while Dubai Airports said it had cancelled some flights with others delayed from DXB and DWC due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq and Syria.
Air India, which suffered a plane crash yesterday in India that killed all but one of 242 passengers and crew on board, also announced it was diverting 16 flights due to Israel’s bombing of Iran.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said he was “deeply concerned” by the extensive air strikes and officials are in touch with the small Irish community in Iran.
“The Middle East desperately needs peace and stability. Further escalation would bring a very real risk of regional spillover. This would be disastrous for all the peoples of the region,” he said.
“I urge restraint and de-escalation by all involved, and for those with influence to use it positively at this critical moment.”
International reaction to the strikes
UK prime minister Keir Starmer has “urged all parties to step back” after Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear programme.
Israel launched strikes on Tehran early on Friday, rekindling fears of a full-scale conflict.
Mr Starmer said the government urged “all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently” after the strikes, adding that “now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy”.
He said: “The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no-one in the region.
“Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy.”
The attack appeared to be the most significant Iran has faced since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Mr Starmer’s sentiments were echoed by foreign secretary David Lammy, who said stability in the Middle East was “vital” for global security.
“Further escalation is a serious threat to peace & stability in the region and in no-one’s interest,” he said in a post on X.
The overnight attack drew widespread condemnation from Middle East countries, with Qatar strongly condemning the strikes, saying they were a “flagrant violation” of Iran’s sovereignty and security.
Meanwhile, Cyprus has activated a mechanism to assist in the evacuation of third-country nationals from the Middle East region if required, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Friday.
Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides had called a meeting of the island’s National Security Council for later on Friday, he said in a written statement.
Where are Iran’s nuclear sites and does it have nuclear weapons? We have an explainer here that examines the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran condemns ‘predatory regime’
Iran said Israel’s deadly attacks on Friday underscored its need to advance uranium enrichment and missile capabilities. “One should not speak to such a predatory regime except in the language of power,” the Iranian government said in a statement. “The world now better understands Iran’s insistence on the right to enrichment, nuclear technology, and missile power.”
Agence France-Presse has quoted local media in naming the six nuclear scientists killed in Israel’s attack on Iran. “Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feqhi, Motalleblizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi were the nuclear scientists martyred” in Israel’s attack, Tasnim news agency said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said, after contact with Iran, that the Isfahan nuclear site has not been impacted by Israel’s deadly attack, according to a snap report from Reuters.
Iran vowed to make a severe response to the attack, with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying several commanders and six nuclear scientists had been killed.
Tehran has launched more than 100 drones in reply, Israel said.
Israel has said the attack was carried out to curb Iran’s disputed nuclear programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency on Friday said there was no increase in radiation levels at the Natanz nuclear site that was targeted during an Israeli attack, citing information given to them by Iranian authorities.
The international atomic energy watchdog also added that the Bushehr nuclear power plant was not targeted during the attack.
Six Iranian nuclear scientists were killed on Friday in Israeli strikes, Iranian state media reported. Israel has said the attack was carried out to curb Iran’s disputed nuclear programme.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned “severe punishment” would be directed at Israel.
In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, he said Israel had “opened its wicked and bloodstained hand to a crime in our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centres”.
In Washington, the Trump administration, which earlier cautioned Israel against an attack amid continuing negotiations, said it had not been involved in the attack and warned Iran against retaliations against US interests or personnel.
Multiple sites in the capital were hit in the attack, which Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said targeted both nuclear and military sites. Also targeted were officials leading Iran’s nuclear programme and its ballistic missile arsenal.
The assault came amid warnings from Israel that it would not permit Tehran to build a nuclear weapon, although it remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that.
Mr Netanyahu said in an address on YouTube that the attacks will continue “for as many days at it takes to remove this threat”.
“It could be a year. It could be within a few months,” he said as he vowed to pursue the attack for as long as necessary to “remove this threat”.
“This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed an Israeli strike hit Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and said it was closely monitoring radiation levels. Iranian authorities later informed the IAEA that the Bushehr nuclear power plant had not been targeted.
The attack followed increasing tensions that led the US to pull some diplomats from Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, and to offer voluntary evacuations for the families of US troops in the wider Middle East.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Israel took “unilateral action against Iran” and that Israel advised the US that it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defence.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Mr Rubio said in a statement released by the White House that warned Iran against targeting US interests or personnel.
The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme.
The board of governors at the IAEA censured Iran on Thursday for the first time in 20 years over its refusal to work with its inspectors.
Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more advanced ones.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said his country carried out the attack, without saying what it targeted.
“In the wake of the state of Israel’s preventive attack against Iran, missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected immediately,” he said in a statement.
The statement added that Mr Katz “signed a special order declaring an emergency situation in the home front”.
“It is essential to listen to instructions from the home front command and authorities to stay in protected areas,” it said
Both Iran and Israel closed their airspace. – Agencies
Israel attacked Iran’s capital Tehran early on Friday in strikes that targeted the country’s nuclear programme and raised the potential for an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversaries.
It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq, with multiple sites around the country hit.
The leader of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed, Iranian state television reported. Another top Guard official, as well as two nuclear scientists, were also feared dead.
The chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, Gen Mohammad Bagheri, was also confirmed dead by Iranian state television.
Israeli leaders said the attack was necessary to head off what they described as an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs and they warned of a reprisal which could target civilians in Israel. - Agencies
