On Friday, Israel initiated extensive strikes against Iran, claiming to have targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile production sites, and military leaders, marking the beginning of a sustained operation aimed at preventing Tehran from developing an atomic weapon.
Reports from Iranian media and witnesses indicated explosions at the main uranium enrichment site in Natanz, while Israel declared a state of emergency in preparation for potential retaliatory missile and drone attacks.
The elite Revolutionary Guards corps of Iran announced the death of its top commander, Hossein Salami, and state media reported that the unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been struck.
Additionally, it was reported that several children lost their lives in an attack on a residential neighborhood in the capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a recorded video message, “We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history. Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military initiative to counter the Iranian threat to Israel’s very existence. This operation will persist for as long as necessary to eliminate this threat.”
In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Israel had “unleashed its wicked and bloody” actions in a crime against Iran, warning that it would face “a bitter fate.”
An Israeli military official reported that Israel was targeting “dozens” of nuclear and military sites, including the Natanz facility in central Iran, and noted that Iran possessed sufficient material to produce 15 nuclear bombs within a matter of days.
The United States stated it was not involved in the operation, which heightens the risk of renewed tensions in the Middle East, a significant oil-producing region.
In addition to the extensive air strikes, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency conducted a series of covert sabotage missions within Iran, as reported by Axios, citing a senior Israeli official. These operations aimed to undermine Iran’s strategic missile installations and its air defense systems.
Iranian state media has reported that at least two nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Tehran.
Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport has been closed until further notice, and Israel’s air defense units are on high alert for potential retaliatory strikes from Iran.
“In light of the pre-emptive strike by the State of Israel against Iran, a missile and UAV (drone) attack on the State of Israel and its civilian population is anticipated in the near future,” stated Defence Minister Israel Katz. Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir mentioned that tens of thousands of soldiers have been mobilized and are “prepared across all borders.” “We are currently engaged in a historic campaign unlike any other. This operation is crucial to avert an existential threat posed by an enemy determined to annihilate us,” he added. Israeli Minister Gideon Saar is conducting a “marathon of calls” with international counterparts concerning Israel’s assault on Iran, as noted by the foreign ministry in a statement.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran must not possess a nuclear bomb and expressed that the United States aims to return to negotiations, during an interview with Fox News following the commencement of Israeli air strikes on Iran.
“We will see,” Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin quoted Trump in a post on X. The White House announced that Trump would hold a meeting of the National Security Council on Friday morning. On Thursday, he mentioned that an Israeli strike on Iran “could very well happen” but emphasized his desire for a peaceful resolution.
According to a U.S. official who spoke to Reuters, the U.S. military is preparing for a wide range of scenarios in the Middle East, including the potential need to assist in evacuating American civilians.
The spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces warned that Israel and its primary ally, the United States, would face a “heavy price” for the attack, accusing Washington of backing the operation. While the U.S. attempted to distance itself from Israel’s military actions, an Israeli official informed public broadcaster Kan that Israel had coordinated with Washington regarding Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that the United States was not involved in the strikes and that Tel Aviv acted independently for self-defense. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our main priority is to protect American forces in the region,” Rubio stated. “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel,” he added. The State Department released an advisory instructing all U.S. government employees in Israel and their family members to “shelter in place until further notice.”
The attacks led to significant declines in stock prices during Asian trading on Friday, primarily driven by a selloff in U.S. futures. Meanwhile, oil prices surged as investors sought refuge in safe havens like gold and the Swiss franc.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced any military escalation in the Middle East, as stated by deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq. “The Secretary-General urges both parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a slide into deeper conflict, a scenario that the region can ill afford,” Haq remarked.
U.S. and Iranian officials were set to engage in a sixth round of discussions regarding Tehran’s increasing uranium enrichment program in Oman on Sunday, according to representatives from both nations and their Omani mediators. A U.S. official confirmed that these discussions were still on track to take place despite the Israeli assault.
The Israeli military announced on Friday that it had to take action based on new intelligence indicating that Iran was “approaching the point of no return” in its nuclear weapon development. “In recent months, this program has accelerated significantly, bringing the regime much closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon,” the statement read, without revealing the alleged evidence.
A source familiar with U.S. intelligence reports indicated that there had been no recent alteration in the U.S. intelligence evaluation, which maintains that Iran is not constructing a nuclear weapon and that Khamenei has not authorized the resumption of the nuclear weapons program that was halted in 2003.
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