Netanyahu knew the lethal risk of striking Iran. But he did it anyway
The attack without warning by Israel against a range of targets across Iran is unprecedented, even by the new standards of behaviour established since the April 2024 Iranian strike against Israel. That attack, in turn, was carried out in response to Israel's strike against Iranian military personnel in Iran's diplomatic compound in Damascus.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has characterised it as a necessary action to forestall the existential threat posed to his country by Iran's desire to weaponise its stockpiles of enriched uranium. Yet only a few months earlier, US President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, testified before the Senate intelligence committee that the intelligence community assessed Iran was not actively pursuing nuclear weapons and nor had its supreme leader allowed such a program to be commenced.
If they weren't reacting to an imminent threat, then why choose to bomb Iranian targets now? The answer is because they could. Or more particularly because the environment that would allow them to do so would not be any better in the future. They had long wanted to conduct such an attack, but the political and military conditions have not allowed them to. That has changed.
To begin with, Iran's air defences were significantly degraded as a result of Israel's October 2024 air attack. It takes some time to rebuild such a capability, and the longer Israel waited, the more likely it would be that Iran could mount some sort of air defence against an attack. In addition, Tehran's 'Axis of Resistance' had been significantly degraded over the past 18 months – in particular, Lebanese Hezbollah has suffered leadership decapitation and significant personnel and materiel losses.
Its resupply routes through Syria have also been significantly compromised with the fall of the Assad regime. In the past, such an attack by Israel could be expected to elicit a robust response from Hezbollah against northern Israel; today the group is both able to respond but also must determine whether its priority is to rebuild domestically or to support its Iranian ideological and financial sponsor.
And for all its public signalling, there are many in the Trump administration who support the attack against Iran. Trump has cast himself as the master dealmaker and as someone who wants to avoid war. He has described the Iranians as tough negotiators and claimed they were close to a deal. But Netanyahu accused the Iranians of stalling and dragging out the talks with no prospect of acceding to Washington's non-negotiable demand to stop processing any uranium.
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Trump denied any US involvement in the attack, but Netanyahu was quick to praise him in his televised address following the attack. Trump is playing coy. While the next round of talks with Iran were to be held on Sunday, there is virtually no chance of them going on while Iran is being attacked. Diplomacy is a slow process, and there is a feeling that the diplomatic track had by no means been exhausted.
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SBS Australia
13 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
Iran has retaliated for Israel's strikes on its cities and nuclear sites. Here's what we know
Iran launched retaliatory airstrikes at Israel on Friday night, injuring dozens according to ambulance services. Israeli strikes killed nearly 80 people in Iran, according to the UN. Israeli's operation Rising Lion is its biggest ever attack on Iran. Iran launched retaliatory airstrikes at Israel on Friday night, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the country's two biggest cities, following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. In the Tel Aviv area, Israel's ambulance service said five people were treated for shrapnel injuries. Live footage of Tel Aviv showed what appeared to be a missile hitting an urban area. A critically injured woman was admitted to Beilinson Hospital in nearby Petah Tikva, a hospital spokesperson said. Israel's ambulance service said 34 people were injured on Friday night in the Tel Aviv area, most with minor injuries. Police later said one person had died. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. The unprecedented Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent Iranian retaliation raised concerns about a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused Israel of having initiated a war. A senior Iranian official said that nowhere in Israel would be safe, and revenge would be painful. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the air assault in an effort to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. Israel and its Western allies have said this is Tehran's objective but Iran has denied it. In a video issued by his office, Netanyahu appealed to the Iranian people to stand up against their leaders. "I am with you, the Israeli people are with you," he said. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US officials said they were helping Israel defend against the missile attacks, even as Washington insisted it had nothing to Israel's strikes on Iran. US President Donald Trump said was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear programme. Trump agreed on a call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that "dialogue and diplomacy" were needed to calm the crisis, Starmer's office said. Trump also spoke with Netanyahu on Friday, US officials said, without elaborating. Tehran had been engaged in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear programme to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran had rejected the last US offer. France's President Emmanuel Macron urged the US and Iran to resume nuclear talks following Israel's strikes against Iran. "We call for the resumption of dialogue and the reaching of a deal." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said any escalation in the region was concerning. "We, of course, are very conscious of the threat that Iran becoming a nuclear state would represent to peace and security in the region as well," he told reporters in Fiji on Friday. "We want to see these issues resolved through dialogue and the United States have been playing an important role there." Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the conflict risked further destabilising a volatile region. "We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that ... would further exacerbate tensions," she said. The strikes killed Iran's highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, Iranian media reported. Khamenei swiftly appointed new commanders to replace those killed, while state media said a senior adviser to the supreme leader had himself been wounded. "The senior chain of command of the air force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had assembled in an underground command centre to prepare for an attack on the State of Israel," the Israeli military said, adding that its attacks had killed most of them. Iran confirmed that the Guards' aerospace commander had been killed, along with "a group of brave and dedicated fighters". Tasnim news agency said six nuclear scientists were among the dead. The violence raised questions as to whether Sunday's sixth round of talks planned between the US and Iran to seek a deal on Iran's nuclear program would go ahead in Oman. Trump said Washington was "hoping to get back to the negotiating table". Iran confirmed that above-ground sections of the Natanz enrichment plant had been destroyed, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said radiation levels outside the site "remained unchanged". "Most of the damage is on the surface level," said the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi. Iran said there was only limited damage to the Fordo and Isfahan nuclear sites. The United States and other Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, an ambition it has consistently denied. Netanyahu said Israeli intelligence had concluded that Iran was approaching the "point of no return" on its nuclear program. Israel had called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran on Thursday of non-compliance with its obligations. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 per cent, far above the 3.67-per cent limit set by a largely moribund 2015 agreement with major powers, but still short of the 90 per cent threshold needed for a nuclear warhead.
The Advertiser
37 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
US helps Israel shoot down barrage of Iranian missiles
American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, US officials say. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. The navy had directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and had directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it could be available if requested by the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump met his National Security Council principals on Friday to discuss options. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically, about 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The navy has additional assets that it could send to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea - the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed towards the Middle East if needed, and USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region, one official said. American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, US officials say. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. The navy had directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and had directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it could be available if requested by the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump met his National Security Council principals on Friday to discuss options. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically, about 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The navy has additional assets that it could send to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea - the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed towards the Middle East if needed, and USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region, one official said. American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, US officials say. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. The navy had directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and had directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it could be available if requested by the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump met his National Security Council principals on Friday to discuss options. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically, about 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The navy has additional assets that it could send to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea - the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed towards the Middle East if needed, and USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region, one official said. American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, US officials say. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired in multiple barrages in retaliation for Israel's initial attack. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. The navy had directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean and had directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward so it could be available if requested by the White House, US officials said. American fighter jets also are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, and air bases in the region are taking additional security precautions, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump met his National Security Council principals on Friday to discuss options. The forces in the region have been taking precautionary measures for days, including having military dependents voluntarily depart regional bases, in anticipation of the strikes and to protect personnel in case of a large-scale response from Tehran. Typically, about 30,000 troops are based in the Middle East, and about 40,000 troops are in the region now, according to a US official. That number surged as high as 43,000 last October amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The navy has additional assets that it could send to the Middle East if needed, particularly its aircraft carriers and the warships that sail with them. USS Carl Vinson is in the Arabian Sea - the only aircraft carrier in the region. The carrier USS Nimitz is in the Indo-Pacific and could be directed towards the Middle East if needed, and USS George Washington just left its port in Japan and could also be directed to the region, one official said.
The Advertiser
37 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Iran strikes back at Israel with missile barrage
Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said. Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel. Several buildings were struck in the attack. The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region. In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said. Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel. Several buildings were struck in the attack. The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region. In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said. Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel. Several buildings were struck in the attack. The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region. In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter. Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said. Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel. Several buildings were struck in the attack. The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region. In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami.
