Israel - Iran latest: Warplanes target Iran's nuclear sites as Israel braced for 'missile and drone' retaliation
Key points
Watchdog in contact with Iran over radiation levels
The international atomic watchdog, the IAEA, says Iran's Natanz nuclear site - in central Isfahan province - was one of the facilities targeted and that it's in contact with Iranian authorities about radiation levels.
The exact locations of the other sites attacked are still to be confirmed but the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) said earlier it targeted "dozens of military targets and targets related to the nuclear program in different areas of Iran".
Supreme Leader warns of 'severe punishment'
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency has released a statement attributed to the country's Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It reads: "In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. The evil and bloody hand of the Zionist regime committed a crime in our beloved country at dawn today, once again revealing its wicked nature by targeting residential areas.
"This regime must await severe punishment. By God's will, the powerful arm of the Islamic Republic's armed forces will not let it go unpunished.
"In the enemy's attacks, a number of commanders and scientists were martyred. Their successors and colleagues will immediately continue their duties, God willing.
"With this crime, the Zionist regime has brought a bitter and painful fate upon itself, and it will certainly face it."
Iranian TV shows bomb damage
Iran state TV has shown what it claims is bomb damage from the Israeli strikes. There is no sound on this video.
'Consequences for the region could be massive'
By Alistair Bunkall, Middle East correspondent
Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to strike Iran's nuclear facilities for years – it's now happening.
A wave of initial strikes across Iran have targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile production and senior Iranian officials including military leaders.
This is not a one-and-done. Israel's campaign could last days, as could the Iranian response.
The consequences for the region could be massive.
With another round of US-Iran nuclear talks due to take place in Oman this Sunday, it was expected Israel might wait until then to see the outcome before striking. Instead they've acted with an element of surprise.
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he was still planning to take a short holiday in the north of Israel over the weekend. That now was clearly a deliberate ruse to distract Iran.
Israel believes Iran is politically and militarily as weak as it has been for many years. Its proxies around the region have been severely degraded.
Hezbollah, in Lebanon, was always supposed to be Iran's first line of defence and a deterrence against an Israeli attack – the group was all but defeated in a war with Israel last year.
Israel's strikes on Iran in October 2024 eliminated much of Iran's air defences, giving the Israeli air forces some freedom of movement in Iran's skies, but Iran has been rebuilding those defences and so Israel's window to operate was closing.
It is first light in Tehran and the damage from initial strikes is starting to emerge. The sun is starting to come up here in Israel where millions have been sheltering in safe rooms and bunkers for hours.
The world will watch in the coming hours as Israel and Iran now teeter on brink of an all out war.
Head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard killed - state media
Iranian state media reports that the head of the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, has been killed in the Israeli strikes.
Mehr News also says nuclear scientist Fereydoun Abbasi is dead, as is theoretical physicist Dr Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi and Major General Gholam Ali Rashid.
Netanyahu announces Operation Rising Lion
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released a video statement claiming Iran has recently taken steps to weaponize enriched uranium.
"If not stopped, it could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year, it could be a few months," he says.
"This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival."
Tehran blast caught on camera
Footage of Iran's capital Tehran shows an apparent Israeli strike on the city.
'Threat of annihilation' - Israeli PM
Israel's strikes on Iran are aimed at hurting its nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile factories and many of its military capabilities, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a recorded statement on YouTube, he says: "This operation will take as long as is needed to complete the task of fending off the threat of annihilation against us."
Israel launches dozens of airstrikes against targets in Iran
Israel says it has launched dozens of airstrikes against military targets inside Iran, including its nuclear facilities.
Defence minister Israel Katz has declared a state of emergency at home and warned citizens to prepare for a "missile and drone attack" in retaliation.
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DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Israel's enemies are Britain's enemies
Having sown the wind, Iran is reaping the whirlwind. A day after the International Atomic Energy Agency warned that the rogue state has enough enriched uranium to make nine nuclear bombs, Israel struck at the head of its military command and the heart of its weapons programme. In a stunning series of air strikes, its forces attacked nuclear facilities and missile sites. They also took out three of Iran's most senior security chiefs and several of its top atomic scientists. It was swift and it was surgical – a triumph of intelligence and planning, as well as sheer military power. And it is far from over. The Israeli Defence Forces made it clear yesterday there was nothing they will not do to prevent Tehran developing the bomb. And who can blame them? Iran is dedicated to Israel's destruction. Over many decades it has backed the Jewish state's sworn enemies, from Hezbollah to Hamas. Supreme Leader the Ayatollah Khomeini believes there can be no Middle East solution without 'the annihilation of the Zionist state'. This is hardly the basis for measured negotiation. We should not forget either that Tehran's mullahs also loathe Western liberal values and scorn democracy, so if they managed to acquire nuclear weapons, the whole world would be at risk. In that regard, Israel's enemy is our enemy. No one wants to see an escalation in hostilities in this already benighted region, but Israel believes it has no option but to act pre-emptively. We should acknowledge and support it in that. This is a people who suffered the Holocaust. Why should they stand idly by while a new generation of anti-Semites plots their extermination? And what is our own great leader Sir Keir Starmer's response to this unfolding crisis? As usual, a load of flannel – calling for calm… engaging partners to de-escalate … committed to diplomacy. The Israeli Defence Forces made it clear yesterday there was nothing they will not do to prevent Tehran developing the bomb Isn't it a bit late for that? Hostilities are well under way. So, whose side is he on? Does he back an oppressive theocracy that hates the West, spies on Britain and has had a malign hand in every Middle Eastern conflict of the modern era, or a parliamentary democracy engaged in a fight for survival? Having professed 'ironclad' support for Israel immediately after the October 7 massacre when still in opposition, he and his ministers have been rowing back ever since – not least because many Labour MPs and voters are rabidly anti-Zionist. The Government has scaled back arms supplies, criticised operations in Gaza and Israeli politicians, and there are signs Sir Keir is about to recognise Palestine as a state. The Left constantly bangs on about a 'two-state solution' but how would it be achieved? Who would draw the boundaries? Israel rightly sees the UN as a bad actor in this drama and will not be bound by its prejudices. And it certainly wouldn't co-operate with the international courts, which it views as similarly pro-Palestinian. Who would live where? And how could the two states live in harmony when one is committed to the obliteration of the other? Hamas and Iran don't want a two-state solution for the Holy Land, they want a one-state solution – without Jews. Sir Keir fancies himself as a statesman as he parades around the world gladhanding leaders and looking earnest. But statesmanship is more than photo-opportunities. It sometimes requires hard choices. When it comes to choosing between backing Iran or Israel, there should be no hesitation.
