Air raid sirens sound as Iran launches missiles at Israel
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they have launched an attack on dozens of targets in Israel after its large-scale attack on the Islamic republic.
'The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps... has executed its decisive and precise response against tens of targets, military centres and airbases of the usurping Zionist regime in the occupied territories,' the Guards said in a statement carried by state media.
Meanwhile, Israel has vowed to press on with 'full force' after its unprecedented onslaught on Iran that killed several of the country's top military brass, with media in the Islamic republic reporting strikes and projectiles well into the evening (local time).
Amid the shocking scale of the Israeli operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to the airways to issue a word of caution, saying he expected 'several waves of Iranian attacks' in response.
Earlier in the day, Israel said its airstrikes had killed several top Iranian generals, including most of the senior leadership of the Revolutionary Guards' air force, while hitting about 100 targets including nuclear facilities.
'We are continuing with full force, at a high pace, in order to meet the goals we have set for ourselves,' Israeli Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a 'bitter and painful' fate over the attacks.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the attack as a 'declaration of war' and President Masoud Pezeshkian said 'Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act'.
The Israeli military said Iran launched around 100 drones in response, with air defences intercepting them outside Israeli territory, while neighbouring Jordan said it targeted drones and missiles that violated its airspace.
After the attack, Trump urged Iran to 'make a deal', warning of 'even more brutal' attacks to come.
The United States underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action and warned Iran not to attack its personnel or interests, but Tehran said Washington would be 'responsible for consequences'.
Netanyahu said Israel struck at the 'heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme', taking aim at nuclear scientists and the main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.
The strikes would 'continue as many days as it takes', the Israeli premier said, while the military said intelligence showed Iran was approaching the 'point of no return' on its nuclear programme.
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.
'Clear message'
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 the Guards aerospace commander had been killed, along with 'a group of brave and dedicated fighters'.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the 'precise targeting of senior commanders... sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel's destruction will be eliminated'.
AFP images showed a gaping hole in the side of a Tehran residential building that appeared to have sustained a targeted strike.
State media reported continued attacks and interceptions well into the evening on Friday, including on the northwest where it said 18 people were killed.
Tasnim news agency said six nuclear scientists were among the dead.
Later on Friday, the UN Security Council said it would hold an emergency meeting at 3pm (1900 GMT).
The meeting was requested by Iran, and supported by Russia and China, a diplomatic source told AFP.
'Scathing response'
Tehran's streets were deserted except for queues at petrol stations, a familiar sight in times of crisis.
'How much longer are we going to live in fear?' asked Ahmad Moadi, a 62-year-old retiree.
'As an Iranian, I believe there must be an overwhelming response, a scathing response.'
Air traffic was halted at Tehran's main gateway, Imam Khomeini International Airport, while Iraq, Jordan and Syria closed their airspace.
Israel declared a state of emergency as anxieties grew amid a wave of uncertainty gripping the region.
'I'm worried for my children, and also about my livelihood, because this affects the market. You can't work, you can't do anything,' Tel Aviv resident Vered Saar told AFP.
Israel's military also began deploying reservists 'to all combat arenas throughout the country' to prepare for 'defence and offence'.
Advertise with NZME.
Oil prices surged while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes, which came after Trump's warning of a 'massive conflict' in the region.
Trump had also said the United States was drawing down staff in the Middle East, after Iran had threatened to target US military bases in the region if conflict broke out.
Before the strikes, Trump said he believed a deal on Iran's nuclear programme was 'fairly close', cautioning however that an Israeli attack on its arch foe could wreck the chances of an agreement.
'Within reach'
With the violence raising questions on whether a sixth round of talks planned between the US and Iran would go ahead on Sunday in Oman, Trump said Washington was 'hoping to get back to the negotiating table'.
Confirming Natanz had been among Israel's targets, 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.
Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, said: 'I think Israel has declared all-out war against Iran.'
The United States and other Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, an ambition it has consistently denied.
Israel again called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran on Thursday of non-compliance with its obligations.
The agency later said it would hold an extraordinary meeting of its board of governors in the coming days.
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60%, far above the 3.67% limit set by a largely moribund 2015 agreement with major powers, but still short of the 90% threshold needed for a nuclear warhead.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Israel's attacks on Iran hint at bigger goal
By Crispian Balmer, Michael Martina and Matt Spetalnick , Reuters Iranian worshippers chant slogans during an anti-Israeli gathering after Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, 2024. File photo. Photo: AP / Vahid Salemi Analysis - Israel's surprise attack on Iran had an obvious goal of sharply disrupting Tehran's nuclear programme and lengthening the time it would need to develop an atomic weapon. The scale of the attacks, Israel's choice of targets and its politicians' own words suggest another, longer-term objective - toppling the regime itself. The strikes early on Friday (local time) hit, not just Iran's nuclear facilities and missile factories, but also key figures in the country's military chain of command and its nuclear scientists, blows that appear aimed at diminishing Iran's credibility, both at home and among its allies in the region - factors that could destabilise the Iranian leadership, experts said. "One assumes that one of the reasons Israel is doing that is they're hoping to see regime change," said Michael Singh of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former senior official under President George W Bush. "It would like to see the people of Iran rise up," he said, adding that the limited civilian casualties in the initial round of attacks also spoke to a broader aim. In a video address shortly after Israeli fighter jets began striking Iranian nuclear facilities and air defence systems, Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to the Iranian people directly. Photo: - Israel's actions against Iran's ally Hezbollah led to a new government in Lebanon and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, he said. The Iranian people had an opportunity too. "I believe that the day of your liberation is near and when that happens, the great friendship between our two ancient peoples will flourish once again," said Netanyahu Despite the damage inflicted by the unprecedented Israeli attack, decades of enmity toward Israel - not only among Iran's rulers, but its majority-Shi'ite population - raised questions about the prospect for fomenting enough public support to oust an entrenched theocratic leadership in Tehran, backed by loyal security forces. Singh cautioned that no-one knew what conditions would be required for an opposition to coalesce in Iran. Friday's assault was the first phase of what Israel said would be a prolonged operation. Experts said they expected Israel would continue to go after key Iranian nuclear infrastructure to delay Tehran's march to a nuclear bomb, even if Israel - on its own - did not have the capability to eliminate Iran's nuclear programme. Iran said its nuclear programme was for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it violated its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. Israel's first salvoes targeted senior figures in Iran's military and scientific establishment, took out much of the country's air defence system and destroyed the above-ground enrichment plant at Iran's nuclear site. "As a democratic country, the State of Israel believes that it is up to the people of a country to shape their national politics and choose their government," the Israeli embassy in Washington told Reuters. "The future of Iran can only be determined by the Iranian people." Netanyahu has called for a change in Iran's government, including in September. US President Donald Trump's administration, while acquiescing to Israel's strikes and helping its close ally fend off Iran's retaliatory missile barrage, has given no indication that it seeks regime change in Tehran. The White House and Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York also did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter. Israel has much further to go if it is to dismantle Iran's nuclear facilities and military analysts have always said it might be impossible to totally disable the well-fortified sites dotted around Iran. The Israeli government has also cautioned that Iran's nuclear programme could not be entirely destroyed by means of a military campaign. "There's no way to destroy a nuclear programme by military means," Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel's Channel 13 TV . The military campaign could, however, create conditions for a deal with the US that would thwart the nuclear programme. Analysts also remain sceptical that Israel will have the munitions needed to obliterate Iran's nuclear project on its own. "Israel probably cannot take out completely the nuclear project on its own, without the American participation," Sima Shine, a former chief Mossad analyst and now a researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, told reporters on Friday. While setting back Tehran's nuclear programme would have value for Israel, the hope for regime change could explain why Israel went after so many senior military figures, potentially throwing the Iranian security establishment into confusion and chaos. "These people were very vital, very knowledgeable, many years in their jobs and they were a very important component of the stability of the regime, specifically the security stability of the regime," Shine said. "In the ideal world, Israel would prefer to see a change of regime, no question about that." Such a change would come with risk, said Jonathan Panikoff, a former US deputy national intelligence officer for the Middle East, who is now at the Atlantic Council. If Israel succeeds in removing Iran's leadership, there is no guarantee that the successor that emerges would not be even more hardline in pursuit of conflict with Israel. "For years, many in Israel have insisted that regime change in Iran would prompt a new and better day - that nothing could be worse than the current theocratic regime," Panikoff said. "History tells us it can always be worse." -Reuters
Scoop
6 hours ago
- Scoop
The West's War On Iran
I have visited Iran twice. Once in June 1980 to witness an unprecedented event: the world's first Islamic Revolution. It was the very start of my writing career. The second time was in 2018 and part of my interest was to get a sense of how disenchanted the population was - or was not - with life under the Ayatollahs decades after the creation of the Islamic Republic. I loved my time in Iran and found ordinary Iranians to be such wonderful, cultured and kind people. When I heard the news today of Israel's attack on Iran I had the kind of emotional response that should never be seen in public. I was apoplectic with rage and disgust, I vented bitterly and emotively. Then I calmed down. And here is what I would like to say. Just last week former CIA officer Ray McGovern, who wrote daily intelligence briefings for the US President during his 27-year career, reminded me when I interviewed him that the assessment of the US intelligence community has been for years that Iran ceased its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and had not recommenced since. The departing CIA director William Burns confirmed this assessment recently. Propaganda aside, there is nothing new other than a US-Israeli campaign that has shredded any concept of international laws or norms. I won't mince words: what we are witnessing is the racist, genocidal Israeli regime, armed and encouraged by the US, Germany, UK and other Western regimes, launching a war that has no justification other than the expansion of Israeli power and the advancement of its Greater Israel project. This year, using American, German and British armaments, supported by underlings like Australia and New Zealand, the Israelis have pursued their genocide against the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza, and attacked various neighbours, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. They represent a clear and present danger to peace and stability in the region. Iran has operated with considerable restraint but has also shown its willingness to use its military to keep the US-Israeli menace at bay. What most people forget is that the project to secure Iran's borders and keep the likes of the British, Israelis and Americans out is a multi-generational project that long predates the Islamic Revolution. I would recommend 'Iran: A modern history' by the US-based scholar Abbas Amanat that provides a long-view of the evolution of the Iranian state and how it has survived centuries of pressure and multiple occupations from imperial powers, including Russia, Britain, the US and others. The country was raped by the Brits and the Americans and has won a hard-fought independence that is being seriously challenged, not from within, but by the Israelis and the Western warlords who have wrecked so many countries and killed millions of men, women and children in the region over recent decades. I spoke and messaged with Iranian friends today both in Iran and in New Zealand and the response was consistent. They felt, one of them said, 10 times more hurt and emotional than I did. Understandable. A New Zealand-based Iranian friend had to leave work as soon as he heard the news. He scanned Iranian social media and found people were upset, angry and overwhelmingly supportive of the government. 'They destroyed entire apartment buildings! Why?', 'People will be very supportive of the regime now because they have attacked civilians.' 'My parents are in the capital. I was so scared for them.' Just a couple of years ago scholars like Professor Amanat estimated that core support for the regime was probably only around 20%. That was my impression too when I visited in 2018. Israel and the US have changed that. Nationalism and an existential menace will see Iranians rally around the flag. Something I learnt in Iran, in between visiting the magnificent ruins of the capital of the Achaemenid Empire at Persepolis, exploring a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence, chowing down on insanely good food in Yazd, talking with a scholar and then a dissident in Isfahan, and exploring an ancient Sassanian fort and a caravanserai in the eastern desert, was that the Iranians are the most politically astute people in the region. Many I spoke to were quite open about their disdain for the regime but none of them sought a counter-revolution. They knew what that would bring: the wolves (the Americans, the Israelis, the Saudis, and other bad actors) would slip in and tear the country apart. Slow change is the smarter option when you live in this neighbourhood. Iranians are overwhelmingly well-educated, profoundly courteous and kind, and have a deep sense of history. They know more than enough about what happened to them and to so many other countries once a great power sees an opening. War is a truly horrific thing that always brings terrible suffering to ordinary people. It is very rarely justified. Iran was actively negotiating with the Americans who, we now know, were briefed on the attack in advance and will possibly join the attack in the near future. US senators are baying for Judeo-Christian jihad. Democrat senator John Fetterman was typical: 'Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran.' We should have the moral and intellectual honesty to see the truth: Our team, Team Genocide, are the enemies of peace and justice. I wish the Iranian people peace and prosperity. Eugene Doyle Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He hosts the public policy platform
Scoop
8 hours ago
- Scoop
Embassy Of Israel In Wellington Closes Amid International Conflict
Article – RNZ It's part of a worldwide closure of the country's diplomatic missions. The Israeli embassy in New Zealand has shut as part of a worldwide closure of the country's diplomatic missions,. The closures comes as tensions remain high in the region – Israel launched an attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on Friday, which Iran responded to with attacks of its own. The Embassy of Israel – on Brandon Street in Wellington – services Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands and Niue, as well as New Zealand. It also operates a consulate office in Auckland. A message on the embassy's website announced the decision: 'In light of recent developments, Israeli missions around the world will be closed and consular services will not be provided,' it said. 'An online form is available for Israelis abroad to report their location and current status.' The message also issued general safety guidelines for Israelis abroad – encouraging them to avoid displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols in public spaces and avoid attending large gatherings or events associated with Israel or Jewish communities. An 'unpublish' date on the message indicated it was intended to appear on the website until the end of July. In a statement sent to RNZ on Saturday morning, the Israeli embassy said Iran was 'only moments away from a nuclear weapon' and Israel 'had no choice'. 'Iran accumulated large amounts of highly enriched uranium that are sufficient for more than nine nuclear bombs. A third of which was enriched and accumulated in the last three months alone – a drastic increase of production volume. ' Israel has for years said Iran was working towards obtaining nuclear weapons. The embassy said the recent 'accelerated effort has not been seen in the last two decades'. 'Israel has the right to defend itself, and it has launched a precise self-defense campaign as a last resort.' It accused Iran of targeting civilian populations in its retaliatory attacks, saying Israel only 'targeted senior military commanders and nuclear weapons developers'. 'Israel will not allow a regime that openly calls for its destruction to possess nuclear weapons or vast stockpiles of advanced ballistic missiles.' The embassy closure came as part of a global shutting of Israeli embassies. Israel's embassy in Sweden said the country would close its diplomatic missions around the world and that consular services would not be provided at about 11pm on Friday night (NZ), Reuters reported. It did not say how long the missions would be closed. Correction: This story earlier said Iran launched 100 drones towards Israel, which was unconfirmed. It has been changed since to 'responded to with attacks of its own'.
