What Israel's strike on Iran means for Australia
Israel has confirmed it has launched strikes on "dozens" nuclear and military targets in Iran — reportedly killing the Head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia is "alarmed" over the attacks and warns it risks further "destabilisation" in an already volatile region.
The attacks signal major escalation in regional tensions, and comes as fears over Iran's nuclear capabilities have increased dramatically.
Patricia Karvelas breaks it all down on Politics Now.
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Israel attacks Iran LIVE updates: Explosions rumble in Tel Aviv as Iranian retaliatory strikes for attacks on nuclear sites continue; UK, Europe urges Israel to pursue de-escalation
Key posts 7.23am Iran says 78 killed, hundreds injured in Israeli attacks 6.29am Damage in Israel begins to emerge 6.09am Watch: Missiles strike Israel 5.50am Watch: Benjamin Netanyahu makes video address 5.35am Iranian missiles hit Israel 5.25am Welcome to our live coverage Latest posts Latest posts 7.39am Sirens wail in southern Israel after 'hostile aircraft infiltration' By Lachlan Abbott Sirens sounded in the southern Israeli town of Eilat after the military detected a 'hostile aircraft infiltration', according to an IDF statement issued just before 7.30am AEST. Eilat is a port and resort town on the Red Sea, near Jordan, further away from where the main Iranian barrage hit earlier today. 7.28am The Iranian commanders and scientists killed in Israeli strikes Dubai: Iran said several top commanders and six nuclear scientists were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders. Below is a list of the commanders and scientists killed: Hossein Salami Salami was commander-in-chief of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps, or IRGC. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Salami, who was born in 1960, as head of the IRGC in 2019. Mohammad Bagheri A former IRGC commander, Major General Bagheri was chief of staff of Iran's armed forces from 2016. Born in 1960, Bagheri joined the guards during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Gholamali Rashid Major General Rashid was head of the IRGC's Khatam al Anbia headquarters. He previously served as deputy chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, and fought for Iran during the 1980s war with Iraq. Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani Abbasi, a nuclear scientist, served as head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization from 2011 to 2013. A hardliner, Abbasi was a member of parliament from 2020 to 2024. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi Tehranchi, a nuclear scientist, was head of Iran's Islamic Azad University in Tehran. Four other scientists killed in Friday's strikes are Abdolhamid Manouchehr, Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feghi and Motalibizadeh. 7.23am Iran says 78 killed, hundreds injured in Israeli attacks By AP Iran's UN ambassador just said that earlier Israeli attacks killed 78 people and injured more than 320 others. Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Israel's 'barbaric and criminal attack' and assassinations were against senior military officials and nuclear scientists. But he said 'the overwhelming majority' of victims were civilians, women and children. He said Israel was again conducting 'acts of aggression' targeting multiple civilian and military sites across several Iranian cities. 7.15am Iranian missiles wound Israelis By AP In the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, rescuers were trying to free 15 people trapped in the debris of a house struck by a missile. Yossi Griver, from Israel's home front command, said people were eating dinner when the missile hit. He said many were elderly. ORamat Gan was badly hit Friday night. The Associated Press saw at least three damaged houses, one where the front was nearly entirely torn off, as well as burnt out cars. 7.06am Fireballs light up night sky over Tel Aviv By Lachlan Abbott Footage from Israel's capital showed fiery explosions engulfing buildings as Iran's volley of missiles hit earlier. High-rise buildings in Tel Aviv have been severely damaged in the attacks, which come after a major Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities and military leadership yesterday. Iranian missiles could be seen from as far away as Beirut, leaving behind yellow streaks like comets as they descended. And in other videos posted on social media, missiles shot through the air above Jerusalem's Old City. Associated Press journalists reported the rumbling of explosions sounded like a thunderstorm. With AP 6.48am UK, Europe urges Israel to pursue de-escalation By Rob Harris London: Earlier, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged his counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to pursue de-escalation following Israeli strikes that have raised fears of a wider regional conflict with Iran. In a phone call on Friday afternoon, Starmer reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defence but stressed the importance of a diplomatic resolution. A Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister expressed the UK's 'grave concerns' about Iran's nuclear program and warned against further escalation. The UK, France and Germany issued a joint appeal earlier in the day, calling for 'maximum restraint' amid growing international alarm over the potential for broader conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed Starmer's call for a return to diplomacy, describing the situation as 'extremely dangerous'. The UK Foreign Office is monitoring developments closely, particularly the safety of embassy staff in Tehran. With the United States and Canada temporarily closing their missions, officials in London are assessing potential risks to British personnel. A senior UK official confirmed Britain has no plans to support military action. But late on Friday night in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reportedly told his British counterpart David Lammy in a phone hook-up that calls for restraint from Iran in the face of Israel's attack were 'unjustified'. With AP 6.39am China 'deeply concerned' about Israeli strikes on Iran By Lisa Visentin China, which has good relations with Iran, said earlier that it is 'deeply concerned' about Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic and called for a de-escalation of tensions. 'China opposes actions that violate Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and opposes moves that escalate tensions and enlarge conflicts. The abrupt heating up of the region serves no one's interests,' Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday. He said China was prepared to play 'a constructive role in helping ease the situation'. Beijing has forged closer economic ties with Tehran in recent years as part of its broader influence-building campaign in the Middle East. China is Iran's largest trading partner, and buys about 90 per cent of its oil exports, helping to mitigate the impact of crippling Western sanctions on Iran. But analysts say it is a relationship built primarily on economic interdependence, rather than a deeper strategic alignment. With Iran's regional power already severely diminished by Israel's attacks on its proxy forces Hamas and Hezbollah, Beijing likely now sees Tehran as a vulnerable partner in a volatile region, says Jonathan Fulton, an expert on China-Middle East relations at the Abu Dhabi-based Zayed University. 'There are so many variables to consider that I wouldn't expect Beijing to do much beyond express support for Iran, condemn Israel, blame the US, and express hope that regional actors solve this regional problem,' Fulton wrote in an analysis for his China-MENA newsletter. 6.29am Damage in Israel begins to emerge By Lachlan Abbott The Israeli military allowed those sheltering in bomb shelters across the country to emerge via a message shared on Telegram just before 5.30am AEST. But the IDF warned citizens to remain near protected spaces. More attacks are expected in the Middle East in the coming hours as the time in Tel Aviv approaches 11.30pm. Reports of what damage today's first Iranian aerial assault has caused are still limited, but here is what we know so far: A Tel Aviv area hospital said it was treating 15 injured civilians, according to the Associated Press. A critically injured woman was admitted to Beilinson Hospital in nearby Petah Tikva, according to Reuters, citing a hospital spokesperson. Israeli newspaper Haaretz has reported that at least 40 people were wounded. The Iranian regime launched fewer than 100 rockets in two salvos toward Israel, an IDF spokesperson said. Israel claims most of these rockets were intercepted or fell short. A spokesperson said: 'A limited number of buildings were damaged, some as a result of shrapnel from the interceptions.' 6.01am Donald Trump applauds Israeli strikes By Michael Koziol Washington: US President Donald Trump says Iran has a second chance to negotiate a nuclear deal and stave off 'even more brutal' attacks being planned by Israel in coming days, as Tehran began its retaliation by firing ballistic missiles at Israeli cities. Trump was conducting a meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room on Friday, Washington time, following Israel's 'pre-emptive' strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and top government personnel the night before. In a series of short phone interviews with US media, Trump indicated he was fully aware of Israel's operations in advance, and said Iran must make a deal that forbids it from developing a nuclear weapon 'before there is nothing left'. 'We knew everything,' Trump told Reuters of Israel's 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. They can still work out a deal, however. It's not too late.'
