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
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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.'
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AU Financial Review
3 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
A big miscalculation by Iran led to severe toll
Iran's senior leaders had been planning for more than a week for an Israeli attack should nuclear talks with the United States fail. But they made one enormous miscalculation. They never expected Israel to strike before another round of talks that had been scheduled for this coming Sunday in Oman, officials close to Iran's leadership said Friday. They dismissed reports that an attack was imminent as Israeli propaganda meant to pressure Iran to make concessions on its nuclear program in those talks.
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Trump desperately wants to play ‘peacemaker'. This is the time to prove he can
Witkoff had sought unsuccessfully to persuade Netanyahu to remain patient while United States-Iran negotiations proceeded. Those talks have been deadlocked. Some Trump allies privately acknowledge that his diplomatic efforts were faltering even before Israel's attack. His second term in office started with what seemed like a foreign policy win. Shortly before Trump's inauguration, Witkoff worked with aides to then-president Joe Biden to secure a long-sought ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants. But that accord fell apart within weeks. The US has also made little discernible progress towards a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, whose conflict Trump vowed to end before even taking office. And his administration has taken no visible steps towards expanding the Abraham Accords, a landmark pact brokered in Trump's first term to forge diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab neighbours. Loading 'Spiral of escalation' As Trump has struggled to seal peace accords, foreign policy divisions have opened inside his own administration. Dozens of officials, from the National Security Council to the Pentagon and the State Department, have been jettisoned amid the infighting. Even before Israel's attack, several administration officials had begun to privately question if Witkoff, who lacks diplomatic experience but has emerged as Trump's top negotiator, had overstayed his welcome. As Israel's attacks unfolded, some prominent Democrats expressed frustration that Trump had scrapped during his first term a deal between the US, Iran and European allies forged during the Obama administration. Trump and Republicans had condemned that deal, saying it would not have kept a nuclear bomb out of Tehran's hands. Democrats fault Trump for not yet coming up with a credible alternative. 'This is a disaster of Trump and Netanyahu's own making, and now the region risks spiralling toward a new, deadly conflict,' Democratic senator Chris Murphy said in a post on X. Whether these strikes will trigger a regional conflict remains unclear. Even so, analysts said, Tehran could see US assets in the region as legitimate targets. For example, Tehran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen could resume their bombing campaign against ships transiting the Red Sea. Also unclear is Israel's ability to permanently impede Iran's nuclear program. Loading Analysts doubt in particular the ability of Israel to destroy Iran's Fordow enrichment plant, which is buried deep underground. While Israel could probably do extensive damage, experts say a more lasting blow would require US military assistance, which US officials said had not been provided. Another question mark is just how effectively Tehran can respond. Israel has indicated that it has targeted several Iranian leaders in the bombing campaign, which is expected to continue in coming days. All these factors will decide if the blow to Trump's aspirations to be seen as a global peacemaker will be a terminal one, or merely a setback. 'If Israel is to be taken at its word that tonight's strikes were the first round in an all-out Israeli campaign against Iran's nuclear and missile programs, Iran's regime is now knee-deep within a potentially existential, life-or-death moment,' said Charles Lister, head of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute. 'That paints tonight's strikes in a whole new, unprecedented light and makes the risk of a major spiral of escalation far more real than what we've seen play out before.'
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Israel targets Iran's military capabilities
Israel targeted Iran's air defences and missile launchers on Saturday as it pressed its bid to dismantle its arch-foe's military capabilities, after a night of mutual attacks. Israel's massive strikes on Iran, which it calls an existential threat, have hit nuclear and military facilities, killed top commanders and dozens of civilians, and sought to destroy the country's defence capabilities. Iran has hit back with volleys of missiles that lit up the night sky over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, killing three people and wounding dozens. Following decades of enmity and conflict by proxy, it is the first time that Israel and Iran have traded fire with such intensity, with fears of a prolonged conflict engulfing the region. Israel began striking Iran early Friday in an operation it has dubbed "Rising Lion", and has since killed several top Iranian generals including senior leaders of the Revolutionary Guards' air arm. On Saturday, Israel's military said it was striking dozens of missile launchers in Iran after announcing it had targeted air defences with a wave of strikes in the Tehran area. Two senior Iranian generals have been killed in Israeli strikes, Iranian state television reported Saturday, as Israel kept up its assault. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said Friday that 78 people had been killed and 320 wounded in the first wave of strikes by Israel. Iran called on its citizens to unite in defence of the country as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged them to rise up against their government. Air raid sirens and explosions rang out across Israel through the night, with many residents holed up in bomb shelters until home defence commanders stood down alerts. - 'Smoke, dust' - Israel said dozens of missiles -- some intercepted -- had been fired in the latest salvos from Iran, with AFP images of the city of Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv showing blown-out buildings, destroyed vehicles and streets strewn with debris. Israeli rescuers said two people were killed and 19 wounded on Saturday by rocket fire on a residential area in the coastal plain. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked dozens of targets in Israel. Israeli firefighters had worked for hours to free people trapped in a high-rise building in Tel Aviv on Friday. Resident Chen Gabizon told AFP he ran to an underground shelter after receiving an alert. "After a few minutes, we just heard a very big explosion, everything was shaking, smoke, dust, everything was all over the place," he said. Rescuers said 34 people were wounded in the Gush Dan area, including a woman who later died of her injuries, according to Israeli media reports. Speaking to CNN, Israel's ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said Iran had fired three salvos of ballistic missiles on Friday, some 150 in total. "We expect that the Iranians, who have a considerable volume of ballistic missiles, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2,000, will continue to fire them," Leiter said. In Tehran, fire and heavy smoke billowed over Mehrabad airport early Saturday, an AFP journalist said, as Iranian media reported an explosion. Blasts were heard across the capital as Iran activated its air defences against the incoming fire. Dozens of Iranians took to the streets to cheer their country's military response, with some waving national flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans. - 'Time to stop' - The attacks prompted several countries in the region to temporarily ground air traffic, though on Saturday morning, Jordan reopened its airspace. Iran's airspace was closed until further notice, state media reported. As fears mounted of wider conflict, UN chief Antonio Guterres called on both sides to cease fire. "Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail," he said on X late Friday. US officials said they were helping Israel defend against the missile attacks, even as Washington insisted it had nothing to do with Israel's strikes on Iran. US President Donald Trump agreed in a call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that "dialogue and diplomacy" were needed to calm the crisis, Starmer's office said. Trump also spoke with the Israeli prime minister, US officials said without elaborating. In a televised address, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to bring Israel "to ruin". The conflict has thrown into doubt plans for a fresh round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran in Oman on Sunday. After the first wave of strikes on Friday, Trump urged Iran to "make a deal", adding that Washington was "hoping to get back to the negotiating table". The United States and other Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, an ambition it has consistently denied. Iran said on Saturday its participation in the Oman talks remained "unclear". "It is still unclear what decision we will make for Sunday," the official IRNA news agency reported, citing foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei. Baqaei had called the talks "meaningless" in view of the Israeli strikes, which he alleged were carried out with "US permission".
