Israel strikes Iran: what we know so far
JERUSALEM: Israel said Friday it had carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, promising to continue military action "to remove this threat."
The strikes hit several areas in Iran, with blasts reported in the capital Tehran, as well as at a key uranium enrichment site. Here is what we know:
Israel's military said its jets carried out strikes on "dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran."
Blasts were reported in Tehran, where Iranian state television said fire and smoke were seen at a key site for Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the city's east.
State television also reported "loud explosions" in Natanz, in Iran's central Isfahan province, where a key nuclear site is located.
The "Natanz enrichment facility has been hit several times," state TV reported, showing footage of heavy smoke billowing from the site.
Iranian state media said residential buildings in Tehran were damaged and several civilians killed.
An Israeli security official said the strikes had "likely eliminated" Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Islamic republic's armed forces, along with senior nuclear scientists.
Iranian media meanwhile said Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami had been killed.
Israel sees the cleric-run state in Tehran as an existential threat and hit Iranian air defences last year.
Its defence minister Israel Katz described the action as a "preemptive strike."
The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has always denied.
Israel again called for global action after the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency accused Iran on Wednesday of non-compliance with its obligations.
There had been indications a military strike was likely, with US media reporting an imminent Israeli attack that would not be coordinated with the Washington.
"I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen," US President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday when asked if an Israeli attack loomed.
A sixth round of talks over Tehran's nuclear programme had been scheduled between the United States and Iran on Sunday in Oman.
Israel relies on Washington for military and diplomatic support but carried out the strikes alone, top US diplomat Marco Rubio said.
"We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," he said in a statement warning Tehran against targeting US interests.
Rubio said Israel had "advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence," without offering support or criticism of the strikes.
Air traffic has been halted at Tehran's main international airport, and neighbouring Iraq has closed its airspace entirely.
Israel has warned Iran could retaliate at any moment, declaring a state of emergency and also shutting its airspace.
In Washington, the White House said Trump would convene security chiefs after the strike, which was criticised by a senior Democrat.
"Israel's alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence," said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
The strikes saw oil prices surge up to six percent. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
UN Urges Restraint After Israel-Iran Strikes Escalate Tensions
HAMILTON: The United Nations (UN) on Friday warned of serious regional and global consequences following Israel and Iran's exchange of airstrikes, urging restraint and renewed diplomatic efforts, Anadolu Ajansi reported. 'The impact of these attacks has already been felt throughout the region, with neighbouring countries closing their airspace and putting their security forces on high alert,' UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told a Security Council emergency session on Iran. DiCarlo reaffirmed UN Chief Antonio Guterres' 'condemnation of any military escalation in the Middle East' and noted the 'obligation of Member States, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, not to use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.' 'We must at all costs avoid a growing conflagration, which would have enormous global consequences,' she said. Iran and the US were preparing to resume talks in Oman before the escalation, she said, encouraging both sides to continue diplomatic efforts. 'A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best means to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme,' she noted. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi also briefed the Security Council, confirming damage to parts of the Natanz enrichment facility. He said the above-ground section of the pilot fuel enrichment plant, where Iran had enriched uranium up to 60 per cent, was 'destroyed.' 'There is no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hall containing part of the pilot fuel enrichment plant and the main fuel enrichment plant,' he said, adding that the loss of power may have affected centrifuges. Grossi said that 'the level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels,' but affirmed that there is 'radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities.' He added that the detected alpha particles are manageable with proper radiation protection. 'Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear security, nuclear safety and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security,' he said. Emphasising that 'the only sustainable path forward for Iran, for Israel, the entire region, and the international community is one grounded in dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, stability, and cooperation,' Grossi reaffirmed the IAEA's readiness to facilitate dialogue. Israel began its military operation early Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities and killing its top military commanders and scientists. The attacks continued until Friday night, with cities such as Tehran, Natanz, Tabriz, and Isfahan hit. Iran then launched a retaliatory attack, Operation True Promise III, on Friday night.
The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Iran Launches Retaliatory Strikes After Israeli Attacks
TEHRAN: Israel began feeling Iran's wrath on Friday evening as the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces launched a wave of strikes on Israel. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the strikes came hours after the Israeli regime, in what Iran described as unprovoked aggression, targeted locations inside Iranian territory, including residential buildings. The Iranian counterstrikes began without warning, and images and footage emerged showing missile after missile penetrating Israel's missile defences and exploding upon impact. Huge fireballs lit up the night sky in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Reports said Israel's Ministry of War was hit. Israeli air defence batteries around other specific targets were also taken out before missiles struck the higher-profile sites. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said in a brief statement after the strikes began that dozens of Israeli targets, including military sites and airbases, were being hit in pinpoint attacks. It said further details would be provided later. In a second statement issued around midnight, the IRGC said its missile and drone units had targeted Israeli military bases used to launch strikes on Iran, as well as industrial weapons manufacturing and other military facilities deep inside Israel. The statement said intelligence collected — including satellite imagery — confirmed that dozens of ballistic missiles had struck their intended targets. Overnight on Friday, the Israeli regime launched a series of military strikes in and around the Iranian capital, Tehran, as well as other Iranian cities. Simultaneously, anticipating a devastating Iranian response, Israeli Minister for Military Affairs Israel Katz declared a state of emergency across Israel. The Israeli military also carried out targeted strikes against Iran's top military commanders. Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and Chief Commander of the IRGC Major General Hossein Salami were assassinated in Tehran. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei appointed new top military commanders on the same day. Just before the Iranian strikes began, Ayatollah Khamenei said in a televised address to the nation that the Israeli regime would not escape retaliation for its attacks on Iran. 'Strong action should be taken — and will be taken,' the Leader said. 'We will show no leniency. Life will undoubtedly turn bleak for them.'
The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
UN urges de-escalation amid Israel-Iran strikes, warns of regional consequences
HAMILTON: The United Nations (UN) on Friday warned of serious regional and global consequences following Israel and Iran's exchange of airstrikes, urging restraint and renewed diplomatic efforts, Anadolu Ajansi reported. 'The impact of these attacks has already been felt throughout the region, with neighbouring countries closing their airspace and putting their security forces on high alert,' UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told a Security Council emergency session on Iran. DiCarlo reaffirmed UN Chief Antonio Guterres' 'condemnation of any military escalation in the Middle East' and noted the 'obligation of Member States, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, not to use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.' 'We must at all costs avoid a growing conflagration, which would have enormous global consequences,' she said. Iran and the US were preparing to resume talks in Oman before the escalation, she said, encouraging both sides to continue diplomatic efforts. 'A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best means to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme,' she noted. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi also briefed the Security Council, confirming damage to parts of the Natanz enrichment facility. He said the above-ground section of the pilot fuel enrichment plant, where Iran had enriched uranium up to 60 per cent, was 'destroyed.' 'There is no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hall containing part of the pilot fuel enrichment plant and the main fuel enrichment plant,' he said, adding that the loss of power may have affected centrifuges. Grossi said that 'the level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels,' but affirmed that there is 'radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities.' He added that the detected alpha particles are manageable with proper radiation protection. 'Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear security, nuclear safety and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security,' he said. Emphasising that 'the only sustainable path forward for Iran, for Israel, the entire region, and the international community is one grounded in dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, stability, and cooperation,' Grossi reaffirmed the IAEA's readiness to facilitate dialogue. Israel began its military operation early Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities and killing its top military commanders and scientists. The attacks continued until Friday night, with cities such as Tehran, Natanz, Tabriz, and Isfahan hit. Iran then launched a retaliatory attack, Operation True Promise III, on Friday night.
