Latest news with #TehranExplosions
CNN
7 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Sirens Sounding In Israel Amid Warning Of New Wave Of Iran Missiles - CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip - Podcast on CNN Audio
Sirens Sounding In Israel Amid Warning Of New Wave Of Iran Missiles CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip 46 mins There have been more explosions tonight in Tehran and Tel Aviv as the conflict between the Middle East foes escalates following Israel's unprecedented attack early Friday on Iranian nuclear and military targets, which killed some of the country's most senior leaders.
Telegraph
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Hour by hour, how Israel's three-pronged attack unfolded
It was around three o'clock in the morning when the first sounds of explosions could be heard across Tehran. Many in Iran's capital were jolted awake as missiles descended on the city. Soon afterwards, images of apartment blocks crumbling to the ground started to surface on social media. It was the start of a three-pronged attack that included precision missile strikes on generals, fighter jet attacks on nuclear sites and Mossad agents infiltrating the country. So far, strikes on more than a dozen sites across the Islamic Republic have been confirmed. While most in Iran already knew who was responsible, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, put any uncertainty to rest by confirming the attacks within the hour. Mr Netanyahu said 'Operation Rising Lion' had been successfully carried out to 'roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival'. He warned: 'We will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.' 3am (12:30am BST) The attacks appeared to have begun with between six and nine explosions in Tehran that were concentrated on neighbourhoods hosting military personnel as well as nuclear scientists. In Mahallati, a residential area in the north-eastern part of the capital in which large numbers of military officials live, the top floors of an apartment complex were blown out. In Narmak, a residential area near Mahallati, huge smoke clouds were seen rising from buildings. At least five people have been confirmed dead in the neighbourhood, with another 20 injured. Videos also showed apartment buildings in flames in the Farahzad neighbourhood of Tehran. The top layer of Iran's military command was being decapitated. 4am (1:30am BST) Explosions were heard in the cities of Isfahan, Arak and Kermanshah, and videos later showed plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. All three cities host important nuclear sites. Arak hosts the IR-40 heavy water nuclear reactor and has the capacity to produce plutonium, a key ingredient to build nuclear weapons. Isfahan is also home to a number military facilities, including nuclear sites, a major airbase and factories associated with Iran's drone programme and other military production. Smoke was also seen coming from Kermanshah's missile site, which is near the Iraq border and stores Iran's ballistic missiles. People in Isfahan took to the streets to demand revenge for the attacks on their city. In Kermanshah, long lines of cars were seen queuing for petrol. 4:30am (2am BST) Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, became one of the first senior international officials to speak out on the attacks when he published a statement denying any US involvement and telling Iran it 'should not target US interests or personnel'. Shortly after the attacks on the residential parts of Tehran, Israel also reportedly targeted six military bases that surround the capital, including Parchin, a massive complex located approximately 20 miles south-east of Tehran and known to produce chemical weapons. Around this time, there were also reports a of strikes in the western city of Piranshahr, near the Iraq border. Footage of the scene showed several secondary explosions as the strikes hit a munitions storage. Iraq, which shares a long border with Iran, announced that it had closed its airspace. 5am (2:30am BST) Another round of attacks began at around 5am. Immediately after news of the strikes on the capital, reports of attacks against Iran's Natanz nuclear facility emerged. The site, one of the country's key enrichment facilities, is approximately three hours south of Tehran. Videos captured clouds of smoke rising from the facility, which is partially above ground and partially below. Iran's atomic energy agency said the facility was damaged, but the International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors nuclear weapons, later said there was no sign of increased radiation levels. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has since claimed a significant victory in its attack on the site, the largest uranium enrichment facility in Iran. A spokesman said Israeli bombers managed to damage the underground floors of the complex, as well as supporting infrastructure. On Friday afternoon, the first satellite images showed multiple damaged buildings and multiple impact sites. Nuclear sites at Khorramabad and Khondab were also targeted, according to Iran International English news agency. Simultaneous strikes were also reported in Hamedan, a mountainous city in western Iran. At this time, Iranian state TV also reported that Israel had hit the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), part of the armed forces and one of the most powerful organisations in the country. State media said Major General Hossein Salami, the head of the IRGC, was killed in the attack – a major scalp for Israel. Meanwhile, early reports surfaced of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, leading a series of covert sabotage operations inside Iran. 5:30am (3am BST) General Salami was the first senior Iranian official to be confirmed dead. Around this time, General Gholam Ali Rashid, the deputy commander-in-chief of Iran's armed forces, as well as two nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, were all confirmed dead. A total of six Iranian nuclear scientists are confirmed to have died. Tehranchi was the head of the Islamic Azad University, while Abbasi was the former chief of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran. Later on Friday, more details emerged on the covert Mossad mission deep into Iranian territory. It appears Israel managed to build a drone base near Tehran and then smuggle weapons parts and commandos to it ahead of the operation. In addition, vehicles carrying missile systems were smuggled into Iran. These took out air defences, giving Israeli jets easier access to their targets on the ground. Meanwhile, the drones were activated overnight, striking surface-to-surface missile sites. Reports of attacks in Tabriz, a commerce hub in north-western Iran, and Ilam, a city in the west, not far from the Iraq border, also began trickling in. Israel's ambassador to the UN told CNN that Israel had an ongoing dialogue with the US, but that its strikes against Iran were an independent decision. He also cautioned against speculation about whether the US would assist Israel in the event of a retaliatory attack. Israel announced that Tel Aviv airport would be shut until further notice. 6am (3:30am BST) A third wave of attacks began around 6am, targeting radar and air defences across the country. Explosions were heard in Ahvaz, a city in southern Iran, which is home to one of the richest oil fields in the world. Shortly before 6am, reports surfaced that Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, and a secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, had been critically injured in a targeted strike against his home in Tehran. He was later confirmed to have died. Images showed his apartment, on the top floors of an 11-storey tower, covered in dust. At around 6am Iranian time, Donald Trump, the US president, announced that he would convene a national security meeting in five hours to discuss Israel's attacks. Abolfazl Shekarchi, the spokesman for Iran's armed forces, also made his first public statement, saying that Israel and the US wuld 'receive a forceful slap' and 'a retaliation attack is definite'. He said Israel would pay a 'heavy price'. Iran announced that it would be closing its air space until further notice. It had already suspended all flights in and out of Tehran. 6:30am (4am BST) Iran fired 100 drones towards Israel, General Effie Defrin, an IDF military spokesman, confirmed, but these would take several hours to reach Israel. Khamenei delivered his first statement following the attacks, saying Israel would receive a harsh punishment for its 'wicked and bloody hand in a crime against Iran'. He also said that 'Israel has prepared a bitter fate for itself' and the attacks revealed the country's 'vile nature'. Eyal Zamir, Israel's military chief of staff, also announced that the country was 'mobilising tens of thousands of soldiers and preparing across all borders'. 7am (4:30am BST) Israel confirmed that it used 200 jets to strike approximately 100 targets. 11:30am (9am BST) An IDF official told CNN that Israel had started to intercept the Iranian drones and shoot them down.
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Explosions heard in Tehran as Israel says it targets Iran military and nuclear sites
Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran as Israel said it targeted nuclear and military sites. The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones. Israel for years has warned it will not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn't want — though officials there have repeatedly warned it could. The U.S. has been preparing for something to happen, already pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East. People in Tehran awoke to the sound of the blast. State television acknowledged the blast. It wasn't immediately clear what had been hit, though smoke could be rising from Chitgar, a neighbourhood in western Tehran. There are no known nuclear sites in that area — but it wasn't immediately clear if anything was happening in the rest of the country. An Israeli military official says that his country targeted Iranian nuclear sites, without identifying them. The official spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation, which is also targeting military sites. No immediate comment from White House Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said that his country carried out the attack, without saying what it targeted. "In the wake of the state of Israel's preventive attack against Iran, missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected immediately," he said in a statement. The statement added that Katz "signed a special order declaring an emergency situation in the home front." "It is essential to listen to instructions from the home front command and authorities to stay in protected areas," it said. The White House did not have an immediate comment Thursday night. As the explosions in Tehran started, U.S. President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of the U.S. Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed, but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Israel attacks Iran's capital with explosions booming across Tehran
Israel attacked Iran 's capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran as Israel said it targeted nuclear and military sites. The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones. Israel for years has warned it will not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn't want — though official there have repeatedly warned it could build them. The U.S. has been preparing for something to happen, already pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East. People in Tehran awoke to the sound of the blast. State television acknowledged the blast. It wasn't immediately clear what had been hit, though smoke could be rising from Chitgar, a neighborhood in western Tehran. There are no known nuclear sites in that area — but it wasn't immediately clear if anything was happening in the rest of the country. An Israeli military official says that his country targeted Iranian nuclear sites, without identifying them. The official spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation, which is also targeting military sites. Benchmark Brent crude spiked on the attack, rising nearly 5% on the news. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said that his country carried out the attack, without saying what it targeted. 'In the wake of the state of Israel's preventive attack against Iran, missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected immediately," he said in a statement. The statement added that Katz 'signed a special order declaring an emergency situation in the home front.' 'It is essential to listen to instructions from the home front command and authorities to stay in protected areas,' it said Iran halted flights Friday at Imam Khomeini International Airport outside of Tehran, the country's main airport, Iranian state TV said. Iran has closed its airspace in the past when launching previous attacks against Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. The White House did not have an immediate comment Thursday night. As the explosions in Tehran started, President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes. Trump earlier said he was urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off from taking action for the time being while the administration negotiated with Iran. 'As long as I think there is a (chance for an) agreement, I don't want them going in because I think it would blow it,' Trump told reporters.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Live updates: Israel attacks Iran's capital with explosions booming across Tehran
Israel attacked Iran's capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran. The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Update: Date: 2025-06-13 00:54:47 Title: The Israeli official said Iran is posing three threats to the state of Israel Content: First, he alleged that the Iranian government is advancing a 'secret program' to develop nuclear weapons. The U.S. intelligence community assesses that Iran is not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. Secondly, the Israeli official said, Iran has thousands of ballistic missiles. Finally, he said Iran has been distributing weapons and arms to proxy groups across the region, like Hezbollah and Hamas. Update: Date: 2025-06-13 00:52:03 Title: Iran halted flights at Imam Khomeini International Airport outside of Tehran, state TV says Content: Iran has closed its airspace in the past when launching previous attacks against Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. Update: Date: 2025-06-13 00:44:50 Title: Trump on White House lawn as explosions begin Content: As the explosions in Tehran started, President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes. Earlier in the day, Trump said an Israeli attack over Iran's nuclear program was not imminent 'but it looks like it's something that could very well happen.' The U.S. has been preparing for something to happen, pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East. The White House did not have an immediate comment Thursday night.
