- Several top Iranian commanders killed in Israeli strikes – Israeli strikes on Iran have killed several of the country’s top commanders, including Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and other senior army officials, according to local news agencies and officials. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the attacks early Friday involving more than 200 fighter jets killed Salami, along with Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, and the commander of Iran’s Emergency Command. According to Israel, the raid was aimed at Iranian nuclear and military targets, including an enrichment facility in Natanz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the operation was intended to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iranian officials have confirmed the deaths of Salami and Bagheri, with the IRGC stressing that it “stands ready to deliver a decisive and harsh response to the Zionist enemy’s aggression.” According to reports cited by Press TV, the victims also include Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Gholam Ali Rashid. Israeli strikes on Tehran have also killed at least six Iranian nuclear scientists, Tasnim news agency reported.
- Israeli Spy Agency MOSSAD build a secret Drone and Missile base deep inside Iran. Israel spent years preparing for the operation against Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, a security official tells The Times of Israel, including building a drone base inside Iran and smuggling precision weapons systems and commandos into the country. The effort hinged on tight joint planning between the IDF and the Mossad intelligence agency. According to the official, Mossad agents set up a drone base on Iranian soil near Tehran. The drones were activated overnight, striking surface-to-surface missile launchers aimed at Israel. In addition, vehicles carrying weapons systems were smuggled into Iran. These systems took out Iran’s air defenses and gave Israeli planes air supremacy and freedom of action over Iran. The third covert effort was Mossad commandos deploying precision missiles near anti-aircraft sites in central Iran. The operations relied on “groundbreaking thinking, bold planning and surgical operation of advanced technologies, special forces and agents operating in the heart of Iran while totally evading the eyes of local intelligence,” says the official.
- Iran has launched a massive counter-attack against Israel following the Israeli airstrikes on Tehran. According to reports, Iran has fired over 800 drones, cruise and ballistic missiles toward Israeli military sites and urban centers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that all defense systems are actively intercepting threats, including the Iron Dome anti-missile system
- Yemen has also launched drones at Israel
- The Israeli Air Force has begun to intercept drones over Saudi airspace
- Jordan ha opened its airspace to Israeli fighters to intercept Iranian drones
- UK sends its fighter jets from Cyprus to help Israel against Iran drone attack
- 100 US fighter jets also patrolling with Israeli Air Force
- Qatar is also assisting US Air Force in fighting Iranian drones
- 200 Israeli fighter jets used in strikes on Iran
Israel’s military says 200 fighter jets have been used in its ongoing strikes on Iran.
“More than 100 targets have been struck across Iran,” IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said during a live briefing, adding that “over 330 various munitions” have already been dropped.
Defrin said Israel’s strikes were “part of a precise and synchronized operation” and that its pilots were “still striking military targets and targets from the nuclear program across different areas in Iran.” - Iraqi air space was used by Israel to attack Iran using F-35 and F-15s
- Pakistan, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and North Korea officially condemns the Israeli attack on Iran
- The airspace over conflict zone completely closed to civil aviation
- Iranian Hackers launched a cyberattack against Israel
- Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and General Ahmad Vahidi have been appointed as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and IRGC Chief Commander respectively.
Tehran/Tel Aviv (Agencies): In a major escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran, the Israeli military carried out preemptive airstrikes on Iran’s capital, Tehran, early Friday morning. The strikes reportedly targeted Iran’s nuclear program and key military sites, raising fears of an all-out war between the two adversaries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of emergency, confirming that Israel’s military struck key Iranian facilities, including:
- Natanz Nuclear Facility – A major uranium enrichment site.
- Tehran Military Installations – Several bases hosting Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
- Command Centers – Homes of senior Iranian commanders.
According to Iranian state media, the Israeli strikes have resulted in multiple high-profile deaths, including:
- General Hossein Salami – Commander-in-chief of IRGC.
- Major General Gholam Ali Rashid – Commander of Iran’s Central Military Headquarters.
- Major General Mohammad Bagheri – Chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces.
- Dr. Tehranchi & Dr. Fereydoon Abbasi – Two prominent Iranian nuclear scientists.
- Ali Shamkhani – Iran’s former national security chief.
- At least 50 people were injured in Israeli strikes on Tehran, with 35 of them confirmed as women and children, according to Iranian state TV.
The attack, described as the most significant assault on Iran since its war with Iraq in the 1980s, saw multiple sites across the country hit, including Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility. According to witnesses, black smoke billowed from Natanz, a site critical to Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts.
Israeli leaders framed the strike as a fight for national survival, arguing that Iran was on the verge of obtaining nuclear weapons. While Iran maintains it has no active nuclear weapons program, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the attack was necessary to “remove this threat.”
- “It could be a year. It could be within a few months,” Netanyahu said, emphasizing the urgency of Israel’s actions.
- “This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival,” he added.
The Trump administration, which had warned Israel against military action while nuclear negotiations continued, denied involvement and urged both sides to avoid escalation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Israel acted unilaterally but warned Iran against targeting American personnel in its retaliation.
Meanwhile, regional impacts are unfolding rapidly:
- Both Iran and Israel closed their airspace, grounding flights indefinitely.
- Benchmark Brent crude oil prices surged by nearly 8%, fearing economic fallout.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censured Iran a day before the attack, condemning its refusal to cooperate with inspectors.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of imminent Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israeli civilians.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, despite his criticism of Netanyahu’s leadership, offered full support for the operation against Iran. However, analysts warn that if Iranian reprisals lead to heavy civilian casualties in Israel, public sentiment could shift, making Netanyahu’s position less stable.
As tensions rise, Trump is scheduled to meet his National Security Council, though it remains unclear if he will make public remarks on the strikes.