Israel on Friday launched a military operation against strategic targets in Iran, striking nuclear and missile facilities and killing several top Iranian military officials.
The strike is one of the biggest attacks on Iranian soil since the Iran-Iraq war and could bring the Middle East to full-scale war.
AP reports that multiple blasts rocked the Iranian capital, with thick black smoke rising from the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, a sensitive part of Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel later confirmed the destruction of dozens of radar sites and surface-to-air missile launchers across western Iran.
Iranian state television confirmed the deaths of two senior military leaders; Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guard, and Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Several other senior military officials and nuclear scientists were reportedly killed in the strikes.
The operation came as tensions rose over Iran’s expanding nuclear capabilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the mission “a necessary action to remove an existential threat,” accusing Iran of being months or weeks away from building nuclear weapons.
“This is not just another military operation. It is a battle for the survival of the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said
In response to the strikes, Iran launched over 100 drones toward Israel, according to Iraqi officials, who reported the unmanned aircraft passed through their airspace.
Jordan said its military intercepted several drones and missiles over its territory to prevent civilian casualties.
Israel confirmed it had begun intercepting the drones, reportedly outside its own airspace, though did not provide much details.
“All defense systems are fully operational and are intercepting the threats,” said Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.
All flights were grounded over Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan as airspace was shut down in anticipation of further hostilities.
In the United States, the President Donald Trump administration said it was not involved in the attack and emphasized the protection of American personnel in the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Israel had informed the U.S. about its actions but described the strikes as “unilateral.”
“We are not part of this operation, our focus remains on ensuring the safety of U.S. forces and diplomats in the Middle East,” Rubio said.
Trump, speaking earlier Thursday, downplayed the possibility of an imminent Israeli strike but acknowledged the region was on edge.
As the Israeli operation began, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem ordered American personnel and their families to shelter in place.
Later Friday, Trump convened his National Security Council at the White House to assess the unfolding situation. He previously urged Netanyahu to hold off on military action to allow time for continued nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Israeli strikes as a “cowardly crime” and vowed “severe punishment.”
He accused Israel of targeting residential neighborhoods and reiterated that the attack had killed not only military officials but also scientists.
“This blood-soaked aggression shows the true face of the Zionist regime,” Khamenei said in a statement released by local media, IRNA.
While the Israeli government claimed the strikes were focused strictly on military and nuclear infrastructure, reports from inside Iran suggest multiple urban areas in the capital, Tehran suffered collateral damage.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Israel had struck Natanz and said it was monitoring radiation levels.
The attack came just one day after the IAEA’s Board of Governors formally censured Iran for obstructing inspections—a move that may have accelerated Israel’s decision to act.
Defense Minister Israel Katz warned the Israeli public to brace for incoming missile and drone attacks and follow instructions from emergency services.
“The threat is real, and we must stay vigilant,” he said.
Netanyahu said the operation was not aimed at the Iranian people but at what he described as the “brutal dictatorship that has oppressed them for 46 years.”
“I believe the day of your liberation is near,” he said in a message addressed to the people of Iran.
