Israel’s ongoing attacks on Iranian nuclear sites killed 78 people and wounded more that 320 on Friday, said Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. The strikes killed generals and scientists, but the ambassador told the UN Security Council that “the overwhelming majority” of victims were civilians.
Iran retaliated with two waves of long-range missiles targeting Israel’s commercial capital, Tel Aviv, Medics said the first wave wounded at least 34 people and the second injured seven more.
Israel launched the attacks on Iran amid simmering tensions over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. For years, Israel had threatened such a strike and successive American administrations had sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran’s dispersed and hardened nuclear program.
As Iranian projectiles and Israeli interceptor rockets left trails of smoke and flame across the night sky on Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to let Israel “escape safely from this great crime.”
Here’s the latest:
Iranian media reports a fire at Tehran’s airport
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency is reporting a fire at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport, posting a video on X of a column of smoke and orange flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport.
A handful of minor injuries reported from second wave of Iranian missiles
Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv said it has treated seven people hurt by the second Iranian barrage; six had light injuries and the seventh was moderately wounded.
Iran fires a second wave of missiles at Israel
Sirens and the boom of explosions, possibly from Israeli interceptors, could be heard in the sky over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early Saturday.
AP journalists in Tel Aviv could see what appeared to be at least two Iranian missiles hit the ground, but there was no immediate word of casualties.
The Israeli military said another long-range Iranian missile attack was taking place and urged civilians, already rattled by the first wave of projectiles, to head to shelter. Around three dozen people were wounded by that first wave.
The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a fresh wave was being launched.
Iranian air defenses are firing against Israeli attacks
The sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets was echoing across the center of the capital, Tehran, shortly after midnight on Saturday.
Additionally, an Associated Press reporter could hear air raid sirens near their home.
How the militaries of Israel and Iran compare
Although roughly equal in the number of troops, the two militaries bring strikingly different tactics and firepower.
Iran boasts a large standing force but also relies on proxies and undercover operations that have been severely disabled in recent months by U.S. and Israeli actions.
Israel, meanwhile, relies on both subterfuge and robust regular ground and air forces that are apparently unmatched in the region.
It’s unclear how long Iran could keep up firing hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel. However, according to Israeli media reports, the cost of a single Iron Dome interception is about $50,000, while the other systems can run more than $2 million per missile.
Iranian missiles penetrated Israel’s air defenses Friday. How ironclad is the system?
Iran’s long-range missile attack was a stiff challenge for Israel’s air-defense system, which has intercepted projectiles fired from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.
Those have ranged from short-range rockets to medium-range missiles to attack drones to ballistic missiles like those fired Friday night.
Over the decades, Israel has developed a sophisticated system capable of detecting incoming fire and deploying only if the projectile is headed toward a population center or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders say the system isn’t 100% guaranteed, but credit it with preventing serious damage and countless casualties.
Iranian missiles wounded 34 people in Israel
In Ramat Gan, rescuers were trying to get out 15 people from a house they were trapped in after it was hit by a missile. The city is east of Tel Aviv.
Yossi Griver from Israel’s home front command said authorities were trying to free them. He said people were eating Friday night dinner when their house was struck, and many are older adults.
The area was badly hit Friday night. The AP saw at least three damaged houses, one where the front was nearly entirely torn off, as well as burnt out cars.
What Israel’s attack destroyed at the main Iranian nuclear facility
UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Israeli strikes destroyed the above-ground section of Iran’s main nuclear facility at Natanz.
He said all the electrical infrastructure and emergency power generators were destroyed as well as a section of the facility where uranium was enriched up to 60 per cent.
The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged the infrastructure there, he said.
U.S. ground-based air defense systems are helping shoot down missiles Iran targeted at Israel, U.S. official says
The U.S. official did not say how the U.S. provided assistance, however both U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft and destroyer-based missile defenses have intercepted missiles in previous attacks.
The U.S. has been moving assets nearer to Israel to assist in missile intercepts and to provide better protection of U.S. bases in the region.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.
Israelis wounded by Iranian missiles
In Ramat Gan, rescuers were trying to get out 15 people from a house they were trapped in after it was hit by a missile. Yossi Griver from Israel’s home front command said authorities were trying to free them. He said people were eating Friday night dinner when their house was struck, many are elderly people.
The area was badly hit Friday night. The AP saw at least three damaged houses, one where the front was nearly entirely torn off, as well as burnt out cars.
Witnesses post videos of Iranian missile attack
Iranian missiles could be seen from as far away as Beirut, leaving behind yellow streaks like comets as they descended on Israel.
And in other videos posted on social media, the missiles burned fast through the air above Jerusalem’s Old City.
Associated Press journalists reported the rumbling of explosions sounded like a thunderstorm.
Iranian missiles and Israeli interceptor rockets light up the night sky
Video taken by AP journalists shows multiple Israeli interceptor rockets slicing through the night sky over Tel Aviv, trailing columns of smoke and occasionally exploding in balls of yellow fire. Some of the Iranian rockets hurtled downward in a straight line, and a few could be seen impacting in flashes of orange that lit up the glittering skyline of Israel’s commercial hub.
Iran’s supreme leader vows revenge for Israeli attacks
In a recorded message to the nation broadcast as Iranian missiles flew toward Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the military was prepared to counterattack.
“Don’t think that they (Israel) hit and it’s over. No. They started the work and started the war. We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed,” he said.
Air raid sirens sound across Israel amid Iranian missile attack
The rumble of explosions could be heard throughout Jerusalem, and Israeli TV stations showed plumes of smoke rising in Tel Aviv after an apparent missile strike. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The army said dozens of missiles were launched.
The army has ordered residents across the country to move into bomb shelters.
Israel says Iran has launched missiles
The Israeli military’s Home Front Command has instructed people to move into shelters ahead of an expected Iranian missile attack.
The army says Iran has launched missiles, and the safety order applies to the entire country.
Israel’s Channel 13 TV says the missiles are expected to take about 10 minutes to arrive.
Israeli military briefing cut short by possible incoming Iranian attack, official says
Israel’s military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that despite Israel’s attack, “Iran has capability to hurt Israel’s civilian front in a meaningful way.”
Defrin’s briefing was cut short. An Israeli military official says this was due to an incoming Iranian attack on central Israel. The official spoke on condition pending a formal announcement.
Israel claims striking an Iranian nuclear site in Isfahan; Iran does not immediately acknowledge
The facility in Isfahan, some 350 kilometres (215 miles) southeast of Tehran, employs thousands of nuclear scientists. It also is home to three Chinese research reactors and laboratories associated with the country’s atomic program.
France says conference on two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is postponed
French President Emmanuel Macron says a top-level UN conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed because of renewed tensions in the Mideast.
France and Saudi Arabia were due to co-host the conference in New York next week, and Macron had been scheduled to attend.
Macron said Friday it was postponed for logistical and security reasons and because some Palestinian representatives couldn’t come to the event.
US fighter jets take flight to protect personnel and installations in Middle East
American fighter jets are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, according to a U.S. official. The official spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.
It comes at the same time as the Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean. A second destroyer also has begun moving forward so it can be available if requested by the White House.
Iran reports explosions at another nuclear site
The Fordo nuclear enrichment facility is buried hundreds of meters underground.
Nour News, which is close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that two explosions were heard from the area nearby.
Separately, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that a radar site near Tabriz was attacked, according to an official in the East Azerbaijan province.
Majid Farshi told IRNA that 11 military sites in East Azerbaijan province have been attacked, and that 18 people were killed, including one Red Crescent aid worker.
Israel’s military orders all residents to be close to protected areas and minimize movement
Israelis are on high alert bracing for a larger response from Iran, which has already launched over 100 drones toward Israel in retaliation for Friday’s attacks.
Israel says it intercepts missile launched from Yemen, setting off sirens in Jerusalem
There were no immediate reports of casualties or fallen shrapnel in Israel. A loud boom could be heard in the Holy City, possibly from Israeli interceptor fire.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen did not immediately claim the attack.
A new wave of attacks appears to have begun in Tehran
Civilian witnesses told The Associated Press they heard what sounded like loud explosions in neighborhoods in the capital’s east, west and center, while an AP journalist in the city’s north also heard a blast.
Iranian state media has not yet provided information on these developments.
Netanyahu says Israel informed U.S. before attacking Iran
In a video statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel told the U.S. about its plans to attack Iran in advance. “They knew about the attack. What will they do now? I leave that to President Trump.”
Iran summons Swiss ambassador over Israeli attacks
Since Tehran and Washington don’t have diplomatic relations, Switzerland has looked out for America’s interests in Iran since the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency says Isa Kameli, an assistant to foreign minister, told the Swiss ambassador that Friday’s Israeli attacks were a crime and said, “It is not possible to imagine that invasion acts by the Zionist regime have taken place without cooperation and coordination and at least green light from the U.S.”
Israel’s military begins stationing troops in ‘all combat arenas’
The military said it was calling up reservists from different military units as “part of preparations for defense and offense” as its attack on Iran continues.
The move comes as Israel braces for further counterattacks from Iran or Iranian proxy groups on Israel’s borders.
Iran says Israel will `deeply regret’ its attack
Israel’s targeted killings of officials and scientists were “clear instances of state terrorism,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter to the UN Security Council requesting an emergency meeting.
In the letter obtained by The Associated Press, he said Iran affirms its right to self defense under the UN Charter.
“This right is non-negotiable,” Araghchi said. “Israel will come to deeply regret this reckless aggression and the grave strategic miscalculation it has made.”
The Iranian minister urged the Security Council, which will meet at 3 p.m. in New York, to “take urgent and concrete measures to hold the Israeli regime fully accountable for its crimes.”
Israel seals off the West Bank
Israel closed all checkpoints to the Israeli-occupied West Bank Friday as the country attacked Iran, a military official said Friday. The move sealed off entry and exit to the territory, meaning that Palestinians could not leave without special coordination.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military recommendations.
Around 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank under Israeli military rule. With the world’s attention focused on Gaza, Israeli military operations in the West Bank have grown in size, frequency and intensity.
The crackdown has also left tens of thousands of Palestinians unemployed, as they can no longer work the mostly menial jobs in Israel that paid higher wages.
In Tel Aviv, an eerie quiet and a cancelled Pride Parade
Many Israelis are hunkered down close to home in Tel Aviv, the country’s economic hub on the Mediterranean coast.
Shops were open but the streets, beaches, and parks were mostly deserted. Earlier Friday, many people had rushed to supermarkets to buy bottled water and other supplies.
The city canceled its annual Pride Parade, which normally draws tens of thousands of people for a march and street party.
Iran is restricting the internet after Israeli attacks
Internet usage in Iran dramatically declined Friday after Iranian authorities restricted access in the country following the Israeli attacks, according to internet-access advocacy group Net Blocks.org.
The group shared the information in a graph posted to X Friday, saying their data corroborated “user reports of poor service.”
Expert says Iran poses a bigger threat to U.S. military than Israel
Iran’s current capabilities are potentially “more threatening to the U.S. military than to Israel,” said Fabian Hinz, an air warfare expert at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London.
That’s because there are multiple U.S. military bases in the region and Iran has a “huge arsenal” of shorter range missiles developed specifically to target U.S. bases as well as “lots of anti-ship capabilities,” Hinz said.
While Iran fired around 300 ballistic missiles at Israel last year, Hinz said, Tehran did not fire any of their short range missiles which could be used to attack U.S. bases.
“Think of the Iranian shipping threat as similar in quality to the Houthi threat, but much larger in quantity,” Hinz said.
U.S. shifts military resources in Mideast in response Iranian retaliation for Israel’s attack
Two U.S. officials said Friday that the Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner to begin sailing toward the Eastern Mediterranean and has directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward, so it can be available if requested by the White House.
U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with his National Security Council principals to discuss the situation. The two U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public.
The Hudner is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that is capable of defending against ballistic missiles.
On Oct. 1, 2024, U.S. Navy destroyers fired about a dozen interceptors in defense of Israel as the country came under attack by more than 200 missiles fired by Iran.
Iran calls for emergency Security Council meeting
Iran’s UN Mission said it has asked for an emergency meeting of the Security Council following the Israeli attacks.
The emergency session is likely to take place Friday afternoon, the mission said.
Israel told Trump administration of attacks ahead of time
Israel told the Trump administration that large-scale attacks were coming and expected Iranian retaliation would be severe, U.S. officials said, leading the United States to order the evacuations of some nonessential embassy staffers and authorize the voluntary departure of military dependents in the region.
The officials were speaking on condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic discussions.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff still plans to go to Oman this weekend for talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, but it’s not clear if the Iranians would participate, officials said.
Yemen’s Houthis condemn Israeli strikes
The political office for Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis condemned Israel’s attacks on Iran, saying that Iran has the “right to defend itself and develop its nuclear program.”
“Israel is an aggressive entity that threatens not only Palestine but also the security and stability of the region and the entire nation,” a statement read.
“Israel’s claims about the Iranian nuclear program are baseless, and it has no right to be the region’s policeman, given its nuclear arsenal.”
Israeli consular services close
“Israeli missions around the world will be closed and consular services will not be provided,” according to a statement posted to the websites of Israeli embassies in Berlin, Stockholm and Rome.
The statement, which appeared to come from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urged Israelis abroad to avoid displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols in public.
Hamas expresses solidarity with Iran
“We declare our solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of the brutal Zionist aggression, which primarily stems from Iran’s support for the Palestinian people and its significant backing of their honorable resistance fighters,” said Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing.
He also mourned the deaths of senior Iranian leaders and others killed in the strike, condemning the attack as “cowardly.”
Trump calls Israeli strikes on Iran ‘excellent’ and says ‘more to come’
In an interview with ABC News, U.S. President Donald Trump called the Israeli strikes on Iran “excellent” and previewed more attacks.
“I think it’s been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it,” Trump told ABC on Friday morning. “They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come, a lot more.”
In a further post on the Truth Social platform, Trump added: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’”
“They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!” he wrote Friday.
Oil price surge may be temporary
Oil prices have surged after Israel’s attack on Iran, though analysts say the spike will likely be temporary if the fighting doesn’t spread to other countries and disrupt oil shipments.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 7.8 per cent to $74.89. “When Iran and Israel exchanged attacks previously, prices spiked initially but fell once it became clear that the situation was not escalating,” says Richard Joswick, head of near-term oil at S&P Global Commodity Insights.
Israel exports only very small quantities of oil and oil products, and China is Iran’s only customer due to Western sanctions. China could find alternative supplies from other Middle East exporters or Russia.
Iran’s president warns of strong action against Israel
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says his nation would “strongly take action” against Israel after its attacks on the country.
In a televised address Friday, Pezeshkian urged people to unite behind its theocratic government.
The “Islamic Republic of Iran will give a severe, wise and strong answer to the occupier regime,” he said, referring to Israel.
Iran confirms Hajizadeh killed
Iran has confirmed that Israel killed Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s missile program.
Iranian state television made the acknowledgment Friday afternoon. The confirmation came a short time after Israel said its strikes killed Hajizadeh.
Israeli military said it hit ‘underground command centre’
The Israeli military said military jets hit a site where Revolutionary Guard officials had “assembled in an underground command centre,” allegedly “to prepare for an attack on the state of Israel,” and killed Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh along with two other senior officials.
It did not offer details or information to support the claim.
“Hajizadeh publicly declared his commitment to Israel’s destruction at various events in recent years and played a central role in developing the Iranian regime’s plan for Israel’s destruction,” the Israelis said.
It also linked those killed to an attack on Saudi Arabia in 2019.
Israel claims it killed head of Revolutionary Guard missile program
Israel claimed Friday it killed Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s missile program in Iran.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge his death officially, though rumors of his death had been circulating for some time online.
Hajizadeh is a major commander within the Guard, overseeing its ballistic missile arsenal.
Museums in Iran close after attacks
Museums in Iran are taking the extraordinary step of closing down until further notice after attacks by Israel, and were transferring valuable items to secure vaults, officials announced Friday.
The state-affiliated Borna news agency reported the order by Ali Darabi, Iran’s deputy minister and cultural heritage chief.
Such moves have been done only in extraordinary circumstances in Iran, including the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the coronavirus outbreak.
Trump urges Iran to reach nuclear deal with Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump is again urging Iran to reach a deal with Washington on its nuclear program, warning that Israel’s attacks “will only get worse.”
In his first public comments since the Friday attacks, Trump said on his Truth Social platform that “there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end.”
Hezbollah says Israel has ‘crossed all red lines’
The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has accused the U.S. of providing “approval, coordination, and direct cover-up” for Israel’s strikes, adding that Israel “has crossed all red lines, believing that by doing so, it will change the equations.”
In a statement, the group issued condolences to Tehran for the leaders who were killed, but did not threaten to join in the retaliation.
Jordan says strikes push region into more tension
Jordan’s state media says the country’s foreign minister has discussed Israel’s strikes on Iran with his Egyptian counterpart, and warned that the attack pushes the region into more tension and conflict.
Jordan News Agency said the ministers called the strikes a “dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law.”
The ministers also said Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip should stop to and a two-state solution is needed to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.
Egypt and Jordan are among Arab countries that signed peace treaties with Israel and have normal relations with it.
EU’s top diplomat calls for de-escalation in the Middle East
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the fresh outbreak of violence in the Middle East “deeply alarming.”
“Europe urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate immediately and refrain from retaliation. A diplomatic resolution is now more urgent than ever, for the sake of the region’s stability and global security,” she said in a post on the Bluesky social media platform.
Iran names replacements for commanders killed in strikes
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has replaced two top military commanders killed in a wave of Israeli strikes on Friday.
State TV said he tapped Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new head of the armed forces, replacing Gen. Mohammad Bagheri. Mousavi was previously the top army commander.
Khamenei chose Mohammad Pakpour to lead the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, replacing Gen. Hossein Salami.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution, is one of the main power centers within the country’s theocracy.
Israeli officials say they smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of strikes
Israeli security officials say the country’s Mossad spy agency smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of Friday’s strikes that were used to target its defences from within.
Two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss the highly secretive missions. It was not possible to independently confirm their claims. There was no official comment.
The officials said a base for launching explosive drones was established inside Iran and that the drones were activated during Friday’s attack to target missile launchers at an Iranian base near Tehran.
They said Israel had also smuggled precision weapons into central Iran and positioned them near surface-to-air missile systems. They said it also deployed strike systems on vehicles. Both were activated as the strikes began, in order to target Iran’s defences, the officials said.
By Josef Federman and Julia Frankel
Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem is closed to the public
With gates to the Al-Aqsa mosque closed by Israeli police, only the guards and employees of the holy site will be present for traditional Friday prayers, the site’s custodian said Friday.
The mosque is the third holiest site for Muslims, and is located on the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount.
The Waqf, the Islamic endowment which administers the site, said Israel has banned public gatherings. The call to prayer will sound as usual.
Iraq calls on UN Security Council to ‘deter this aggression’
The Iraqi government in a statement called Israel’s attacks on neighboring Iran “a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations” and a “threat to international peace and security, especially as it occurred during the period of U.S.-Iranian negotiations.”
It called for the UN Security Council to convene immediately to take “decisive and concrete measures to deter this aggression, ensure its non-recurrence, and restore the prestige of the international legal system.”
Baghdad, which has close ties with both the U.S. and Iran, has attempted to maintain a difficult balancing act between the two.
Iran says nuclear enrichment facility was damaged
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said in a statement that parts of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility were damaged during the Israeli strikes but that no nuclear radiation or chemical contamination has occurred.
NATO chief calls on U.S., other Israeli allies to press for de-escalation
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called on Israel’s Western backers to press for an end to the strikes.
“This was a unilateral action by Israel. So I think it is crucial for many allies, including the United States, to work as we speak to de-escalate,” Rutte told reporters in Stockholm after talks with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Asked whether a nuclear clash might be imminent in the region, Rutte said: “No, we are not close.”
Israel’s defence minister threatens further attacks against Iran
In a statement soon after Israel’s military said it had completed the attack on Iran, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military would “continue its activities to thwart the Iranian nuclear program and remove threats on the State of Israel.
“The precise hit on the heads of the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian army and the nuclear scientists, who were all involved in promoting the plan to destroy Israel, is a strong and clear message — those who work to destroy Israel will be eliminated.”
Israeli military says widespread attack on Iranian air defences complete
The Israeli military says it has completed a widespread attack on air defences in western Iran.
It said Friday that it had destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers.
German chancellor had call with Netanyahu Friday
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on both sides to “refrain from steps that could lead to a further escalation and destabilize the whole region.”
Merz said Germany is ready to use “all available diplomatic means” to exert influence on the parties to the conflict.
He said that “the aim must remain that Iran not develop any nuclear weapons.”
The German leader emphasized Israel’s “right to protect its existence and the security of its citizens.”
He said that security authorities in Germany will increase protection for Jewish and Israeli facilities.
Hamas condemns Israel’s strikes on Iran
The Palestinian group said Friday that the strikes “form a dangerous escalation” that could lead to a regional war.
Hamas added that the strikes reflect the Israeli government’s intention to pull the region into an open war.
Jordanian state media says country intercepting missiles and drones
Jordanian state media said the country’s Air Force is intercepting missiles and drones in its air space.
The state news agency quoted an unnamed senior military official as saying that the interceptions were carried out based on military assessments indicating that the missiles and drones were likely to fall within Jordanian territory, including populated areas, posing a potential threat to civilian safety.
The official added that the Jordan Armed Forces are operating “around the clock to defend the country’s borders by land, sea, and air and will not allow any violation of Jordanian airspace under any circumstances.”
Qatar says Israeli strikes violate international law
Qatar, which has served as a key mediator in the Israel-Hamas war, joined other Gulf Arab states in admonishing Friday’s Israeli strikes on Iran.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the attack as a “clear violation” of international law and called for restraint. It added that Israel had violated Iran’s sovereignty and security.
Iranian drones tracked crossing Iraq’s airspace
Two Iraqi security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation said that more than 100 drones launched from Iran toward Israel were tracked crossing Iraqi airspace.
Residents of Iraq’s Diyala province, which borders Iran, reported hearing the sound of aircraft and explosions from strikes inside Iranian territory early Friday.
Some later said they saw drones launched from Iran heading toward Israel.
Israel says it is intercepting Iranian drones
Israel’s military says it has begun intercepting Iranian drones.
Earlier, the military said Iran had launched more than 100 drones at Israel in retaliation for strikes on Tehran and other cities.
An Israeli official said the interceptions are taking place outside of Israeli territory, but did not elaborate.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.
IAEA says Isfahan nuclear site not impacted
The IAEA says Iran’s nuclear site at Isfahan had not been impacted by the Israeli attacks.
The UN nuclear agency also said Iran’s underground enrichment site at Fordo “has not been impacted.”
Earlier, the agency had said Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, on the Persian Gulf coast, “has not been targeted.”
UAE calls for ‘self-restraint and judgment’
The United Arab Emirates on Friday condemned “in the strongest terms” Israeli strikes on Iran, urging diplomacy.
The UAE is one of only a handful of Arab countries to recognize Israel, after it signed onto the Abraham Accords in 2020.
The ministry of foreign affairs for the federation of seven sheikhdoms “stressed the importance of exercising the utmost self-restraint and judgment” and urged against the conflict’s expansion.
China urges its citizens in Iran and Israel to take precautions
The Chinese embassy in Israel warned its citizens on Friday to take safety measures, saying the Israeli strikes were “significantly escalating the tensions.”
The Chinese embassy in Iran also cautioned citizens and companies based there to stay alert. It asked its citizens in Iran to avoid crowds and sensitive places.
Jordanian forces on alert
Jordan’s army said Friday that its forces were on alert to confront any threat.
A military official said all units were at the highest levels of readiness and it was closely monitoring the developments.
Jordan’s minister of state communications and government spokesperson, Dr. Mohammad al-Momani, said that the country will not allow its airspace to be violated and it will not be a “battleground for any conflict.”
U.S. embassy in Bahrain warns personnel to ‘exercise increased caution’
The U.S. embassy in Manama, Bahrain, advised its personnel on Friday to “exercise increased caution” and “limit non-essential travel around the country,” after Israel’s early morning strikes on Iran.
“We recommend American citizens in Bahrain to do the same, and stand by for further instructions as we assess the situation,” the embassy added in a security alert.
100 drones launched at Israel, military says
Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin, the chief Israeli army spokesman: “In the last few hours, Iran has launched more than 100 drones toward Israel, and all the defence systems are acting to intercept the threats.”
Israel says some 200 fighter jets involved in strikes
Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin said that some 200 Israeli fighter jets participated in the operation, striking some 100 targets.
He said the attacks were continuing.
Jordan closes its airspace after Israeli strikes on Iran
Jordan has closed its airspace following Israel’s strikes on Iran early Friday.
Iran, Israel and Iraq have also closed their airspace.
Jordan’s civil aviation authority says the airspace will be closed for all flights over the country.
Jordan News Agency said the temporary measure is out of concern for any dangers related to the escalation in the region.
100 drones launched at Israel, military says
Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin, the chief Israeli army spokesman: “In the last few hours, Iran has launched more than 100 drones toward Israel, and all the defence systems are acting to intercept the threats.”
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli strikes on Iran
Saudi Arabia on Friday reprimanded Israel for its strikes on Iran, despite long-running tensions between the kingdom and the Islamic Republic.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iranian chief of staff killed in Israeli strike
An Israeli airstrike killed Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, Iranian state television reported Friday.
Bagheri is a former top commander within Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
The state TV report offered no further details.
Multiple military officials and scientists have been killed in the Israeli attack Friday on sites across Iran.
Iran’s supreme leader threatens ‘severe punishment’
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday that Israel will face “severe punishment” over its attack on the country.
Khamenei issued a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. It also confirmed that top military officials and scientists had been killed in the attack.
Israel “opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to commit a crime against our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers,” Khamenei said.
Strikes come days before Iran, U.S. were to hold talks in Oman
Israel’s strikes come days before a sixth round of talks were planned between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program this Sunday in Oman.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new administration has been seeking a deal that would halt Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the strikes would affect plans for the talks.
Strikes pushed Israeli Air Force to its limits
The strike on Iran pushed the Israeli military to its limits, using its aging air-to-air refuelers to get its fighter jets close enough to attack.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace or just fired so-called “standoff missiles” over another country. Israel has previously attacked Iran from over the border in Iraq.
People in Iraq heard fighter jets overhead at the time of the attack.
People in Iran’s capital again hear explosions across the city
People in Iran’s capital, Tehran, heard another round of explosions Friday morning after an initial Israeli attack.
It wasn’t immediately clear if it was air defence systems going off or another attack.
Iranian state TV confirms head of paramilitary Revolutionary Guard killed
Iranian state television has confirmed the head of country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, was killed in an Israeli strike.
An anchor read a statement saying: “The news of assassination and martyrdom of Gen. Hossein Salami was confirmed.”
The anchor did not elaborate.
The Guard is a major power center within Iran’s theocracy, with vast business interests and oversees the nation’s ballistic missile arsenal.
Israel’s UN ambassador urges world body to stand by Israel
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, says Israel launched Operation “Rising Lion” against Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure with the aim of eliminating an existential and immediate threat to the citizens of Israel and the entire world.
The Iranian regime is blatantly violating international agreements, advancing towards nuclear weapons, and operating a regional terror network, he said.
Speaking to the UN Secretary-General and members of the Security Council, Danon said: “This is a moment to make moral decisions. Stand by Israel - or you will be partners in a dangerous silence.”
Benchmark Brent crude prices spike over eight per cent
Benchmark Brent crude oil prices have spiked by more than eight per cent over the Israel’s strikes on Iran, which have targeted the country’s nuclear program and raised the potential for an all-war war.
Iran will offer ‘decisive’ response to Israel’s attack
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency is quoting an anonymous official saying Iran will offer a “decisive” response to Israel’s attack.
The report did not elaborate. However, Iranian state television put a black band over the corner of its broadcast, suggesting the attack had been significant enough to spark public mourning.
Black smoke seen over Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility
Black smoke rose Friday over Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz though it wasn’t clear how bad the damage was.
Iranian state television briefly showed the live picture with a reporter.
Natanz is partially above ground, partially below ground, with multiple halls of centrifuges spinning uranium gas for its nuclear program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said Israel targeted the site in Friday’s attack. Natanz previously has been targeted by the Stuxnet cyberattack and multiple sabotage campaigns likely carried out by Israel.
Netanyahu, other officials decided Monday operation would start today
An Israeli security official says that Netanyahu and other top officials decided on Monday that the operation would start today. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.
By Josef Federman
Australia and New Zealand condemn strikes
Australia and New Zealand’s governments condemned the Israeli strikes on Friday.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was “alarmed by the escalation” between Israel and Iran, which she said risked further destabilizing an already volatile region.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the strikes were “a huge concern” for his government and “potentially catastrophic” for the Middle East. “The risk of miscalculation is high,” he said.
The two countries were among five that enacted travel and financial sanctions on two far-right Israeli government ministers Wednesday, accusing them of “inciting extremist violence” against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Iranian state TV says head of Revolutionary Guard is feared dead
Iranian state television says the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, is feared dead after an Israeli attack.
It added that one other top Guard official, as well as two nuclear scientists, were also feared dead. The report offered few other details.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution, is one of the main power centers within the country’s theocracy. It also controls Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Headquarters of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is ablaze
An Israeli attack on Iran has set the headquarters of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard ablaze, state television reported Friday.
A reporter on air said he was unable to get closer due to the intensity of the fire in Iran’s capital, Tehran.
Multiple sites in the capital had been hit in the attack, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said targeted both sites of and officials leading Iran’s nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal.
Netanyahu says Israel struck nuclear and missile sites
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz and the country’s ballistic missile program, as well as top nuclear scientists and officials.
He said Iran was working on a new plan to destroy Israel after its old plan, its circle of proxies, failed. He called it an intolerable threat that must be stopped.
U.S. Sen. Reed calls Israel’s strike ‘a reckless escalation’
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the Israeli strike “a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence.”
“These strikes threaten not only the lives of innocent civilians but the stability of the entire Middle East and the safety of American citizens and forces,” he said. Reed added: “I urge both nations to show immediate restraint, and I call on President Trump and our international partners to press for diplomatic de-escalation before this crisis spirals further out of control.”
Dozens of commercial flights over Iran as attack begins
Dozens of commercial airliners were in Iranian airspace as the strikes took place, according to flight tracking websites.
More than an hour after the Israeli attack, some were still making their way out of Iranian airspace, but some abruptly altered course to more quickly exit the area.
Many nations’ jets already did not overfly Iran because of regional tensions.
Scope of attack remains unclear
The extent of Israel’s strikes remained unclear early Friday.
Explosions could be heard across Tehran, Iran’s capital city. There were some images circulating of damaged residential buildings.
Iranian state television also was being careful in how they described the assault, suggesting that some areas outside of Tehran that had also been hit.
Netanyahu says strikes respond to threat to Israel’s survival
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address on YouTube that the country launched “a targeted military operation roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”
He added that the attacks will continue “for as many days at it takes to remove this threat.”
Israel closes its airspace
Israel closed its airspace in anticipation of Iranian retaliation.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that attacks were expected.
“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.”
Rubio says Israel took ‘unilateral action’
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took “unilateral action against Iran” and that Israel advised the U.S. that it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defence, while warning Iran not to target U.S. forces in retaliation.
In a statement, he said: “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
Israeli official says Air Force is targeting nuclear and military sites
An Israeli military official says that his country targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites, without identifying them.
The official spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation.
The Israeli official said Iran poses three threats to state of Israel: 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.
Second, 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.
— Josef Federman
The Associated Press
