Israel has launched unprecedented strikes on Iran, targeting its nuclear program and senior military leaders, plunging the Middle East into fresh uncertainty, increasing the risk of a regional war.

 

General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, was killed in the attack. He was among the country’s most powerful figures. The attack also killed Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, a CNN report said.

 

Iran’s supreme leader warned that Israel will face “severe punishment.”  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack will last many days. 

 

Netanyahu said “Operation Rising Lion” struck Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz, nuclear scientists, and what he called “the heart of Iran’s ballistic missiles program.”

 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no US involvement or assistance in the strikes. President Donald Trump was convening a Cabinet-level meeting as Israel attacked, a White House official and two sources told CNN. The meeting was expected to focus on the US response.

 

Iran has launched more than 100 drones toward Israeli territory, Israel’s military said Friday.

 

“All [aerial] defense arrays have been operating to intercept the threats. This is a different event to what we’ve experienced thus far, and we’re expecting difficult hours. We should show resilience and patience,” IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said.

 

The head of the global nuclear watchdog has confirmed Iran's main nuclear enrichment site at Natanz was hit by Israeli strikes in the early hours of Friday.  In a post on X, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it was "closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation in Iran".  The agency said it was in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels at the site as well as its inspectors in Iran.

 

Some countries in the region have temporarily closed theor airspace after Israel’s strikes.

 

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry expressed its “strong condemnation and denunciation,” saying the “blatant Israeli aggression” undermines Iran’s “sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms.”

 

China’s embassy in Iran called the situation in Iran “severe and complex,” urging Chinese citizens in the country to closely monitor developments and step up their own security precautions, including avoiding sensitive or crowded areas.