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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that the attacks will continue 'for as many days at it takes to remove this threat' of Iran's nuclear program.
'The Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime,' Netanyahu said.
'Israel will never allow those who call for our annihilation to develop the means to achieve that goal.'
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 alleged that Iran was working on a new plan to destroy Israel after its old plan, its circle of proxies, failed. He called that an intolerable threat that must be stopped.
The prime minister later declared the strikes a success but warned more were coming: 'We are going to have many more achievements.'
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 several commanders and scientists were 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.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quotes an anonymous official saying Iran will offer a 'decisive' response to Israel's attack.
People in Iran's capital, Tehran, heard another round of explosions Friday morning hours after the initial attack. It wasn't immediately clear if it was air defense systems going off or another attack.
The New York Times reported at least a half dozen military bases around Tehran residential homes used by military personnel were among the targets.
An Israeli defense official said the strikes likely killed members of Iran's general staff, including the chief of staff and several senior nuclear scientists.
Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, was one of the top officials killed, Iranian state television reported Friday. Bagheri is a former top commander within Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that an Israeli strike hit Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz.
The head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, was killed in the strikes, Iranian state television reported.
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.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was preparing for a response by the Iranians after the strike.
'Following the State of Israel's preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,' Katz said in a statement.
Iranian state media outlet IRNA said repeated explosions could be heard in Tehran.
The attack set the headquarters of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Tehran ablaze, state television reported Friday. A reporter on air said he was unable to get closer due to the intensity of the fire.
Multiple sites in the capital have been hit in the attack, although the extent of strikes remains unclear.
Israel's defense minister has announced a 'special situation' in his country and said schools would stay shut on Friday.
The country's military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has warned Iran and its regional proxies against retaliating against Israel.
'I warn, anyone who tries to challenge us will pay a heavy price,' he says.
Emmanuel Fabian, military correspondent for Times of Israel, wrote on X: 'The IDF confirms it has launched an aerial campaign against Iran's nuclear program. Dozens of targets across Iran related to the nuclear program and other military facilities are being struck by the Israeli Air Force, it says.
'The operation is dubbed "Strength of a Lion." The IDF says Iran has enough enriched uranium to build several bombs within days, and it needs to act against this "imminent threat."'
Sirens were heard across Israel as a warning to be on the lookout for any possible response from Tehran.
Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport was evacuated as all flights were canceled.
The strikes come after it was yesterday revealed that Israel was planning an attack on Iran's nuclear sites within days after a UN watchdog said Tehran has breached its non-proliferation obligations.
Sources in the US revealed the possibility of an imminent attack, which a senior source in the Israeli prime minister's office did not confirm or deny.
But they did tell the Mail: 'President Trump said it best, "Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon..." We agree. This is a global threat.'
The US announced it would evacuate personnel from the region amid concerns they could be targeted by Iran in reprisals.
But a United States official told CNN that there was no US involvement or assistance in the strikes carried out by Israel in Iran.
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BBC liveblog: Israel targets Iran's nuclear sites and military commanders in major attack
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[JPost] The IDF has started to attack dozens of Iranian nuclear sites.
Warning sirens have been set off to get the public ready for potential Iranian counter attacks of ballistic missiles on Israel.
Iran has not yet fired ballistic missiles, but has thousands of them.
According to the IDF, Iran has enough uranium to weaponize it to nuclear levels, to 15 nuclear weapons within days
In recent days, Iran developed a plan with Hezbollah and Hamas and other proxies to destroy the State of Israel, potentially including attempts to attack via all borders, including Egypt and Jordan.
This was the point of no return according to the IDF.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has entered the security cabinet.
The IDF targets also include commanders, bases as well as nuclear sites, though the main goal is nuclear sites.
Further, the IDF said in the last 20 minutes, Iran was taken by surprise and they were attacked in places they didn't expect.
Israel has had strong coordination with the US, but Israeli military officials refused to say whether America was pre-updated or fully coordinated into the current attack, coming hours after Washington seemed to suggest it might not be in the loop or approve.
There was also a possibility that Israel having its navy in the area of Yemen and Iran could have military implications, though the iDF did not fully specify.
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Iran is ready for any scenario of the conflict with Israel, including war. This was stated on June 12 by the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami.
"Our enemy is threatening us with a systematic attack. We are prepared for any scenario, and we have a systematic approach," his words are reported by the SNN agency.
Salami stressed that the enemy's goals are clear, if Iran has a free hand, it will win and the enemies will regret it. According to him, the main elements of a country's strength are awareness and faith.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, the New York Times reported on June 11 that Iran had prepared a war plan in case of an attack by Israel. It was noted that Tehran intends to launch a counterattack on the Jewish state with hundreds of ballistic missiles.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on June 11 that voluntary departure of families of American servicemen stationed in the Middle East would be permitted. At the same time, Reuters reported that Israel is on the verge of attacking Iran and that the hot phase of the conflict is only days away.
The real story, courtesy of RIA Novosti
From the V Kontakte page of RIA Novosti
❗At least two people were killed in Israeli attacks on Tehran, SNN reported. They may be the IRGC commander and the chief of the General Staff.
🔷According to the NYT, the Israeli attack destroyed three buildings in a residential complex in Tehran where senior military officials lived.
🔷In addition, nuclear physicists could have become victims of the strikes.
🔷Israel has struck at least six military bases near Tehran, The New York Times reported.
🔷Israel's Chief of Staff has announced the call-up of tens of thousands of soldiers following the strikes on Iran.
[X] A little eye candy:
The IDF releases footage showing Israeli Air Force fighter jets heading out for the strikes in Iran this morning, as well as landing following the attacks. pic.twitter.com/1xbif5i8gK
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 13, 2025
