TEL AVIV/TEHRAN: Tehran retaliates with massive drone attack after Israel targets nuclear sites. Iran's nuclear program - Israel makes good on Trump's threat - negotiations stalled.
The US and Iran have recently resumed negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. The US is demanding that Iran halt its uranium enrichment - a red line for Tehran.
Israel launched a major attack on Iranian cities and nuclear facilities overnight. Explosions were heard in Tehran in the early morning hours. What is known so far - and what isn't.
Iran has launched more than 100 drones towards Israel after pre-dawn strikes by the IDF hit Tehran’s nuclear sites and killed top military commanders.
Israel said 200 fighter jets took part in strikes on more than 100 targets in Iran overnight in an escalation that threatens to spark a wider conflict in the Middle East.
What we know:
The attacks: Shortly before dawn, Iranian state media reported several explosions around the capital Tehran. The Israeli military subsequently confirmed attacks in Iran. Iran's nuclear program was allegedly attacked. It was "a preventive, precise, combined offensive." In addition to the nuclear program, other military targets were also reportedly attacked. Tehran was repeatedly rocked by explosions throughout the morning. These are believed to be several waves of attacks by the Israeli military in Iran. According to Israeli sources, 200 fighter jets targeted around 100 targets.
According to images from the Israeli Air Force, fighter jets such as F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s were deployed.
Victims: The commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guard, Major General Hussein Salami, was killed in an attack on the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards' High Command, the Tasnim news agency reported. The Revolutionary Guards are Iran's elite military force. Chief of General Staff Mohammed Bagheri is also dead. The Tasnim news agency also confirmed the killing of six well-known scientists.
Locations: In addition to the attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran, according to Netanyahu, the country's nuclear facilities were also hit – the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) names one of Iran's most important nuclear facilities. The uranium enrichment facility in Natanz is "among the targets," said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi. Iranian state television reported smoke at the nuclear facility.
Further Israeli attacks: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attacks in the early morning hours as an "opening strike." He also said: "This operation will last as many days as it takes to eliminate this threat."
Iranian counterattack: Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened Israel with retaliation in response to the major nighttime attack. Israel must expect "severe punishment," the religious leader was quoted as saying in a statement from his office. Israel reported more than 100 drones had been sent toward the country.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed its chief, General Hossein Salami, was killed in the attack. Iranian state media reported that several other military leaders, including chief of staff of the armed forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and at least two nuclear scientists were also killed.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened “severe punishment” in retaliation as western leaders called for both sides to de-escalate.
What we don't know:
Impact: Although Iran threatened a harsh response to Israel's actions and launched the first drones, it is unknown what exact consequences the nighttime attacks will have on the entire region. Concerns about a massive escalation in the Middle East are high. Over the past year, Israel and Iran have been on the brink of all-out war several times. According to media reports in Israel, it is assumed that possible fighting with Iran could last at least two weeks.
Casualties: Iranian authorities reported casualties and damage in large parts of the country. However, the total number of people – including civilians – who died or were injured in the major attack is not yet known. Iranian media showed images of destroyed building facades in Tehran. Videos showed rescue workers searching for people buried under rubble.
Other targets of the attacks: The exact extent of the attacks is not yet known. It was also unclear whether, in addition to the nuclear facility in Natanz, other facilities related to the nuclear program were actually hit, and if so, which ones.
New Israeli Attack on Iran Targets Tabriz Airport in Northwest Iran
Iranian media reported that Israel launched a new attack targeting Tabriz Airport in the country's northwest.
At dawn on Friday, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes against Iran, in one of the most military strikes targeting Iranian territory in years, amid an unprecedented escalation in tensions between the two countries.
Tel Aviv launched at least five waves of airstrikes on Iran, targeting or striking more than 350 targets.
The Israeli military released a video documenting the beginning of the attack on Iran, saying that 200 fighter jets and more than 330 different weapons were used in an operation dubbed "Rising Lion."
The UN’s nuclear watchdog confirmed that the Natanz nuclear site, which lies about 225km south of Tehran, was among the targets of the attack.
US president Donald Trump said on Fox News he was aware of Israel’s plan but denied that America played a role in the attack.
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