Firefighters work at the scene of a damaged building in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Israel launched a broad preemptive attack on Iran overnight on Friday, targeting military installations and nuclear sites across the country in what officials described as an effort to neutralize an imminent nuclear threat. 

Iranian state television confirmed that among those killed was Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Iranian Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, along with several other senior military figures. Iranian nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were also reported dead following strikes on facilities linked to Tehran’s nuclear program. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also said that the entire top command of Iran’s air force was killed, as well as the IRGC commander responsible for overseeing last year’s drone and missile attacks against Israeli territory.

Israeli warplanes struck around 3 am local time, triggering emergency protocols throughout Israel and setting off explosions in Tehran, Isfahan, and Arak. The above-ground uranium enrichment plant at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site was destroyed in the operation, International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council on Friday.

Iran activated its air defenses and halted flights at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport as airspace was cleared. Fires broke out at several sites, with footage on state TV showing damaged buildings. Iranian media reported that the strikes hit Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters as well as residential buildings. 

Meanwhile, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had built a secret explosive drone base inside Iran in preparation for the operation and smuggled other weapons systems into the country to destroy much of the Iranian air defenses and missile launchers from within, according to Israeli security forces.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the strikes will “continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.” He added that it will “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the United States had no role in the Israeli operation. “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,” Rubio said in a statement late Thursday. 

He also urged Tehran not to retaliate against US personnel or interests.

US President Donald Trump later said Washington supports Israel and urged Iran to strike a deal over its nuclear program or risk further devastating attacks.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to the strikes with a message on Friday morning, saying that Israel will face a “bitter and painful fate” while acknowledging that several of Iran’s commanders and scientists were killed.

“To the great Iranian nation, the Zionist regime carried out with its evil and bloody hand a crime in our dear country and revealed its wicked nature further by hitting residential areas,” Khamenei said. “The regime should await a harsh response. By God’s grace, the powerful arm of the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces won’t let them go unpunished.”

Hours later, Iran launched more than 100 drones toward Israeli territory. IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said that the military was “working to intercept” the projectiles. The IDF later said that it had “control over the situation” and told civilians they no longer needed to remain close to bomb shelters.

Iran then launched two barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel on Friday. Some 22 people were injured in the attack, medics said, most of them not serious. According to Defrin, less than 100 missiles were fired from Iran, and most were intercepted by air defenses or fell short before reaching Israel.

“There are a limited number of impacts on buildings, some were caused by interception fragments,” he said.

The US military reportedly helped Israel shoot down the missiles, many of which targeted civilian areas in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. According to Hebrew press reports, Israeli officials vowed to respond to the Iranian attack.

An Israeli military official, speaking in a briefing after the IDF’s initial attack, said the strikes targeted three components of Iran’s military capabilities, with particular focus on what was called the “nuclear trigger.” The official stated Iran had been preparing to manufacture tens of thousands of ballistic missiles capable of striking Israel even without nuclear warheads.

“Today, Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and a significant threat to the wider world. The State of Israel will not allow a regime whose objective is to destroy it to obtain weapons of mass destruction,” he said. 

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was expecting an imminent missile and drone assault targeting both civilian areas. 

Air raid sirens sounded nationwide, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered schools, public gatherings, and non-essential workplaces to shut down on Friday. 

Netanyahu argued that Israel’s operation was necessary to protect not only its own citizens but also regional partners and the broader international community. “We are defending the free world from the terrorism and barbarism that Iran fosters and exports across the globe,” Netanyahu said. “Many around the world, even if they won’t say so openly, know in their hearts: thanks to your determination and courage, citizens of Israel, and thanks to the bravery of Israel’s fighters, the world will be a safer place.”

Speaking directly to the Iranian population, Netanyahu added: “We do not hate you. You are not our enemies. We have a common enemy: a tyrannical regime that tramples you. For nearly 50 years, this regime has robbed you of the chance for a good life. I have no doubt that your day of liberation from this tyranny is closer than ever. And when that day comes, Israelis and Iranians will renew the alliance between our two ancient peoples. Together, we will build a future of prosperity, a future of peace, a future of hope.”

Netanyahu, in his remarks, thanked Trump “for his steadfast stance,” adding that Trump had repeatedly made clear that “Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.”

Following the initial wave of strikes, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that the military was mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers and deploying forces across multiple fronts. “I warn that anyone who tries to challenge us will pay a heavy price,” Zamir said. “We cannot wait for another time to act; we have no choice. We have been preparing this operation for a long time; unprecedented efforts have been made across all branches and directorates to achieve readiness against the tangible and present threat.”