Israel’s military said it had struck “dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran”.
In the early hours of Friday, Israel launched a wide-scale air offensive on Iran, striking key military and nuclear facilities, including the Natanz enrichment site. Explosions rocked Tehran around 03:30 local time, with Iranian state media reporting damage to residential areas. Israel’s military called the mission “Operation Rising Lion,” claiming it targeted “dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.”
Among those killed in the strikes were Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and several nuclear scientists, according to Iranian state media. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Natanz had been hit but noted no rise in radiation levels.
Iran launched a counter-offensive of over 100 drones, which Israel said it intercepted before they reached its territory. Air raid sirens and emergency alerts jolted Israeli residents from sleep, as authorities declared a state of emergency.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the operation, citing Iran’s increasing nuclear threat. “If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time,” he said. “This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.” He thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for “confronting Iran’s nuclear weapons programme.” Israeli officials claimed Iran now holds enough enriched uranium to develop a nuclear bomb “within days.”