Israel has launched airstrikes against military and nuclear facilities across Iran, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying in a post on Instagram that the attack is not against the people of Iran, but rather the Iranian regime.
“Moments ago, dozens of fighter jets from the Israeli Air Force completed the first phase of an operation that included strikes on military targets, including nuclear sites, in various regions of Iran,” stated the Israeli military general staff.
Netanyahu: As Long As It Takes
Netanyahu announces attack on Iran’s nuclear program through Instagram post.
The operation targeted the “heart” of Iran’s nuclear energy program and will last “as long as necessary,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a pre-recorded video message.
“Moments ago, Israel launched a targeted military operation to deter the Iranian threat to Israel’s very existence. This operation will continue for as many days as necessary to eliminate this threat,” Netanyahu said.
“We struck at the heart of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. We struck at the core of Iran’s military nuclear program. We targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz,” he added, noting that Iranian “scientists” working on the nuclear bomb were also targeted, as was the “heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program.”
Iranian state television confirmed repeated bombings of the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, located in Isfahan province in central Iran.
“The enrichment facility in Natanz was struck multiple times,” the report said, showing footage of thick smoke rising from the site.
Revolutionary Guard Commander Killed
FILE PHOTO: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami speaks during a meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran August 17, 2023. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo
Hossein Salami, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was reportedly killed in the Israeli strikes, according to Iranian news agencies Mehr and Tasnim.
“Major General Hossein Salami, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was martyred in the attack by the Israeli regime,” the two outlets reported.
Iranian state TV also reported that flames and smoke were seen coming from the IRGC headquarters on Pirouzi Street in eastern Tehran. However, Iran’s top military official, Mohammad Bagheri, is alive and currently in the war room, according to the IRNA news agency.
State media also reported that two key nuclear scientists, Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, were killed in the Israeli strikes.
Rubio: US Not Involved – Death Toll Unknown
FILE PHOTO: An Iranian newspaper with a cover photo of U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, is seen in Tehran, Iran, May 11, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo
Iranian media earlier reported loud explosions in Tehran and other parts of the country, amid escalating tensions, despite US efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.
Reports suggest a very high—though still undetermined—death toll, including senior military officers and civilians, among them many children.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the United States is “not involved” in Israel’s “unilateral” operation.
Airspace Closed
Flights to and from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport have been suspended. Iran has closed its airspace until further notice following the Israeli strikes on various targets, including in Tehran, according to state television.
“The Public Relations Office of Iran’s Civil Protection Agency has announced the closure of national airspace until further notice via a NOTAM,” the broadcaster said.
State of Emergency
FILE PHOTO: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points to a red line he drew on the graphic of a bomb used to represent Iran’s nuclear program as he addresses the 67th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, September 27, 2012. The red line represents a point where he believes the international community should tell Iran that they will not be allowed to pass without intervention. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES – Tags: POLITICS)/File Photo
Oil prices surged 6% following Israel’s announcement of “preemptive strikes” on Iran.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a nationwide state of emergency, warning of likely Iranian retaliation “unlike anything before,” involving missiles and drones.
CNN reported that US President Donald Trump has convened an emergency cabinet meeting. Just yesterday, he stated that an Israeli strike on Iranian targets “could very well happen,” though he still hoped for a peaceful resolution.
The US and Iran were scheduled to hold the sixth round of nuclear talks this Sunday in Oman, according to officials from both countries and the Sultanate. However, the indirect talks appeared to be at a deadlock.
A US official, speaking anonymously, said the American military has made contingency plans for any scenario in the Middle East, including the potential need to evacuate American citizens urgently.
