TEL AVIV/TEHRAN, June 13: In a dramatic and dangerous escalation, Israel launched a sweeping aerial assault on Iranian territory early Friday, targeting key military and nuclear infrastructure in what it called a direct strike on Iran’s “military core.”
According to Israeli military officials, more than 200 fighter jets struck over 100 targets, including the Natanz nuclear facility and military command centers in Tehran and other cities. The Israeli army claimed responsibility for killing Iran’s top three military leaders: General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the armed forces; IRGC commander Hossein Salami; and Major-General Gholam Ali Rashid, head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.
“This operation will continue as long as necessary,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address Friday morning. He described the strikes as a “preemptive defensive campaign” following what Israeli intelligence alleges were advanced Iranian preparations to attack Israeli assets.
The offensive follows months of rising tensions and retaliatory posturing between the two countries, with recent incidents across the region involving proxy groups and drone attacks.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the strikes, calling them a “crime” and vowing that Israel “must expect severe punishment.” Meanwhile, Iranian authorities shut down Tehran’s international airport, and local media reported missile impacts in residential areas of the capital.
Despite the intensity of the attack, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing information from Iran, said there was no increase in radiation levels at the Natanz uranium enrichment site. The nearby Bushehr nuclear power plant was not targeted, the agency confirmed.
The United States quickly distanced itself from the strike. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “The United States is not involved in this operation,” and warned Iran against retaliating on American assets in the region.
In London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced concern. “These strikes are deeply concerning. All parties must step back and reduce tensions urgently,” he said in a statement early Friday. “Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy.”
As international alarm grows over the potential for full-scale war between the two regional powers, the eyes of the world are now fixed on Tehran’s next move.
