Israel strikes Iran, wiping out top military commanders and nuclear scientists

By&nbspEuronews

Published connected 13/06/2025 - 2:39 GMT+2•Updated 15:23

Israel has carried retired an onslaught connected nan Iranian superior of Tehran, successful strikes aimed astatine nan country's atomic programme which besides killed respective apical subject officials arsenic good arsenic atomic scientists. Iran has responded by launching astatine slightest 100 drones towards Israel.

IDF spokesperson Brig. General Effie Defrin said Israel is moving to intercept nan drones. A authorities of emergency has been declared.

Israel's strikes connected Iran, which took spot precocious Thursday into Friday, reportedly killed Hossein Salami, main of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, arsenic good arsenic nan main of unit of nan Iranian equipped forced. Two apical atomic scientists were besides killed, according to Iranian authorities media.

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu said nan strikes were a "targeted subject cognition to rotation backmost nan Iranian threat to Israel's very survival", claiming that "if not stopped, Iran could nutrient a atomic limb successful a very short time."

The Iranian authorities said Israel's attacks had "proven that it does not abide by immoderate norm of world law. We affirm our correct to retaliate, and we will respond to this violent entity firmly and decisively."

Earlier, explosions were heard successful nan Iranian capital, Tehran, arsenic Israel claimed it was attacking nan country. Iranian authorities media reported explosions successful nan northeastern parts of nan city.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed early Friday that an Israeli onslaught deed Iran’s uranium enrichment installation astatine Natanz.

In a connection connected X, nan IAEA’s Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said: “The IAEA is intimately monitoring nan profoundly concerning business successful Iran... The Agency is successful interaction pinch Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are besides successful interaction pinch our inspectors successful nan country.”

Israeli leaders formed nan "preemptive assault" arsenic a conflict for nan nation's survival, adding that it was basal to caput disconnected what they described arsenic an imminent threat that Iran would airs if it developed atomic weapons.

It remains unclear really adjacent nan state is to achieving that aliases whether it had really had been readying a strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel targeted some atomic and subject sites.

“It could beryllium a year. It could beryllium wrong a fewer months," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said arsenic he vowed to prosecute nan onslaught for arsenic agelong arsenic basal to “remove this threat.”

"This is simply a clear and coming threat to Israel’s very survival,” he said.

The onslaught connected Iran pushed nan Israeli subject to its limits, requiring nan usage of aging air-to-air refuelers to get its combatant jets adjacent capable to attack. It wasn’t instantly clear if Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace aliases conscionable fired alleged “standoff missiles” complete different country.

Fighter jets were reportedly heard flying overhead successful Iraq astatine nan clip of nan attack.

The onslaught comes arsenic tensions person reached caller heights complete Tehran's quickly advancing atomic programme. The Board of Governors astatine nan IAEA for nan first clip successful 20 years connected Thursday censured Iran complete it not moving pinch its inspectors.

Iran instantly announced it would found a 3rd enrichment tract successful nan state and switch retired immoderate centrifuges for more-advanced ones.

Israel for years has warned it will not let Iran to build a atomic weapon, thing Tehran insists it doesn't want — though charismatic location person many times warned it could.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a “emergency situation” successful nan state pursuing nan attacks. He said schools would beryllium closed nationwide connected Friday, adding that an Iranian retaliation of missiles and drones are to beryllium expected successful nan “immediate future”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took “unilateral action against Iran” and that Israel advised Washington that it believed nan strikes were basal for its self-defence.

“We are not progressive successful strikes against Iran and our apical privilege is protecting American forces successful nan region,” Rubio said successful a connection released by nan White House.

Rubio said nan Trump management took steps to protects its forces and remained successful interaction pinch its partners successful nan region. He besides issued a informing to Iran that it should not target US interests aliases personnel.

A US media outlet says President Donald Trump has reportedly convened his furniture for an emergency gathering pursuing nan Israeli attack.

In nan days starring up to nan attacks, Washington has made clear that it will not participate successful immoderate Israeli attacks connected Iran. Trump had urged Israel to refrain from striking Tehran, and to activity negotiated solutions, but acknowledged that an Israeli onslaught could very good happen.

Trump earlier said he urged Netanyahu to clasp disconnected connected immoderate action while nan management negotiated pinch Iran.

“As agelong arsenic I deliberation location is simply a (chance for an) agreement, I don’t want them going successful because I deliberation it would rustle it,” Trump told reporters.

The US has been preparing for thing to happen, already pulling immoderate diplomats from Iraq's capital, Baghdad, and offering voluntary evacuations for nan families of US troops successful nan wider Middle East region.

Iran halted flights Friday astatine Imam Khomeini International Airport extracurricular of Tehran, nan country’s main airport, according to state-run media. Iran has closed its airspace successful nan past erstwhile launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.