BBC Information
Israel launched strikes throughout Iran on Friday, saying they focused the “coronary heart” of Iran’s nuclear programme.
The strikes killed Hossein Salami, chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, a strong department of the nation’s armed forces, different senior army figures and a number of other nuclear scientists.
Civilians, together with kids, have been additionally amongst these killed, Iranian state media reported. The BBC isn’t capable of independently confirm these reviews.
The Israeli army stated Iran launched about 100 drones in the direction of Israel on Friday morning, which the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) stated it was intercepting.
A state of emergency has been declared in Israel.
The US has stated it was not concerned within the strikes, however President Donald Trump stated he was conscious of Israel’s plans beforehand.
A number of strikes have been reported, together with on Iran’s major nuclear enrichment facility.
When and the place did the strikes occur?
Explosions have been reported in Iran’s capital Tehran at about 03:30 native time (01:00 BST).
Iranian state TV stated residential areas in Tehran have been hit, with blasts additionally heard north-east of the capital.
In Israel, residents have been woken by air raid sirens across the identical time and obtained emergency telephone alerts.
Israel’s army stated it had struck “dozens of army targets, together with nuclear targets in numerous areas of Iran”.
Hours after the preliminary strikes, an explosion was reported on the Natanz nuclear facility, which is situated about 225km (140 miles) south of the capital, in line with Iranian state media.
The IDF later confirmed it had struck the location and stated its assault had resulted in vital injury.
The worldwide nuclear watchdog, the Worldwide Atomic Power Company (IAEA), stated it was knowledgeable by Iranian authorities that there was no enhance in radiation ranges on the Natanz plant.
IAEA head Rafael Grossi stated nuclear services “mustn’t ever be attacked” and such strikes have “critical implications for nuclear security, safety and safeguards, in addition to regional and worldwide peace and safety”.
In a press release to board members, he known as “on all events to train most restraint to keep away from additional escalation”, saying “any army motion that jeopardises the protection and safety of nuclear services dangers grave penalties for the folks of Iran, the area, and past”.
How did we get thus far?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the strikes – known as Operation Rising Lion – have been “a focused army operation to roll again the Iranian menace to Israel’s very survival”.
He stated the operation would “proceed for as many days because it takes to take away the unfold”.
Netanyahu stated Iran has taken steps to “weaponise” in current months and that, “if not stopped, Iran might produce a nuclear weapon in a really quick time”.
An Israeli army official informed the BBC that Iran had sufficient nuclear materials to create nuclear bombs “inside days”.
In his tackle, Netanyahu additionally thanked US President Donald Trump for “confronting Iran’s nuclear weapons programme”.
The strikes come as US talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, which started in April, seem to have stalled in current days. The subsequent spherical of talks was scheduled for Sunday.
Trump had hoped to strike a deal to cease Tehran creating a nuclear weapon. Iran has lengthy insisted that its nuclear actions are peaceable.
Earlier this week, Trump reportedly held a “tense” telephone name with Netanyahu, who has lengthy argued for a army quite than diplomatic strategy to Iran’s nuclear talents.
Final yr, Iran and Israel launched a variety of air strikes towards one another in April and October – although Israel’s strikes final yr weren’t believed to have been as wide-ranging as its present operation.
Iran overseas minister says assault ‘declaration of struggle’
Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated Israel “ought to anticipate a extreme punishment”, whereas International Minister Abbas Araghchi described the assault as a “declaration of struggle”.
Iran launched round 100 drones in the direction of Israel on Friday morning, the IDF stated. The army stated it was intercepting the drones.
Iran’s overseas ministry stated its armed forces wouldn’t “hesitate to defend Iran’s sovereignty with full power and within the method they deem applicable”.
In a press release, the ministry known as Israel’s operation “acts of aggression” and stated that “the US authorities, as the first patron of this regime, can even bear accountability”.
Trump requires Iran deal ‘earlier than it is too late’
Reacting to the strikes, Trump stated he gave Iran “probability after probability” to make a deal, however “they simply could not get it performed”.
Sure Iranian officers “spoke bravely, however they did not know what was about to occur,” Trump wrote in a social media put up, including: “They’re all DEAD now.”
“There has already been nice demise and destruction, however there’s nonetheless time to make this slaughter, with the subsequent already deliberate assaults being much more brutal, come to an finish.
“Iran should make a deal, earlier than there’s nothing left, and save what was as soon as referred to as the Iranian Empire. No extra demise, no extra destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the US was not concerned with the strikes and didn’t present any help.
He stated the highest precedence for the US was to guard American forces within the area.
In different worldwide response, Oman, which has been mediating US-Iran nuclear talks, stated it held Israel accountable for “this escalation and its penalties”.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated reviews of the strikes are “regarding” and urged for de-escalation, as did France.
Australia’s International Minister Penny Wong stated the strikes risked “additional destabilising a area that’s already unstable”.
The strikes have been additionally condemned by Japan, Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.
China stated it was “deeply apprehensive concerning the extreme penalties” that the strikes could convey.
UN Secretary-Normal António Guterres requested either side for “most restraint” to keep away from “in any respect prices a descent into deeper battle”.
Who has been killed?
The IDF stated that three Iranian army commanders had been “eradicated within the Israeli strikes throughout Iran”.
They have been:
- Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)
- Gholamali Rashid, commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters
- Mohammad Bagheri, chief of employees of Iran’s armed forces
IRGC later stated Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of its air power, was additionally killed alongside a gaggle of different IRGC forces.
The Israeli army stated its in a single day assault targeted on “over 100 targets, together with senior figures of the Iranian Normal Employees and leaders of the nuclear program”.
IRGC-affiliated information company Tasnim reported six nuclear scientists have been additionally killed within the strikes, of whom 5 have been named:
- Fereydoon Abbasi, former head Iran’s Atomic Power Group
- Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, who was concerned in Iran’s nuclear weapons programme
- Abdulhamid Minouchehr, head of nuclear engineering at Iran’s Shahid Beheshti College
- Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, a nuclear engineering professor at Shahid Beheshti College
- Amirhossein Feqhi, one other nuclear professor at Shahid Beheshti College
Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Chief, was reported to have been significantly injured, in line with Iranian media.
State media additionally stated that civilians, together with kids, have been additionally amongst these killed.
The BBC isn’t capable of independently confirm these reviews.
What’s Iran’s nuclear programme?
Iran has lengthy maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceable, civilian functions solely. It has a number of services round Iran, not less than a few of which have been focused within the Israeli strikes.
However many international locations – in addition to the worldwide nuclear watchdog, IAEA – aren’t satisfied the programme is for civilian functions alone.
This week, the watchdog’s board of governors formally declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the primary time in 20 years.
It cited Iran’s “many failures” to supply full solutions about undeclared nuclear materials and Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
An earlier IAEA report stated Iran had enriched uranium to 60% purity, close to weapons grade, to probably make 9 nuclear bombs.