Iran has labeled Israel’s recent wave of strikes as a declaration of war, while US President Donald Trump has warned Tehran of “even more brutal” attacks if a deal isn’t reached on its nuclear program.
Israel confirmed its air strikes killed several top generals, including most of the senior leadership of the Revolutionary Guards’ air force, and hit approximately 100 targets, including nuclear facilities.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel of a “bitter and painful” fate, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling the attack a “declaration of war” and President Masoud Pezeshkian asserting that “Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act.”
The Israeli military reported that Iran launched around 100 drones, which were intercepted by air defenses outside Israeli territory.
Neighboring Jordan also stated it intercepted drones and missiles that violated its airspace.
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Trump urged Iran to “make a deal,” cautioning that more “death and destruction” would follow if they don’t, while also stressing that the United States was not involved in the Israeli action and warned Iran against targeting US personnel or interests.
Tehran, however, maintained that Washington would be “responsible for consequences.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel struck at the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme,” targeting nuclear scientists and the main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.
He vowed the strikes would “continue as many days as it takes,” with the military indicating intelligence suggested Iran was nearing a “point of no return” on its nuclear program.
Iranian media confirmed the deaths of Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami.
Khamenei swiftly appointed new commanders, and state media reported a senior advisor to the supreme leader was wounded.
The Israeli military stated that the “senior chain of command of the air force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had assembled in an underground command centre to prepare for an attack on the State of Israel,” and that its strikes had killed most of them.
Iran confirmed the death of the Guards aerospace commander along with “a group of brave and dedicated fighters.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the “precise targeting of senior commanders… sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel’s destruction will be eliminated.”
AFP images revealed a large hole in a Tehran residential building, suggesting a targeted strike.
Iranian state media reported civilian casualties, though no exact figure was provided, and an emergency services official stated 95 people were wounded.
Tasnim news agency added that six nuclear scientists were among the dead. Tehran’s streets were largely deserted, with queues at petrol stations.
Amid rising anxieties, Israel declared a state of emergency, and air traffic was halted at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, with Iraq, Jordan, and Syria closing their airspace.
Oil prices surged and stocks sank following the strikes, which came after Trump’s warning of a “massive conflict” in the region.
Trump had previously indicated he believed a deal on Iran’s nuclear program was “fairly close” and cautioned that an Israeli attack could jeopardize an agreement.
Despite the violence raising questions about a planned sixth round of US-Iran talks in Oman, Trump expressed hope for a return to negotiations.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed Natanz was among the targets and is “closely monitoring” the situation.
While the Israeli military reported hitting underground uranium enrichment centrifuges, the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation’s spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said “Most of the damage is on the surface level.”
Israel views Iran as an existential threat, and Netanyahu has indicated a tougher stance since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
The recent strikes mark an escalation in direct exchanges between Iran and Israel. Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations, stated, “I think Israel has declared all-out war against Iran,” posing the question of Iran’s response capacity.
The US and other Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a claim Iran consistently denies.
Israel called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran of non-compliance with its obligations. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60%, significantly above the 2015 agreement’s 3.67% limit, but still below the 90% needed for a nuclear warhead.
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