Israel completes first stage of strikes on Iranian military, nuclear targets

The Israeli military said on Friday it had completed the "first stage" of strikes targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites.

Codenamed "Rising Lion," the operation was aimed at damaging Iran's nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile facilities and various military capabilities, according to Israeli authorities.

Hossein Salami, chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Gholam-Ali Rashid, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, were killed in the strikes, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

The Israeli airstrikes also reportedly killed two Iranian nuclear scientists, Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi.

In retaliation, Iran launched around 100 drones toward Israel on Friday, according to the Israeli military.

Brigadier General Effie Defrin, Israel's chief army spokesman, said: "In the last few hours, Iran has launched more than 100 drones towards Israel, and all the defense systems are acting to intercept the threats." He added that Israel's strikes involved 200 fighter jets targeting approximately 100 locations across Iran.

'A decisive moment'

"We are at a decisive moment in Israel's history," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video message.

"We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility at Natanz ... We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program," he said, adding that Israel had also hit Iranian nuclear scientists "working on the Iranian bomb.”

Netanyahu said the operation would continue for several days.

A witness in Natanz reported hearing multiple explosions near the facility, while a senior Iranian official told Reuters that the country's leadership was holding a high-level security meeting.

Iran's state TV reported several explosions in Tehran and said the country's air defense system was on full alert.

An Israeli military official said Israel was striking "dozens" of nuclear and military targets, and claimed Iran had enough enriched material to build 15 nuclear bombs within days.

In a separate briefing to journalists, Defrin said Israeli jets had also "attacked and damaged" Iranian air defense systems.

He described a three-pronged threat posed by Iran: its acceleration toward a nuclear bomb, its development of thousands of ballistic missiles and its support for proxy forces across the Middle East.

The goal of Israel's operation is to eliminate this threat, he said.

"The State of Israel was left with no choice. The IDF is obligated to act in order to defend the citizens of the State of Israel and will continue to do so," the military said in another statement.

Rubio warns Iran not to target U.S. personnel

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel acted unilaterally because it believed the operation was necessary for self-defense.

"Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," Rubio said in a statement.

"Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel," he added.

CNN reported that U.S. President Donald Trump was convening a cabinet meeting.

U.S. and Iranian officials had been scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran's escalating uranium enrichment program in Oman on Sunday, according to officials from both countries and their Omani mediators. However, the talks now appear deadlocked.

Trump said on Thursday that an Israeli strike on Iran "could very well happen," though he reiterated hopes for a peaceful resolution. U.S. intelligence had indicated Israel was preparing to strike Iran's nuclear facilities, and U.S. officials – speaking on condition of anonymity – said an attack could take place in the coming days.

The U.S. military is preparing for a full range of contingencies in the Middle East, including the possible evacuation of American civilians, a U.S. official told Reuters, also on condition of anonymity.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday urged all parties to step back and de-escalate. "The reports of these strikes are concerning, and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region," he said in a statement.

"Stability in the Middle East must be the priority, and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy.”

Meanwhile, Jordan and Iraq on Friday announced the closure of their airspace and grounded all flights. Amman vowed it would not allow any violations of its airspace.

China urges diplomacy over pressure on Iran

Israel's strike came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global nuclear watchdog, declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years.

The motion was backed by the U.S., the UK, France and Germany. Iran condemned the resolution as "political" and announced plans to open a new enrichment facility.

During the meeting, China's Permanent Representative to the IAEA, Li Song, stressed that the Iranian nuclear issue can only be resolved through political and diplomatic efforts, based on full respect for Iran's right to peacefully use nuclear energy.

Li stated that the Iranian nuclear issue has remained unresolved for over two decades, and experience has shown that confrontational pressure and the destruction of international agreements only further complicate matters. He criticized the U.S. for unilaterally withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying that if the agreement had been effectively implemented, the current crisis could have been avoided.

Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities and allow IAEA inspections in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran also committed to addressing outstanding questions related to its declarations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement. However, in 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and reinstated sanctions.

Li emphasized that the Iranian nuclear issue is at a critical turning point, and called on the international community to promote dialogue and diplomacy based on mutual respect, rather than resorting to sanctions or threats. He said all parties should work together to build new consensus based on the JCPOA and seek a balanced solution through negotiation.

(With input from agencies)