TEHRAN: Israel pounded Iran in a series of air raids on Friday, striking 100 targets including Tehran's nuclear and military sites, and killing the armed forces' chief of staff, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and top nuclear scientists.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attacks.
The Israeli military said later that Iran launched 100 drones towards Israel in response and that its air defences were intercepting them outside Israeli territory.
US President Donald Trump told Fox News he had advance notice of the Israeli strikes which Israel’s military said involved 200 fighter jets. Trump also stressed that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear bomb”.
The United States underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action and warned Tehran not to attack its personnel or interests.
But Tehran said the United States would be “responsible for consequences” as Israel’s operation “cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck at the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme”, taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and nuclear scientists.
The strikes would “continue as many days as it takes”, the Israeli leader said, adding later that the initial wave of strikes were “very successful”.
The Israeli military said its intelligence gathering showed Iran was approaching the “point of no return” on its nuclear programme.
The strikes killed Iran's highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, Iranian media reported.
State media said residential buildings in Tehran were hit as well, killing a number of civilians including women and children.
Tasnim news agency said six nuclear scientists killed in the attacks.
- Flights suspended -
Air traffic was halted at Tehran's main gateway, Imam Khomeini International Airport, while Iraq and Jordan also closed their airspace and suspended flights.
Israel declared a state of emergency and closed its airspace, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying Israel was braced for Iran's expected retaliation.
“Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,“ Katz said.
An Israeli military official said the army believed Iran had the ability to strike Israel “any minute”.
Oil prices surged 12 percent while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes, which came after Trump’s warning of a “massive conflict” in the region.
Trump had also said the United States was drawing down staff in the Middle East, after Iran threatened to target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out.
Trump said he believed a “pretty good” deal on Iran’s nuclear programme was “fairly close”, but said that an Israeli attack on its arch foe could wreck the chances of an agreement.
The US leader did not disclose the details of a conversation on Monday with Netanyahu, but said: “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it.”
Trump quickly added: “Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.”
- 'Within reach' -
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran not respond to Israeli strikes by hitting US bases, saying Washington was not involved.
“Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,“ Rubio said in a statement.
Prior to Friday's attack, Iran had threatened to hit US bases in the Middle East if conflict were to erupt.
With the violence raising questions on whether a sixth round of talks planned between the US and Iran will still take place on Sunday in Oman, Trump said however that Washington is still “hoping to get back to the negotiating table”.
Confirming Natanz among targets, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said it was “closely monitoring” the situation.
“The agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country,“ International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said.
- 'Extremist' -
Israel, which counts on US military and diplomatic support, sees Iran as an existential threat.
Netanyahu has vowed less restraint since the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Tehran-backed Hamas, which triggered the massive Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Since the Hamas attack, Iran and Israel have traded direct attacks for the first time.
Aside from Hamas, Israel is also battling Iranian proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen.
The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has repeatedly denied.
Israel again called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran on Wednesday of non-compliance with its obligations.
Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, slammed the resolution as “extremist”.
In response, Iran said it would launch a new enrichment centre in a secure location.
“The world now better understands Iran’s insistence on the right to enrichment, nuclear technology, and missile power,“ the Iranian government said following the strikes.
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close, though still short, of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.
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