Donald Trump said on Friday that he is "not concerned" about a regional war breaking out after Israel targeted and destroyed Iran's military and nuclear sites, while also killing its top nuclear scientists and commanders.

Khamenei says Iran 'will inflict heavy blows' after Israel 'launched war' (AFP)

Sirens in Jerusalem as Israel army says missiles launched from Iran (AFP)

Iran FM Calls For UN Action Against Israel's 'Warmongering' (AFP)

France could help defend Israel from Iran attack 'if in position to do so': Macron (AFP)

Israel Military Says Struck More Than 200 Targets In Iran (AFP)

Putin told Netanyahu he's 'ready' to mediate between Israel, Iran: Kremlin. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is "not concerned" about a regional war breaking out after Israel targeted and destroyed Iran's military and nuclear sites, while also killing its top nuclear scientists and commanders.

In an interview to news agency Reuters, President Trump said he had initially tried to delay an Israeli strike, giving Iran ample time for diplomacy and dialogue, but added that he had given a 60-day ultimatum to Tehran, "And today was the 61st day," he said.

Iran once ridiculed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the boy who cried wolf for his constant public warnings about Tehran's nuclear programme, and his repeated threats to shut it down, one way or another.
"You can only fool some of the people so many times," Iran's then-foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said in 2018 after Netanyahu had once again accused Iran of planning to build nuclear weapons.

On Friday, after two decades of continually raising the alarm and urging other world leaders to act, Netanyahu finally decided to go it alone, authorising an Israeli air assault aimed, Israel says, at preventing Iran from obtaining weapons of mass destruction.

(Reuters)

Per Press TV, missiles were intercepted in the southern part of Tehran. The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) also reported about fresh strikes in west Tehran.

Per a report by the BBC, there have been fresh explosions across Iran. In a post on X, Israeli Air Force said that it will continue "to attack missile launchers and infrastructure" in Iran.

(BBC)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel had informed the United States about its plans to attack Iran before carrying them out.

"I leave the American position to the Americans. We updated them ahead of time. They knew about the attack. What will they do now? I leave that to President (Donald) Trump. He makes his decisions independently," Netanyahu said in a recorded video message.

"I am not going to speak for him (Trump). He does that very convincingly and assertively. He said that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, they cannot have enrichment capabilities."

(Reuters)

Israel's strikes on archfoe on Iran Friday exposed severe weaknesses for Tehran  that have hampered its ability to respond militarily, analysts said.

Israel said it hit 100 targets including Iranian nuclear and military sites in the attacks, killing senior figures, among them the armed forces' chief and top nuclear scientists.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faces a "bitter and painful" fate over the attacks, but analysts say the Islamic republic's options are limited.

(AFP)

The conversation takes place in the aftermath of Israel's attacks on Iran's military and nuclear facilities. The operation also killed senior officials and scientists.

Iran's new Guards chief says 'gates of hell' will open on Israel (AFP)

Gold prices soared on Friday as investors flocked to safe-haven assets following Israeli airstrikes on Iran, re-igniting fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East.

Spot gold rose 1.7% at $3,439.79 an ounce as of 0923 EDT (1323 GMT), coming within striking distance of its record high of $3,500.05 set in April. Prices gained more than 4% so far this week.

(Reuters)

Rome calls on Iran, Israel to 'return to negotiation' (AFP)

In a statement, Hamas praised Tehran-its key strategic ally-for standing by the Palestinian cause and backing the resistance against Israel over decades, including during the current war that began in October 2023.

Israel's Netanyahu In Talks With World Leaders After Iran Strikes: PM Office (AFP)

The statement said the Air Force jets, guided by precise intelligence, targeted nuclear facilities, military commanders, and soldiers, destroying dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers.

Reactions from across the world poured in after Israel struck over 100 sites in Iran, including nuclear and military facilities. The attack also saw several prominent figures, including nuclear scientists and Iran's armed forces chief being killed.

After Israel pounded Iran in a series of air raids on Friday, striking 100 targets including Tehran's nuclear and military sites and killing senior figures, AFP looks at other such attempt over the years.

Loud blast heard near airbase in west Iran: state media (AFP)

Sirens Sound In North Israel: Military (AFP)

Iraq accuses Israel of using its airspace to attack Iran. (AFP)

Israel is shutting its embassies around the world and has urged citizens to stay alert and not display Jewish or Israeli symbols in public places, statements posted on embassy websites said on Friday after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran.

The statements said Israel would not be providing consular services and urged citizens to cooperate with local security services if faced with hostile activity.

No timeframe was given for how long the embassies would be closed.

(Reuters)

The United Nations Security Council will meet later on Friday over Israel's strikes on Iran, diplomats said, at the request of Tehran.

(Reuters)

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said Iran, its strategic ally, was "paying the price" for supporting militant groups in Gaza in their decades-long struggle against Israel, after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Friday against Iran.

Hamas leaders have repeatedly thanked Iran for its military and financial support to the group in its fight against Israel, including during the ongoing war that erupted in October 2023.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Israel's attack on Iran has been "excellent" and warned that there was much to come, according to an interview with ABC News.

Macron says Israel has 'right to protect itself', urges restraint after Iran strikes (AFP)

The dollar headed for its biggest one-day rise in a month on Friday, as investors rushed back into the currency in their search for safe-haven assets, including gold, after Israel launched strikes against Iran, sparking Iranian retaliation. 

 Israel said it targeted a wide range of military targets in Iran, in response to which Iran launched a barrage of drones. 

(Reuters)

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said the Israeli attack on Iran has been "excellent" and warned there was much more to come, according to an interview with ABC News.

"I think it's been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn't take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come. A lot more," Trump was quoted as saying by an ABC reporter on X.

(Reuters)

Iran to 'make enemy regret' attack says Iran's President Pezeshkian

Iran says imposing temporary internet restrictions after Israel attack. (Reuters)

Israel attacked Iran in a series of air strikes on Friday, hitting about 100 targets including key nuclear facilities and military command centres.

An exceptional meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's board of governors will be held to discuss Israel's strikes on Iran after at least one country on the board requested one at Friday's regular, quarterly session of the body, diplomats said.

Any country on the board can call a meeting under its rules. Iran, which is not on the board, requested a meeting and its call was supported by board members Russia, China and Venezuela, diplomats said. The diplomats gave differing accounts as to which board member was the first to clearly make the request.

(Reuters)

At least 20 senior Iranian commanders including the head of the revolutionary guards, Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran on Friday, two regional sources told Reuters.

In a Truth Social post after the attack, Trump wrote, "I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to "just do it," but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn't get it done."

He added that he had warned Iran that "United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World", and that "Israel has a lot of it...And they know how to use it".

Israel attacked Iran in a series of air strikes on Friday, hitting about 100 targets including key nuclear facilities and military command centres.

India's equity benchmarks declined on Friday and posted weekly losses as Israel's military strikes on Iran escalated tensions in the Middle East and dampened global risk sentiment.

The Nifty 50 was down 0.68% at 24,718.6 and the BSE Sensex fell 0.70% to 81,118.6.

(Reuters)

Israel pounded Iran in a series of air strikes on Friday, hitting as many as 100 targets, including Tehran's nuclear and military sites. Two of Iran's top Military commanders and at least six top nuclear scientists were killed in the attack.

The Czech foreign minister said Friday that Israeli strikes on Iran were a reasonable response given Tehran's nuclear ambitions and support for groups seeking to destroy Israel.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Israeli strikes on Iran and its nuclear facilities were unprovoked and in breach of the United Nations charter.

"Unprovoked military strikes against a sovereign UN member state, its citizens, peaceful cities, and nuclear energy infrastructure are categorically unacceptable," the ministry said in a statement.

(Reuters)

On the campaign trail, US President Donald Trump promised to end the world's hottest conflicts and usher in global peace, but nearly five months in, with Israel attacking Iran and bloodshed in Gaza and Ukraine unabated, those hopes are in shambles.

Israel has called its military operation against Iran "Rising Lion", taking the name from a biblical verse that promises a victorious future for a powerful Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was photographed on Thursday putting a handwritten note into a crack of Jerusalem's Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, which in retrospect pointed to the looming strikes on Iran.

His office on Friday released a photo of the note, which said "the people shall rise up as a lion".

(Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about Israel's attack on Iran in a phone call on Friday morning, Merz said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long identified Iran as its greatest threat, citing the country's nuclear program, its hostile rhetoric and support for anti-Israel proxy groups across the region.

Oil prices jumped more than 7% on Friday, trading near multi-month highs after Israel launched widescale strikes against Iran, sparking Iranian retaliation and raising worries about disrupted oil supplies.

(Reuters)

Iranians reacted to Israeli strikes with anger and fear on Friday, with some urging retaliation while others worried the conflict would spell more hardship for a nation worn down by crises.

With Tehran and other cities shaken by a night of Israeli airstrikes, some said they planned to leave for neighbouring Turkey, bracing for escalation after Israel signalled its operation would continue "for as many days as it takes".

(Reuters)

Nuclear-armed states spent more than $100 billion on their atomic arsenals last year, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said Friday, lamenting the lack of democratic oversight of such spending.

ICAN said Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and the United States together spent nearly $10 billion more than in 2023.

(AFP)

The African Union (AU) expressed grave concern on Friday after Israel struck some 100 targets in Iran, including Tehran's nuclear and military sites.

The AU chair, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, "expresses grave concern over reports of an Israeli airstrike on Iran and the ensuing escalation of hostilities in the Middle East," it said in a statement. 

"The Chairperson calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint. He pointed out that the current developments pose a serious threat to international peace and security," it added.

(AFP)

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed new Revolutionary Guards and armed forces to replace those killed in Israel attacks on Friday. (AFP)

UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi said on Friday that nuclear facilities "must never be attacked" and called "on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation" following Israeli strikes on Iran.

"This development is deeply concerning... I reiterate that any military action that jeopardizes the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond," Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a statement to board members.

The Kremlin on Friday condemned and expressed concern over what it called a "sharp escalation" between Israel and Iran, Russian state media reported.

"Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies.

The Russian embassy in Tel Aviv also urged Russians in Israel to leave the country if they could and said it "strongly recommends" against travelling there until the "situation normalises."

Israel announced Friday that citizens are no longer required to stay near protected spaces nationwide, a precaution it imposed in anticipation of an Iranian response to Israel's strikes on Iran.

"End of the need to stay near protected space," the military's home front command said in a new guideline issued to citizens. Earlier on Friday it had ordered Israelis to seek refuge in shelters as the military launched a widespread attack on Iran.

In a pre-dawn attack, Israeli launched air strikes across Iranian territory on Friday, hitting multiple high-value nuclear and military targets.

Iran sharply criticised the UN nuclear watchdog on Friday, accusing it of "silence" over Israel's strikes on its nuclear facilities and scientists.

In a statement, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said it considers the "silence" from the International Atomic Energy Agency "as a form of cooperation with the Zionist regime," adding that the Israeli attack was a "defeat for the IAEA resulting from its unjustifiable shortcomings".

Shortly afterwards, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi issued a statement saying nuclear facilities "must never be attacked".

Israel's military on Friday said it destroyed dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran in a wave of air strikes.

"In recent hours, Air Force fighter jets, guided by precise intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate, completed an extensive strike against the Iranian regime's air defense system in western Iran," a military statement said.

"As part of the strikes, dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers were destroyed."

A Flightradar24 timelapse video captures the swift movement of civilian aircraft away from Iranian airspace following Israel's June 13 strikes.

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Friday condemned a wave of Israeli strikes on Iran's military and nuclear facilities, warning they could "destabilise the region".

"This aggression constitutes a dangerous escalation that threatens to destabilise the region," said the Iran-backed militant group, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. "Today, Iran is paying the price for its steadfast stance in support of Palestine and its resistance," it added.

Britain will not protect Israel as Iran retaliates against overnight Israeli strikes, the defence editor of the Times newspaper said on X, without citing sources.

In October 2024, when Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, Britain said two of its fighter jets and an air-to-air refuelling tanker played a part in attempts to prevent further escalation, but that the jets did not engage any targets.

Britain was not involved in Israel's strikes against Iran overnight and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged both sides to use restraint and return to diplomacy.

Britain's foreign office and Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment on any potential British involvement in protecting Israel.

Air raid sirens sounded in the Jordanian capital on Friday after Israel pounded Iran, while the public security directorate called on people to stay in their homes.

"Adhere to the guidelines and stay in your homes," was the announcement made through loudspeakers in Amman, an AFP correspondent said.

Qatar Airways cancels flights to Iran, Iraq after Israel strikes (AFP)

Gaza mediator Qatar on Friday criticised a wave of Israeli strikes on Iran saying it "hinders" attempts "at de-escalation and reaching diplomatic solutions".

Qatar "expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack," the Gulf state's foreign ministry said in a statement reported by the official Qatar News Agency, adding the "dangerous escalation threatens security and stability of the region and hinders efforts to de-escalate and reach diplomatic solutions".

Emirates airline said flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran had been cancelled, after Israel launched strikes on Iran on Friday, sparking concerns of a wider escalation.

Several flights scheduled for Friday and one Tehran flight on Saturday were listed as cancelled on the airline's website, with the Dubai international airport also reporting that "some flights at @DXB and DWC - Al Maktoum International have been cancelled or delayed due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria" in a statement on X.

An Israeli military official said Friday that the army had begun intercepting drones outside Israeli territory that had been fired from Iran.

"The (Israeli military) has begun intercepting UAVs fired from Iran, outside of Israeli territory," the military official said in a statement.

Israel's army had earlier said Iran launched about 100 drones toward Israel following a wave of Israeli air strikes across the Islamic republic.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets were still conducting strikes against Iranian military and nuclear facilities after Israel launched a wave of attacks across Iran before dawn on Friday.

"Our pilots attacked and are still attacking military targets and targets related to the nuclear programme in various areas in Iran," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told journalists.

Jordan and Iraq on Friday announced the closure of their airspace and grounded all flights after Israel's attack on Iran, with Amman vowing it would not allow any violations of its airspace.

"The kingdom's airspace is temporarily closed, and air traffic suspended for all aircraft -- incoming, outgoing and in transit, as a precaution against any risks resulting from the regional escalation," the Jordanian civil aviation authority said in a statement.

Iraq, which borders Iran, also closed its airspace on Friday. "The ministry of transport closes Iraqi airspace and suspends air traffic at all Iraqi airports," the Iraq News Agency reported.

At least six nuclear scientists were killed Friday in Israel's attacks on Iran, local media reported.

"Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feqhi, Motalleblizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi were the nuclear scientists martyred" in Israel's attack, Tasnim news agency said.

Israel's military said Iran launched about 100 drones toward Israel on Friday and that it was making an effort to shoot them down, following a wave of Israeli air strikes across the Islamic republic.

"Iran launched approximately 100 UAVs towards Israeli territory, which we are working to intercept," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told journalists. He added that Israel's strikes on Iran involved 200 fighter jets striking about 100 targets across Iran.

Riyadh, long a Tehran rival before reconciling in 2023, strongly condemned a wave of strikes that Israel launched against military and nuclear sites in Iran on Friday. The strikes, which left key military commanders and nuclear scientists dead, stoked fears of a full-blown war in the region and jeopardised US-Iran nuclear talks set for Sunday in Oman.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Describing the strikes as "heinous attacks", it added that "the international community and the (UN) Security Council bear a great responsibility to immediately halt this aggression", which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said would last days.

Iran said Israel's deadly attacks on Friday underscored its need to advance uranium enrichment and missile capabilities.

"One should not speak to such a predatory regime except in the language of power," the Iranian government said in a statement. "The world now better understands Iran's insistence on the right to enrichment, nuclear technology, and missile power."

"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," British PM Keir Starmer wrote on X. 

"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," the United Kingdom leader added.

The UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday that Iranian authorities told it that no increase in radiation levels have been observed at the Natanz uranium enrichment site following Israeli strikes.

"Iranian authorities have informed the IAEA... that no increase in radiation levels has been observed at the Natanz site," the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a post on X, after earlier confirming that the facility was "among targets" of the strikes.

It added that Iran's only nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr had not been targeted.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets were still conducting strikes against Iranian military and nuclear facilities after Israel launched a wave of attacks across Iran before dawn on Friday. 

"Our pilots attacked and are still attacking military targets and targets related to the nuclear programme in various areas in Iran," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told journalists. (AFP)

A Flightradar24 timelapse video captures the swift movement of civilian aircraft away from Iranian airspace following Israel's June 13 strikes.

Israeli attacks against Iran on Friday wounded at least 50 people, including women and children, state television in the Islamic republic reported.

"Following the Israeli attack, about 50 injured people were transferred to Chamran Hospital (in Tehran), at least 35 of whom are women and children," the broadcaster said, without announcing any deaths.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News he was aware Israel was going to conduct strikes on Iran before they happened and stressed that Tehran "cannot have a nuclear bomb," according to the US broadcaster.

"Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see," Trump said, according to Fox News.

The Republican also said that he is 'still hoping' for talks with Iran. 

Iran's oil ministry said key refineries and fuel depots were unaffected by Israel's deadly attack on Friday, with operations continuing nationwide without disruption.

"No damage was caused to the country's refining facilities and oil depots, and currently the activities of these facilities and fuel supply are ongoing in all parts of the country without interruption," the ministry said in a statement.

Indians in Iran on Friday were advised by the embassy here to remain vigilant, avoid all unnecessary movements and observe safety protocols following the launch of Israel's strikes on the country.

Iran has vowed a "strong response" after Israel's deadly air strikes hit multiple areas, including military and nuclear facilities, across the Islamic Republic on Friday.

The Israeli Defence Forces said recent intelligence shows Iran is nearing the point of no return in its race toward a nuclear weapon. 

"The regime is producing thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium, alongside decentralized and fortified enrichment compounds, in underground, fortified sites. This program has accelerated significantly in recent months, bringing the regime significantly closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon," it said in a post on X. 

𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗘𝗗: 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗡𝘂𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀
Recent intelligence shows Iran is nearing the point of no return in its race toward a nuclear weapon. The regime is producing thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium, alongside decentralized and fortified… pic.twitter.com/my6mVB7rOI

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 13, 2025

Air traffic has been halted at Tehran's main international airport, and neighbouring Iraq has closed its airspace entirely. Israel has warned Iran could retaliate at any moment, declaring a state of emergency and also shutting its airspace.

In Washington, the White House said Trump would convene security chiefs after the strike, which was criticised by a senior Democrat. "Israel's alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence," said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

The strikes saw oil prices surge up to six percent.

Israel relies on Washington for military and diplomatic support but carried out the strikes alone, top US diplomat Marco Rubio said.

"We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," he said in a statement warning Tehran against targeting US interests.

Rubio said Israel had "advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence," without offering support or criticism of the strikes.

Israel sees the cleric-run state in Tehran as an existential threat and hit Iranian air defences last year. Its defence minister Israel Katz described the action as a "preemptive strike". The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has always denied. Israel again called for global action after the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency accused Iran on Wednesday of non-compliance with its obligations.

There had been indications a military strike was likely, with US media reporting an imminent Israeli attack that would not be coordinated with the Washington. "I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen," US President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday when asked if an Israeli attack loomed.

A sixth round of talks over Tehran's nuclear programme had been scheduled between the United States and Iran on Sunday in Oman.

Israel's military said its jets carried out strikes on "dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran." Blasts were reported in Tehran, where Iranian state television said fire and smoke were seen at a key site for Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the city's east.

State television also reported "loud explosions" in Natanz, in Iran's central Isfahan province, where a key nuclear site is located. The "Natanz enrichment facility has been hit several times," state TV reported, showing footage of heavy smoke billowing from the site.

Iranian state media said residential buildings in Tehran were damaged and several civilians killed. An Israeli security official said the strikes had "likely eliminated" Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Islamic republic's armed forces, along with senior nuclear scientists. Iranian media meanwhile said Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami had been killed. (AFP)

Iran's armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri was killed Friday in during Israeli attacks that hit multiple cities including the capital, state television reported.

"Major General Mohammad Bagheri chief of staff of the armed forces was martyred," the broadcaster said.

The United States still hopes to hold talks Sunday with Iran, even after Israel launched a massive attack on the Islamic republic, a US official said. "We still intend to have talks Sunday," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The official had no further information on whether Iran had agreed to the talks. Oman had earlier planned talks Sunday involving Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's friend and globe-trotting negotiator.

Iran's foreign ministry said Friday that the United States was "responsible for the consequences" of the attack. Iran had earlier threatened to strike US bases if conflict erupted. Israel, which relies on US diplomatic and military support, carried out the attack despite Trump earlier saying he wanted to give time for diplomacy.

Iran said the United States would be "responsible for the consequences" of Israel's deadly attacks Friday on multiple cities and nuclear sites in the Islamic republic.

"The Zionist regime's aggressive actions against Iran cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States," the foreign ministry said, adding that the US was "responsible for the dangerous impact and consequences of the Zionist regime's adventurism".

Iran warned it has a "legal and legitimate right" to respond to Israel's deadly attacks Friday on multiple cities and nuclear facilities in the Islamic republic.

"Responding to this aggression is Iran's legal and legitimate right in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter," said the foreign ministry in a statement, adding that Iran's armed forces "will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation with all their might."

❗️EXPLOSIONS in Tehran as Israel LAUNCHES preemptive strike — multiple reports
Sirens BLARE throughout as smoke plumes RISE https://t.co/t3xy41ulOI pic.twitter.com/56KdD9GD89

— RT (@RT_com) June 13, 2025

Nuclear talks mediator Oman condemned Israel for launching strikes against Iran on Friday, calling them a "dangerous escalation".

Oman considers "this act as a dangerous escalation" and "calls on the international community to adopt a clear and firm position to put an end to this dangerous approach, which threatens to rule out diplomatic solutions and jeopardise the security and stability of the region", state media said.

Senior Revolutionary Guards commander Gholam Ali Rashid and top nuclear scientists were killed in Israel's attack on Iran on Friday, Iranian media reported.

"The martyrdom of... Major General Gholam Ali Rashid is confirmed," state television said, while Tasnim news agency reported nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi "were targeted and martyred". (AFP)

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel would suffer severe consequences after launching deadly attacks on the Islamic republic on Friday, including Tehran and nuclear sites.

"With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it," Khamenei said in a statement. (AFP)

Israeli air strikes on Friday targeted three military sites in Iran's northwest, state television reported.

"Three military sites in the East Azerbaijan province were attacked by the Zionist regime," the channel reported, quoting the province's crisis management department.

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Iran to "show maximum restraint" after Israel's wave of air strikes, the secretary-general's spokesman said in a statement late Thursday.

While broadly condemning "any military escalation in the Middle East," the statement by Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq noted Guterres was "particularly concerned" by Israel's strikes on nuclear installations amid the ongoing US-Iran negotiations.

"The Secretary-General asks both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford," it added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Israel's initial wave of air strikes against Iran on Friday as "very successful". 

 "We carried out a very successful opening strike, and with God's help, we will achieve much more," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

אנחנו אחרי מכת פתיחה מאוד מוצלחת, ובעזרת השם - אנחנו הולכים להשיג הרבה מאוד הישגים. pic.twitter.com/EhQW2V6B3d

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 13, 2025

Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed revenge after the killing of its chief Hossein Salami on Friday in Israeli attacks on the country.

The attacks "will not remain unanswered and (Israel) must await harsh and regrettable revenge", said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a statement read on state TV. (AFP)

China's embassy in Tel Aviv warned citizens in Israel on Friday to "stay highly alert" and exercise caution, after the country launched deadly attacks on Iran. "The Chinese Embassy in Israel strongly reminds Chinese citizens in the country to closely monitor developments, remain calm, and stay highly alert," the embassy said on WeChat.

"Do not go out unless necessary, and strictly avoid areas around military installations and sensitive institutions," it added.

Israel said early on Friday that it had struck Iran to block Tehran from developing atomic weapons. This came as US President Donald Trump had been seeking a new nuclear deal to place limits on Iran's disputed uranium enrichment activities, but the talks have appeared to be deadlocked. Trump said earlier on Thursday an Israeli strike on Iran "could very well happen" but reiterated hopes for a peaceful resolution.

The U.S. military is planning for the full range of contingencies in the Middle East, including the possibility that it might have to help evacuate American civilians, a US official told Reuters.

However, US top diplomat Marco Rubio called Israel's strikes against Iran a "unilateral action" and said Washington was not involved, while also urging Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel in the region. The US State Department said late on Thursday that the US Embassy in Jerusalem has directed all government employees and their family members to shelter in place until further notice.

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend a National Security Council meeting on Friday morning, the White House said late on Thursday after Israeli strikes on Iran that have put the Middle East on edge. The meeting will be held at 11 am ET (1500 GMT) on Friday, the White House said.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Israel said early on Friday Middle East time and late Thursday U.S. time that it had struck Iran to block Tehran from developing atomic weapons, and Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions including at the country's main uranium enrichment facility. U.S. top diplomat Marco Rubio called Israel's strikes against Iran a "unilateral action" and said Washington was not involved while also urging Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel in the region.

The U.S. State Department said late on Thursday that the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has directed all U.S. government employees and their family members to shelter in place until further notice. (Reuters)

In pre-dawn strikes termed Operation Rising Lion, dozens of Israeli jets launched a sweeping aerial assault across Iranian territory on Friday, hitting multiple high-value nuclear and military targets.

A new explosion was heard Friday morning at a key uranium enrichment site in central Iran, state television reported, after Israel launched air strikes against the Islamic republic.

"New explosion heard at Natanz uranium enrichment facility" in Isfahan province, the broadcaster reported, showing thick black smoke rising from the facility. (AFP)

Oil prices surged more than 12 percent Friday after Israel said it carried out strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, fuelling fears of war in the crude-rich Middle East.

West Texas Intermediate, the main US oil contract, soared 12.6 percent to $76.61 per barrel, while Brent North Sea crude jumped 12.2 percent at $77.77. (AFP)

Iran vowed a "strong response" to deadly Israeli air strikes that hit multiple areas across the country on Friday, including nuclear facilities.

"The armed forces will certainly respond to this Zionist attack," said Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for the general staff of the armed forces, adding that Israel "will pay a heavy price and should await strong response from the Iranian armed forces."

Iran shut its airspace until further notice after Israel carried out air strikes on multiple targets across the country, including the capital, Tehran, state TV reported.

"Public relations of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization announced the closure of the country's airspace until further notice by issuing aeronautical notices (NOTAM)," state TV reported. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Thursday implored Israel not to attack Iran and declared once again his goal was to be a peacemaker. Hours later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of Trump's closest international allies, brazenly defied his advice by unleashing a major military campaign described as a "preemptive" strike against Iran's nuclear program.

The attack marks only the latest setback for Trump's lofty goal set out at the start of his second term of being a "man of peace."

The United States was reportedly on high alert amid rising fears of a potential Israeli strike on Iran.

Israel carried out "preemptive" strikes against Iran on Friday, targeting its nuclear plant and military sites, after US President Donald Trump warned of a possible "massive conflict" in the region. Explosions were heard Friday morning in the Iranian capital, state TV reported, adding that Iran's air defence were at "100 percent operational capacity".

Israel declared a state of emergency, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying that retaliatory action from Tehran was possible following the operation. "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.

Oil prices surged as much as 6 percent on the strikes, which came after Trump warned of a possible Iranian attack and said the US was drawing down staff in the region.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the United States was not involved in Israel's strikes against Iran while also urging Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel in the region.

Iran Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami killed in Israeli attack: news agency AFP cites Iran media