Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear and military sites, Iran retaliates with drones

In a latest escalation in West Asia, Israel targeted nuclear and missile facilities and military bases in various parts of Iran, including the capital city Tehran, on Friday. Israel declared a state of emergency, closed its airspace for civilian flights and urged its citizens to move to bomb shelters, anticipating heavy retaliation from Iran.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out airstrikes across Iran with 200 fighter jets, said the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), claiming to have killed three top Iranian military officers, which Iranian state TV reported are Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami.

The IAF fighter jets struck the Natanz area, the largest uranium enrichment site in Iran, which Israel claims “has operated for years to achieve nuclear weapons capability and houses the infrastructure required for enriching uranium to military-grade levels.”

Furthermore, six nuclear scientists, including Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi, president of the Islamic Azad University, and Fereydoun Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, were also killed in separate strikes.

According to the state media, which cited eyewitnesses, Israel also targeted residential buildings in Tehran, killing several other military figures and civilians, including women and children. Iranian authorities have yet to confirm the facts and figures of the loss and damage.

The Iran-Israel conflict has been ongoing for a long time now. Iranian leaders have vowed to erase Israel, while Israel seeks to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power at any cost. The two military powers engaged in an offensive last year too, exchanging air strikes.

In response to today’s attack, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, warned Israel “must expect severe punishment.” Shortly after, the Iranian army said that it retaliated with drone attacks on Israel, which Jordan and Israel have intercepted in their respective airspaces, preventing any major damage so far.

The escalation comes when the United States, Israel’s all-weather ally, and Iran are scheduled to meet for the sixth round of nuclear negotiations in Oman on Sunday. And a day after the US began evacuating embassy personnel across West Asia amid concerns of what US President Donald Trump said could be a “massive conflict.” The US State Department on Thursday evening directed embassy employees and their families in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza to take shelter.

Following Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the UN nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, warned against any military action endangering nuclear facilities. “Nuclear facilities must never be attacked,” he said, urging “maximum restraint to avoid further escalation.”

In a statement to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board members, Grossi described the development as “deeply concerning,” cautioning that such strikes risk “grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond.”

Meanwhile, Trump, who earlier said that Iran should not have nuclear weapons, warns the country to agree to make a deal “before it’s too late” and “nothing is left.”

Besides, the international community, including the United Nations, the Arab countries and the European Union, have condemned Israel’s attacks and called for restraint.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned “any military escalation in the [West Asia]” and stressed concern over strikes hitting Iran’s nuclear installations during ongoing US–Iran talks. He urged both sides to show “maximum restraint” to avoid a “descent into deeper conflict.”

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman denounced Israel’s actions as “absurd,” calling them a “clear violation” of international law that undermines peace and global security.

The United Arab Emirates strongly condemned the strikes, urging “utmost self-restraint and wise judgment” to prevent escalation. Egypt warned that the attacks could bring “unprecedented repercussions” for West Asia’s stability.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the situation “deeply alarming,” urging immediate de-escalation and restraint. On the other hand, French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot voiced Paris’s “deep concern” over Iran’s nuclear programme, backed Israel’s right to self-defence, but stressed the need for restraint to uphold regional stability.

In the latest news, IDF claims to have killed more senior army officers, including Commander of the IRGC’s Air Force Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the UAV Force of the IRGC’s Air Force Taher-pour and Commander of the Aerial Command of the IRGC’s Air Force Davoud Shaykhian. Israel accuses Hajizadeh and his subordinates of commanding Iran’s direct missile and UAV attacks against it in October 2024 and the direct missile strike in April 2024.