Israel launched unprecedented strikes on Iran last night, targeting its nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and senior military leaders in an attack that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said will last many days. The attack plunges West Asia into fresh uncertainty, increasing the risk of a regional war as Israel braces for Iran’s retaliation. Israel’s military said it used 200 fighter jets. It said Iran, in retaliation, has launched over 100 drones toward Israeli territory.
General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), was among those killed in the attacks. He was among the country’s most powerful and influential figures. The IRGC oversees its ballistic missile development and crushes dissent in the country. Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri and the former head of the Atomic Energy Organisation, Fereydoon Abbasi, were also killed in the strikes. Prime Minister Netanyahu said, Operation Rising Lion struck Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, nuclear scientists, and what he called the heart of Iran’s ballistic missiles program.
However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no increase in radiation levels at the site following the attacks. The agency confirmed that the Bushehr nuclear power plant was not targeted during the operation. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, Israel took unilateral action against Iran and the US is not involved in strikes. He said their top priority is protecting American forces in the region.
Iran’s armed forces spokesperson, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned that Israel and the United States will pay a heavy price for the strikes. Iranian state media reported that residential areas in Tehran were hit and that civilians, including children, were among the casualties. Israel has declared a state of emergency after the preemptive strikes against Iran, targeting its nuclear plant and military sites. Israel’s Defence Minister said that retaliatory action from Tehran was possible following the operation, warning its citizens to expect missile and drone retaliation. On the other hand, Iran has shut its airspace until further notice by issuing aeronautical notices (NOTAM)
