Israel attacks Iran and declares emergency over expected 'missile and drone' retaliation
US secretary of state Marco Rubio says America was not involved and that Israel believes the strikes are necessary for its self defence.
Friday 13 June 2025 12:11, UK
Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes on Iran and has declared an emergency as it braces for retaliation.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) said a "pre-emptive, precise, combined offensive based on high-quality intelligence" had been launched - called Operation "Rising Lion".
"Dozens of IAF jets completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran," it said in a statement.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was to "roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival" and would last for "as many days as it takes to remove the threat".
Mr Netanyahu said the strikes hit Iran's main nuclear enrichment site, the Natanz atomic facility, and targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists.
The IDF also said three of Iran's most senior military commanders were killed: Hossein Salam, Gholam Ali Rashid and Mohammad Hossein Bagheri.
Nuclear scientist Fereydoun Abbasi and theoretical physicist Dr Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi were also reported to have died by Mehr News.
Iranian state media reported explosions northeast of capital Tehran early on Friday, and said buildings belonging to the armed forces were hit in the Mahalati complex north of the city.
Iran's Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned of "severe punishment" and claimed residential areas had been targeted.
"In the enemy's attacks, a number of commanders and scientists were martyred. Their successors and colleagues will immediately continue their duties," said a statement reported by the Tasnim news agency.
Hours after the Israeli strikes, Iran launched more than 100 drones in retaliation, the IDF said.
A second volley of more than 100 drones were launched shortly after that.
Israelis were woken in the early hours by air raid sirens and a phone alert warning there could be "severe retaliation", said Sky News' Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall.
An IDF statement said authorities are "prepared for a wide range of scenarios in defence and offence that may be needed".
Read more:
What you need to know as Israel launches strikes against Iran
What does it mean for the rest of the world?
Consequences for the region could be massive
Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to strike Iran's nuclear facilities for years 鈥� it's now happening.
A wave of initial strikes across Iran have targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile production and senior Iranian officials including military leaders.
This is not a one-and-done. Israel's campaign could last days, as could the Iranian response. The consequences for the region could be massive.
With another round of US-Iran nuclear talks due to take place in Oman this Sunday, it was expected Israel might wait until then to see the outcome before striking. Instead they've acted with an element of surprise.
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he was still planning to take a short holiday in the north of Israel over the weekend. That now was clearly a deliberate ruse to distract Iran.
Israel believes Iran is politically and militarily as weak as it has been for many years. Its proxies around the region have been severely degraded.
Hezbollah, in Lebanon, was always supposed to be Iran's first line of defence and a deterrence against an Israeli attack 鈥� the group was all but defeated in a war with Israel last year.
Israel's strikes on Iran in October 2024 eliminated much of Iran's air defences, giving the Israeli air forces some freedom of movement in Iran's skies, but Iran has been rebuilding those defences and so Israel's window to operate was closing.
It is first light in Tehran and the damage from initial strikes is starting to emerge. The sun is starting to come up here in Israel where millions have been sheltering in safe rooms and bunkers for hours.
The world will watch in the coming hours as Israel and Iran now teeter on brink of an all out war.
Meanwhile, countries in the Middle East condemned the attack and leaders around the globe called for immediate de-escalation from both sides.
Trump warns Iran 'it will get worse'
Reacting to the strikes on the Truth Social platform, US President Donald Trump said he gave Iran "chance after chance" to make a deal, but they "couldn't get it done".
He wrote: "I told them [Iran] it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come - And they know how to use it.
"Certain Iranian hardliner's spoke bravely, but they didn't know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!"
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said earlier that America was not involved and Israel believed the strikes were necessary for its self defence.
The US didn't choose this moment - and it's well aware of the threat it poses
One word did most of the heavy lifting in Marco Rubio's statement: unilateral.
The US secretary of state was keen to emphasise that strikes on Iran were Israel's decision alone.
President Trump had urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Iran.
The two leaders had what was described as a heated exchange by telephone last Monday.
Hours before the attack, Trump said he feared such action would destroy US hopes of an agreement with Iran.
The Americans and Iranians have been engaged in negotiations about nuclear capability for months.
Netanyahu values his relationship with Trump, but the timing of this action was on Israel's terms.
The White House was informed in advance - officials watching strikes in real time in the situation room.
Afterwards, Marco Rubio sent a clear warning: "Iran should not target US interests or personnel."
Washington has restricted staff movements in Israel and begun evacuating some from Iraq.
America didn't choose this moment, but knows the threat this escalation poses for US staff in the region.
The attack comes amid fears over Iran's nuclear programme, with a warning this week the country is breaking its obligations for the first time in 20 years.
Israel and the US have long feared Iran is plotting to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has repeatedly denied this and insists its programme is for civilian purposes.
Mr Netanyahu's video statement on Friday claimed Iran had in recent years developed enough highly enriched uranium for "nine atom bombs".
"In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before - steps to weaponize this enriched uranium," the prime minister said.
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Mr Netanyahu added: "If not stopped, it could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year, it could be a few months.
"This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival."
US and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran's escalating uranium enrichment programme in Oman on Sunday.