— Mayhem as 86 killed, 341 injured in Israeli strikes on Iran
— Top three Iranian military officials killed in Israeli attacks; 6 nuclear scientists dead, dozens injured
TEL AVIV: Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as sirens sounded on Friday night across Israel following what the country’s military spokesman said was the firing of missiles from Iran.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA said hundreds of ballistic missiles had been launched as part of “Operation True Promise 3”, in retaliation for Israel’s biggest ever attacks on Iran, blasting Iran’s huge underground nuclear site at Natanz and wiping out its top military commanders.
Iranian state media said the country’s forces downed two Israeli fighter jets and detained one pilot. “At least two Israeli fighter jets were shot down in Iranian skies,” the official IRNA news agency reported, without elaborating.
At least 15 people have been wounded in central Israel, including one with moderate injuries, Al Jazeera reported, citing Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Iranian media declared that Tehran’s response to Israel had “officially begun,” marking a sharp escalation in regional tensions.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they carried out attacks against dozens of targets in Israel in retaliation for the latter’s biggest attacks ever against Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected calls on Tehran to show restraint following Israel’s large-scale deadly attack on the Islamic republic.
Araghchi “rejected calls for Iran to show restraint in the face of Israeli aggression” in call with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, according to an Iranian foreign ministry statement.
Iranaian senior official told Reuters that nowhere in Israel will be safe, adding that the country’s revenge will be painful.
Fire burns in a building at an impact site following a missile attack from Iran on Israel, at Tel Aviv, Israel, June 13, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Air raid sirens blared across Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early Friday as Israel’s military confirmed the launch of multiple missiles from Iran. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) instructed civilians to seek shelter immediately and remain there until further notice.
Loud explosions were heard over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with AFP and Reuters correspondents reporting booms consistent with missile interceptions. Iran’s state media confirmed that hundreds of ballistic missiles had been launched in response to recent Israeli strikes.
An Israeli military spokesperson said the country was actively intercepting the incoming threats and emphasized that Israel could defend itself without foreign assistance.
A televised briefing by the spokesperson was abruptly cut short, reportedly due to an incoming missile targeting central Israel.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that the country’s armed forces would respond “with all might” to Israeli attacks that killed several senior commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians across multiple Iranian cities.
Mayhem as 86 killed, 341 injured in Israeli strikes on Iran
At least 86 people were killed and 341 others injured in large-scale Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iranian soil on Friday, according to Fars news agency.
In the capital Tehran, 78 people lost their lives, and 329 others sustained injuries.
Separately, at least eight people were killed and 12 others injured in Israeli strikes that targeted Tabriz in northwest Iran.
Israel launched a large-scale attack early Friday, deploying around 200 aircraft to target Iran’s nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities. Several senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists were killed in the strikes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the “targeted” military operation will continue as long as necessary.
Iran has vowed “severe punishment,” and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social he had given Iran “chance after chance to make a deal” and urged it to make one now “before it is too late.”
The escalation casts doubt over the future of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, which were being mediated by Oman. The sixth round of indirect talks, scheduled for Sunday, is now likely to be canceled, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Six Iranian nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strikes
Six nuclear scientists in Iran were killed in Israel’s attack on Friday. The semi-official Tasnim news agency identified the victims as Abdulhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Seyyed Amirhossein Faqhi, Motablizadeh, Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi.
Abdulhamid Minouchehr
He held a crucial, albeit lower-profile, position in Iran’s nuclear sector, where he oversaw enrichment logistics and operations at a key facility. His death in the strikes has been confirmed by Iranian media.
Ahmadreza Zolfaghari
He was acknowledged by Iranian sources as a nuclear physicist who contributed to uranium processing. He was regarded as an essential member of the technical team responsible for sustaining nuclear fuel enrichment efforts.
Seyyed Amirhossein Faqhi
He worked on sensitive nuclear projects, including centrifuge calibration and enrichment enhancement under classified directives. While details about his official affiliations remain unclear, his efforts were central to improving Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities.
Motablizadeh
He was identified solely by surname, was a nuclear specialist likely engaged in lab research or quality assurance within Iran’s enrichment programme. Local sources listed him among those killed in the recent attacks.
Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi
He was a physicist and president of Islamic Azad University, played a key role in promoting scientific research and nuclear education in Iran. His contributions aligned with the country’s strategic tech ambitions, and he was committed to advancing Iran’s self-reliance in science.
Fereydoun Abbasi
He previously led the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and was instrumental in shaping the country’s nuclear programme over the past 20 years. A survivor of a 2010 assassination attempt, he was sanctioned by the United Nations due to alleged involvement in secret nuclear weapons activity. Abbasi was a vocal advocate for Iran’s nuclear ambitions, describing them as peaceful and vital to national interests.
Tasnim condemned the attack, stating that Israel’s actions demonstrated its objective to undermine Iran’s scientific and technological progress.
The agency accused Israel of waging a covert war against Iranian scientists through acts of terror.
In the early morning, Israel attacked Iran, targeting the country’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and military personnel on Friday at the start of what it said was a prolonged military engagement carried out under the pretext of preventing Tehran from building an atomic weapon.
Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions, including at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, while Israel declared a state of emergency in anticipation of any retaliation.
Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami was assassinated in the attack, IRNA reported.
The unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been hit. Several children had been killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital, said state media.
“We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video message.
“Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement that Israel had “unleashed its wicked and bloody” hand in a crime against Iran and that it would receive “a bitter fate for itself”.
An Israeli military official said Israel was striking “dozens” of nuclear and military targets, including the facility at Natanz in central Iran. The official said Iran had enough material to make 15 nuclear bombs within days.
Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israel’s air defence units stood at high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran.
