Explosions rocked Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Friday night as air raid sirens blared across Israel, following what Israeli military officials said was a missile barrage launched from Iran.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that hundreds of ballistic missiles had been fired in retaliation for Israel’s largest-ever strike on Iranian soil — a series of attacks that reportedly targeted the underground nuclear complex at Natanz and killed several top military commanders.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has carried out its decisive and precise response against multiple targets — military centres and airbases — of the usurping Zionist regime in the occupied territories,” the IRGC said in a statement released via state media.
Israel’s military contradicted the Iranian account, saying fewer than 100 missiles were launched, most of which were intercepted or failed to reach their targets. “A limited number of buildings were affected, some damaged by shrapnel during interception operations,” said Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson.
In the early hours of Saturday, a second wave of sirens and blasts echoed over Jerusalem, likely from further interceptions. The US military assisted in shooting down incoming Iranian missiles, according to two American officials. One of them, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the interceptions so far had been carried out using ground-based systems, without involving aircraft or naval forces.
Emergency services reported 34 injuries in the Tel Aviv area, including a woman critically wounded after being trapped under rubble. Several buildings were hit, including an apartment block in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv and another in central Tel Aviv, which suffered major structural damage.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of initiating the conflict. “They started this and initiated the war. It is not over,” he said in a pre-recorded address broadcast on state television. “We won’t allow them to escape unscathed from this great crime.”
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of initiating the conflict. “They started this and initiated the war. It is not over,” he said in a pre-recorded address broadcast on state television. “We won’t allow them to escape unscathed from this great crime.”
Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said Israeli strikes had killed 78 people, including senior military officials, and wounded more than 320 others — the majority civilians. He blamed the US for enabling the attacks and said it bore full responsibility for the consequences.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking in a video address, framed the operation as part of a broader campaign for freedom within Iran. “We are in the midst of one of the greatest military operations in history — Operation Rising Lion,” he said. “The regime does not know what hit them — or what will hit them.”
He called on the Iranian people to stand up to what he called an “evil and oppressive regime”, urging them to reclaim their freedom and legacy. “This is your opportunity to let your voices be heard,” Netanyahu said.
The regional response was swift, with several Middle Eastern countries condemning Israel’s strikes. World leaders called for immediate de-escalation on both sides.
US President Donald Trump urged Iran to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme. He described the situation as a “second chance” for Iranian leaders to avert further destruction and “save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.”
Trump claimed the US had not been involved in the Israeli strikes, but highlighted that Israel had used American-supplied weaponry to hit key targets, including the Natanz enrichment facility, Iran’s missile programme, and several top nuclear scientists.
On social media, Trump warned Iran’s leadership: “The United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the world —by far — and Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern in phone calls with both Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to the Kremlin, Putin condemned the Israeli attacks and reiterated that diplomatic efforts were the only viable path to resolving tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier denounced the situation as a “sharp escalation.”
The UN Security Council held an emergency session on Friday at Iran’s request. In a letter, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the Israeli attacks as “state terrorism” and asserted Iran’s right to self-defence under international law.
