ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel has launched a “preemptive strike” on Iran and has declared a state of emergency, its defense minister said early Friday, after a series of warnings by US President Donald Trump that Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear sites.
“Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strikes against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
In a statement, the Israeli military said that it launched a “preemptive, precise, combined offensive to strike Iran’s nuclear program.”
The attack “included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran,” the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) statement added, while Iranian state TV reported that the Natanz nuclear research center near Isfahan was struck.
IRGC chief Hossein Salami and a number of Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists were assassinated during the Israeli attacks, state media confirmed.
The casualties include Fereydoun Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, President of the Islamic Azad University Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and commander of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters Gholam Ali Rashid.
Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, was also killed in the Israeli strikes, IRGC-affiliated Fars news reported.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened “severe punishment,” saying in a statement that Israel should brace itself for a “bitter and painful fate” following its attacks on Iran.
Iran vowed a "strong response" to the attacks, with spokesperson of the armed forces Abolfazl Shekarchi saying Israel "will pay a heavy price and should await a strong response from the Iranian armed forces."
On Thursday, Trump warned that a possible Israeli strike against Iran is “something that could very well happen,” stressing that Washington would not participate in any strikes.
A series of “loud explosions” were held in Tehran and other cities such as Kermanshah and Hamadan, media affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported, and state TV said that flights at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport were suspended.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the Israeli strikes against Iran, reiterating that Washington was not involved in the strikes.
“Today, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in any strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,” Rubio said in a statement, adding that Washington has taken necessary precautions to protect its personnel in the region.
“Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests of personnel,” Rubio stressed.
The IDF dubbed the operation “Rising Lion.”
"This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement.
The strike was the culmination of numerous reports of a potential Israeli attack on Iran and came after the US State Department said it was reducing its diplomatic missions in Iraq and several Middle Eastern countries.
Following the attacks, CNN reported that Trump was holding a meeting of his cabinet.
Sabreen News, affiliated with Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups, reported explosions in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Iraq also closed its airspace following the attacks, according to state media.