Israel Strikes Iran Nuclear Sites Killing 78, Iran Retaliates

Israel’s defense minister issued a stern warning to Iran on Saturday, stating that “Tehran will burn” if Iran continues its missile attacks. This escalation comes after Israel launched a surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites, resulting in the deaths of several top Iranian generals and nine senior scientists involved in Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s U.N. ambassador reported that 78 people were killed and more than 320 were wounded in the strikes.

In retaliation, Iran launched waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel, causing explosions that lit up the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Israeli military urged civilians to seek shelter for hours, as the region has already been rattled by 20 months of war in Gaza. Health officials reported that three people were killed and dozens were wounded in the Iranian attacks.

Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that Iran would face severe consequences for harming Israeli citizens. “If (Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front — Tehran will burn,” Katz stated. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated that his objective was to eliminate any Iranian threat to Israel and urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders, suggesting that Israel would welcome the overthrow of the Iranian government.

The ongoing conflict has raised doubts about the future of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran, which were scheduled to take place in Oman on Sunday. Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, described the talks as “unjustifiable” after the Israeli strikes, signaling that negotiations might not proceed as planned. Araghchi also accused the U.S. of supporting the Israeli strikes, a claim the U.S. has denied. President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal on its nuclear program, warning that Israel’s attacks “will only get worse.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signaled that Iran was prepared to continue its retaliatory attacks on Israel, stating, “We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.” Iranian state television aired repeated clips of strikes on Israel, as well as videos of people cheering and handing out sweets in celebration. The Iranian attacks killed at least three people and wounded around 70, mostly in and around Tel Aviv. One missile severely damaged at least four homes in the nearby city of Rishon Lezion.

The Israeli military reported that seven soldiers were lightly wounded when a missile hit central Israel. U.S. ground-based air defense systems in the region were assisting in shooting down Iranian missiles. In Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, an Associated Press journalist observed burned-out cars and at least three damaged houses. Residents of a central Israeli city that was hit on Friday night described the explosion as so powerful that it shook their shelter door open. Israeli police reported that debris from the interception of drones and missiles fell in dozens of locations in northern Israel, causing damage and fires but no injuries. Israel’s main international airport remained closed until further notice.

Indications of a new Israeli attack emerged as Iranian state television reported online that air defenses were firing in the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah, and Tabriz. Footage from Tabriz showed black smoke rising from the city. An Israeli military official stated that the military was prepared to carry out more strikes in Iran, saying, “This is not over.” Israel’s army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin, reported that Israel attacked more than 150 targets across Iran, including 40 in Tehran, where dozens of fighter jets “operated freely” for more than two hours. This was the deepest point Israel’s air force had operated, targeting Iran’s air defenses.

Overnight, the sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran. Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport. The ongoing airstrikes and Iran’s retaliation raised concerns about all-out war between the countries, further destabilizing the region already on edge due to Israel’s war with Gaza. At least 27 people were killed by Israeli fire in Gaza overnight, according to local hospitals. Countries in the region condemned Israel’s attack, while leaders around the globe called for immediate deescalation from both sides.

Among the key sites Israel attacked was Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, where black smoke could be seen rising into the air. Satellite photos analyzed by AP show extensive damage at the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. The images shot Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings either damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility. Israel also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan and destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Iran confirmed the strike at Isfahan.

An Israeli military official stated that according to the army’s initial assessment, “it will take much more than a few weeks” for Iran to repair the damage to the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. The official said the army had “concrete intelligence that production in Isfahan was for military purposes.” Israel denied it had struck the nuclear enrichment facility in Fordo, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Tehran, after an Iranian news outlet close to the government reported the sound of explosions near the site. U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged the infrastructure there.

Netanyahu revealed that the attack had been months in the making and was planned for April before being postponed. Among those killed were three of Iran’s top military leaders: Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, who oversaw the entire armed forces; Gen. Hossein Salami; and the head of the Guard’s aerospace division, which oversees its arsenal of ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Two of Bagheri’s deputies were also killed, and on Saturday, Khamenei named a new leader for the Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division: Gen. Majid Mousavi.