WEBDESK: Israel launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites early Friday, saying the attack marked the beginning of a longer campaign aimed at stopping Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
According to Iranian media and eyewitnesses, explosions were heard in several locations, including near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. Meanwhile, Israel declared a state of emergency, bracing for a possible wave of retaliatory drone and missile strikes from Iran.
Iranian state TV reported that the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, had been killed and that the group’s main office in Tehran had been hit. The report also said several children died in a strike on a residential area of the capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the assault as a turning point.
“We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history,” Netanyahu said in a recorded video statement.
“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 top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused Israel of committing a serious crime.
“Israel had unleashed its wicked and bloody hand in a crime against Iran,” Khamenei said in a statement. He warned that the country would face “a bitter fate for itself” after Israel launched strikes.
A high Iranian security official told the media that Tehran is waiting to strike back very severely.
“The response to the Israeli attack will be harsh and decisive,” the source said, noting that discussions were ongoing among Iran’s top leadership on how and when to respond.
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