Iran responded to the Israeli strikes with retaliatory missile and drone attacks, killing at least three people and injuring dozens after a series of Israeli raids on key sites of Tehran's nuclear program and military forces.
Officials said Israel used jets and imported drones to attack high-value targets and kill senior generals and scientists.
According to Iran's ambassador to the UN, the attacks killed 78 people and injured more than 320.
Israel says the strike was necessary to prevent Iran from moving closer to developing nuclear weapons, although experts and the U.S. government have said Tehran is not actively working toward that goal.
Iran responded by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel, and explosions lit up the night sky over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, shaking buildings below.
The Israeli military has called on citizens who have already endured 20 months of war, which began with a Hamas attack in October 2023, to take shelter for a few hours.
The Israeli strikes have cast doubt on future US-Iran nuclear deal talks scheduled for Sunday in Oman.
“The US has made the negotiations meaningless,” said Iranian Foreign Minister spokesman Esmail Baghaei, adding that Israel had crossed all of Iran's red lines by committing a “criminal act.”
However, he made no mention of cancelling the talks. Iran's judicially controlled Mizan news agency quoted him as saying: “It is not yet clear what decision we will make regarding Sunday's meetings.”
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recorded statement on Friday: “We will not allow them to escape responsibility for this grave crime.”
Iran began launching waves of missiles toward Israel on Friday evening. Iranian citizens woke up Saturday to state television showing repeated images of attacks on Israel. The Israeli military said more drones were intercepted near the Dead Sea on Saturday morning.
A Tel Aviv hospital treated seven people injured in the second Iranian attack. All but one suffered minor injuries. The Israel Fire and Rescue Service said they were wounded when a shell hit a building in the city. A Beilinson Hospital spokesman said one woman had died.
Hours later, an Iranian missile struck near homes in the central Israeli city of Rishon Leh.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
