Iran has launched a strong counterattack on Israel and has fired over 100 drones as they had launched an attack early morning on Friday, which targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders.
Israel attack also killed several nuclear scientists, according to media reports.
Iranian state media reported that at least two nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, were killed in Israeli strikes in Tehran.
Iranian state television reported that Hossein Salami, the chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards corps, had been killed and the unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been hit.
Several children had been killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital, it said.
According to Iran’s state-run news agency IRAN, several high-profile Iranian military and civilian figures were assassinated in the Israeli airstrikes, including:
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri
Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami
Commander of Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters, Major General Gholamali Rashid
Israel has launched a strike on Iran, triggering explosions in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Kermanshah, and Khorramabad, as the country’s air defence systems respond.
Loud explosions were heard in Tehran, particularly in the northeastern parts of the capital, following Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.
Similar blasts were reported from Kermanshah and Khorramabad, where Iranian defence systems were reportedly intercepting incoming Israeli missiles.
Iranian Defence Minister stated that the country’s air defence systems were on full alert and promised a strong response to the attacks from Tel Aviv.
“All flights from Imam Khomeini International Airport were suspended as a precaution, and Iraq has reportedly closed its airspace in response to escalating tensions.”
Several children had been killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital, it said.
“We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video message.
“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.”
According to Israeli media, the strikes targeted senior Iranian military leadership, including an alleged attempt on the Iranian Army Chief of Staff.
The reports claim that several senior Iranian nuclear officials have been killed in the attack. Civilian casualties have also been reported, including children.
In Washington, President Donald Trump convened a cabinet meeting following the developments. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Israel had acted unilaterally against Iran, and emphasized that the United States was not involved in the attack.
He reaffirmed that the safety of American troops in the region remains the top priority.
Rubio also warned Iran against targeting American personnel or interests, while Israeli officials maintained that the strikes were carried out in self-defence.
Airlines cleared out of the airspace over Israel, Iran and Iraq early on Friday after Israel launched attacks on targets in Iran, Flightradar24 data showed, with carriers scrambling to divert and cancel flights to keep passengers and crew safe.
Proliferating conflict zones around the world are becoming an increasing burden on airline operations and profitability, and more of a safety concern.
Six commercial aircraft have been shot down unintentionally and three nearly missed since 2001, according to aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions.
Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israel’s air defence units stood at high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran.
Iraq early on Friday closed its airspace and suspended all traffic at its airports, Iraqi state media reported.
Eastern Iraq near the border with Iran contains one of the world’s busiest air corridors, with dozens of flights crossing between Europe and the Gulf, many on routes from Asia to Europe, at any one moment.
Flights steadily diverted over Central Asia or Saudi Arabia, flight tracking data showed.“The situation is still emerging - operators should use a high degree of caution in the region at this time,” according to Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that shares flight risk information.
Several flights due to land in Dubai were diverted early on Friday. An Emirates flight from Manchester to Dubai was diverted to Istanbul and a flydubai flight from Belgrade diverted to Yerevan, Armenia.
