Live updates: Iran launches new wave of retaliatory strikes into Israel

Iran does not appear to have immediately launched significant retaliatory cyberattacks. Google and Israeli cybersecurity company Check Point, both of which monitor Iranian cyberattacks, said today that they had not seen significant activity in response to Israel’s strikes. 

Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is generally considered to have some of the world’s most aggressive cyber capabilities, and the U.S. and Israel have long accused them of cyberattacks and espionage. However, cyber operations often require long-term planning and can have a limited ability to affect real-time kinetic warfare.

“Iran has the ability to carry out cyber espionage and disruptive cyberattack as well as information operations like hack and leak campaigns,” John Hultquist, the chief analyst at Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, said in an emailed statement.

“Many of these activities have met with limited success,” he said. “The goal of many of these operations is psychological rather than practical, and it is important not to overestimate their impact.”

Israel’s air defense systems have the capability to intercept incoming ordnance in mid-range, but when they are seen being intercepted over Israeli cities the missiles are in the terminal — and most dangerous — stage, said retired Army Col. Jack Jacobs, an NBC News military analyst.

“And that’s the time that the Iron Dome and its capabilities are really tested, and that’s why often if they get through and are at the terminal stage, it’s more difficult to get them because there’s not much time left,” he said.

“There are quite a few of them, and the Iranians try and overwhelm the capability to be intercepted, and that’s why you see some of them get through,” Jacobs said, as the IDF announced a new wave of missiles was headed toward Israel.

Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., Ali Bahreyni, today condemned Israel’s “barbaric and criminal attacks” and said "peaceful nuclear sites,” civilian infrastructure and residential areas were targeted.

So far 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed in the strikes in Iran, and more than 320 injured, Bahreyni said.

The ambassador said the Natanz nuclear facility that was attacked is “a safeguarded site under the full monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency.”

“We strongly and unequivocally condemn the barbaric and criminal attacks, a series of targeting assassinations against senior military officials, nuclear scientists and innocent civilians,” Bahreyni said.

The Israel Defense Forces said it has identified a new barrage of missiles launched from Iran to Israel and told people to take shelter.

"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat," the IDF said.

"The public is instructed to enter a protected space and remain there until further notice," it said. "Leaving the protected space is only permitted following an explicit directive. Continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command."

Tehran's air defenses are being deployed, as drones, missiles and fighter jets can be heard across several parts of the city, according to NBC News crew in the city.

Iranian state media is reporting that the air defenses in the capital were activated early Saturday local time to intercept Israeli strikes.

Israel's attack on Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility completely destroyed its above-ground fuel enrichment plant where uranium was being produced, the International Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA) said.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi spoke about the impacts of the attack on Iran's nuclear facility at the U.N. Security Council meeting today. Grossi said that only above-ground areas were impacted by the airstrikes, not below-ground facilities.

"There is no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hole containing part of the pilot fuel enrichment plant and the main fuel enrichment plant," he said. "However, the loss of power to the cascade may have damaged the centrifuges there."

Grossi also said that radioactivity levels outside the facility remain unchanged, which indicates that there is no external impact to the population or environment.

Fifteen injured civilians are being treated at Tel Aviv’s Sheba Hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson, one of whom arrived in "extremely critical condition." The others suffered various injuries and are in light to moderate condition.

Another woman was admitted to Beilinson Hospital Trauma Room in critical condition where "doctors are fighting for her life," a hospital spokesperson said. A total of seven people have arrived at Beilinson so far with injuries.

Less than 100 missiles were fired from Iran to Israel in the last hour, according to the IDF.

The ground-to-ground missiles, launched in two barrages, were mostly intercepted by the air defense systems, and there was "a limited number of hits on structures," IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a slew of posts on X denouncing Israel and the "violation" of Iran's airspace.

"The Zionist regime has made a big mistake, a grave error, and committed a reckless act," Khamenei wrote in one of the posts. "By God’s grace, the consequences of this will bring that regime to ruin."

Khamenei said Iran's armed forces are ready to deal "heavy blows" to the Zionist regime, showing "no mercy" and strength in their response.

He also extended both “congratulations and condolences” to the nation and the families of commanders, scientists and a number of civilians who suffered losses.

The U.S. is assisting in shooting down Iranian missiles and projectiles targeting Israel, according to three U.S. officials.

The Pentagon moved a number of military assets into the region in recent days, including Navy destroyers to be positioned off the Israeli coast to help shoot down missiles and other aerial attacks expected after the Israelis launched their initial attack, according to another U.S. official.

President Trump and Israeli President Netanyahu spoke today, according to another U.S. official.

A fifth U.S. official noted that there are hundreds of thousands of Americans living in Israel, in addition to U.S. military assets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people in a statement today, saying his fight is not against them, but against the Islamic regime.

Netanyahu warned Iranians that "more is on the way" in terms of airstrikes, and urged the public to revolt against their government, which he called oppressive.

"The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker," he said. "This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard."

The prime minister also repeated a slogan often heard from those protesting Iran's regime: "Woman, Life, Freedom. Zan, Zendegi, Azadi."

Five people are receiving treatment in the Dan region of Israel following Iran's retaliatory attack on the country. The Dan region includes the city of Tel Aviv.

Four were lightly injured by shrapnel and one person is in "moderate condition," according to Magen David Adom, Israel's Red Cross, which did provide information on the injuries of the moderately injured individual.

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Iran that it had "crossed red lines" with its strikes on civilian centers.

"Iran crossed red lines when it dared to fire missiles at civilian population centers in Israel," Katz said in a statement. "We will continue to protect the citizens of Israel and ensure that the ayatollah regime pays a very heavy price for its criminal actions."

NBC News’ Matt Bradley reports from an Israeli hospital, where patients are being moved underground in preparation for retaliation from Tehran following Israeli strikes on Iran.

Video shown on the i24 News network captured multiple missiles falling through the night sky over Israel.

A building appears to have been struck, with some flames seen. Some cars appear to be damaged from fallen debris and emergency response vehicles are gathered in the streets, creating a sea of flashing lights.

Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel is ongoing, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

"Dozens of additional missiles were launched toward Israel," the IDF said.

Minutes ago, Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency said it launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel.

Iran launched "hundreds of ballistic missiles" toward Israel just moments ago, according to Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency.

The outlet said "the hard retaliation has begun."

Iran has launched missiles into Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

"Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat," the IDF said in a statement. "The public is instructed to enter a protected space and remain there until further notice."

Very intense explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv after the IDF's announcement. Explosions could also be heard in Ramle in Israel's central district.

Israeli army spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said that Israel has struck over 200 targets in Iran, including the two nuclear sites at Natanz and Isfahan.

Israel continues to carry out strikes, Defrin said. The military spokesperson said the objective of today’s operation was to strike Iran’s nuclear program and degrade Iran’s long-range missile capabilities. 

He also said Israel was aware of what he called Iran’s intention to launch missiles and drones towards Israel. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., one of the highest-ranking Jewish officials in the U.S., reacted for the first time to Israel's strikes on Iran in a statement this afternoon, saying that America's commitment to Israel's security "must be ironclad."

Schumer, who said he's been briefed on the events in the Middle East, didn't enthusiastically voice support for Israel's actions but he also didn't voice opposition to the strikes on Iran.

“The Iranian regime’s stated policy has long been to destroy Israel and Jewish communities around the world. I have long said that Israel has a right to defend itself and that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," he said. "Ensuring they never obtain one must remain a top national security priority."

Russian President Vladimir Putin had conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone, according to the Kremlin.

Putin spoke to the world leaders after Israel's attack on Iran, which the Kremlin called a "dangerous escalation." The Russian president condemned Israel's attack, which he said violates the U.N. Charter and international law.

"The Russian side has fully supported efforts to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear program peacefully, and has put forward specific initiatives aimed at finding mutually acceptable agreements," the Kremlin said in a statement. "Russia will continue to contribute to the de-escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel."

Putin also encouraged Netanyahu to return to the negotiation process and "resolving all issues related to the Iranian nuclear program exclusively through political and diplomatic means," according to the Kremlin.

The Israel Defense Forces' Home Front Command has instructed residents across the country to remain close to protected spaces.

The IDF advised people in Israel to minimize movement in public areas and avoid public gatherings.

Israel expects some sort of retaliation from Iran. About an hour ago, the IDF posted on X that sirens were sounding in Jerusalem following projectile fire from Yemen, which is home to the Houthis, an Iranian-backed group.

Air defense systems have now been activated in central Tehran, according to local state media, Mehr News.

Attacks are also in progress in Karaj and Isfahan, according to the outlet.

The U.S. virtual Tehran embassy warned Americans not to travel to Iran for any reason and should leave the country if they are currently there.

"As of Friday, June 13, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization closed the country’s airspace until further notice. U.S. citizens seeking to depart Iran should confirm travel plans with their airlines," the embassy warned.

The Israel Defense Forces said the country's air force is attacking missile launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran.

The IDF shared video on X of what it says are the interception of the UAVs by missile boats from Iran.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told reporters today that Trump is “firmly against any kind of United States involvement" in the Middle East and predicted that the U.S. won't be drawn into any wider war in the region.

"It’s one thing to support our ally, which we’re doing, and we should do, unequivocally. It’s one thing to provide them with arms for their own self-defense, which we have done and should do," he said during a press call about Israel.

"But I can’t imagine a world in which we would send United States troops, in which we would be involved in any kinetic activity as the defense people like to say, there in the region, unless it’s just defending our own installations," he continued.

Hawley, who opposes U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts, added that he thinks Trump is ready, our military around the world is ready to defend our people and defend our military bases, installations, our embassies. But I can’t imagine that we would be in any way involved in any actual further back and forth.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned citizens not to be "euphoric" following the country's attack on Iran.

"We need modesty and responsibility," he said in remarks made today. "Modesty because this struggle is not over yet. Responsibility is simply to listen to instructions and be on the side of the secure spaces."

Netanyahu said that a counterstrike will come, adding that Israel's attack on Iran was "a very successful opening strike," that "hit a significant part of the Iranian general staff," as well as nuclear scientists who led the country's nuclear program.

"It obviously created a state of chaos in Iran, but we have to assume that there will be an attack against us, it could be in waves," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that President Donald Trump's administration knew about their planned attack on Iran ahead of time.

"We informed them in advance, they knew about the attack," Netanyahu said during remarks today. "What will they do now? I leave that to President Trump."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to speak about Israel’s wave of strikes on Iran with President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer later today, his office said in a statement.

The office added that the Israeli leader had already held talks with his counterparts in Germany, India, and France.

“The leaders showed understanding toward Israel’s need to defend itself against the Iranian annihilation threat,” the office said.

Video aired on Iranian state media appears to show explosions at the Natanz nuclear facility as Israel launches a series of strikes across the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel targeted the site, which is Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility, in a “preemptive strike.”

Loud explosions are currently being heard in north Tehran, and local news is reporting more attacks in Qom.

President Donald Trump said he knew about Israel's attack on Iran ahead of time, Reuters reported.

"We knew everything," Trump said, according to the outlet.

"I tried to save Iran humiliation and death," he said.

Iranian state TV announced Friday Iran would not participate in the sixth round of nuclear negotiations with the U.S. which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 15, 2025 in Muscat, Oman. Omanian state TV also reported that the talks were suspended until further notice.

But a U.S. official said Friday morning, “we are still hoping for talks.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has appointed a new commander-in-chief, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

The IRGC did not share the identity of the new commander-in-chief replacing Hossein Salami, who was killed in today's strikes. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, Iran's top military official, was also killed in the airstrikes.

The IRGC issued a warning, saying "the gates of hell will soon open" on Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces began deploying reservists from its different units "to all combat arenas throughout the country," it said in a statement.

The move was done in preparation for a possible retaliation from Iran after Israel launched airstrikes on the country earlier today.

Congressional Democrats are split in their responses to Israel's overnight strikes on Iran, with some members conveying staunch support with others warning it's a dangerous escalation that risks drawing the U.S. into a wider war.

A number of pro-Israel Democrats are backing the close U.S. ally, including Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has become one of the most outspoken members of his caucus in defense of Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and subsequent war on Gaza.

"Our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack," Fetterman wrote on X. "Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran."

Iran's Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran will be closed until tomorrow at 2 p.m. local time, according to Iranian state media, SNN News.

All flights traveling into and out of the airport have been suspended until that time.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who became the U.S. charge d’affaires after Israel's attack on Iran today, called it "a flagrant violation of international law."

Al-Sudani said that Israel's airstrikes on Iran threaten both regional and international security, adding that the timing of the attack "reveals a deliberate intent to escalate and drag the region into a wider confrontation."

The prime minister also emphasized his rejection of the use of Iraqi territory or airspace "to carry out or facilitate any hostile acts against any neighboring country," underlining that the country has a right to protect its sovereignty.

Al-Sudani urged the United Nations Security Council "to take responsible and direct steps to reaffirm the prohibition on the use of force and work to prevent the region from sliding into a cycle of uncontrolled violence."

In a phone call with NBC News this morning, Trump was asked if he thinks negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program can proceed.

“They missed the opportunity to make a deal. Now, they may have another opportunity. We’ll see," he said.

Asked why he thinks Iran would want to make a deal now, after the Israeli strikes, Trump indicated that Iranians are reaching out to him to suggest as much.

"They're calling me to speak," said Trump, when asked to identify who was calling, he said, “The same people we worked with the last time ... Many of them are dead now.”

Trump seemed pleased with how Israel conducted the strikes, saying, “They had the finest equipment in the world, which is American equipment.” 

Iran will respond to Israel’s early morning attack in “a decisive, proportional, and deterrent way at the right time and place,” the country’s Mission to the United Nations said in a statement today.

“Defending our land, our people, and our national security is a clear and non negotiable right,” the statement said, adding that Israel “will pay a heavy price for this attack and its miscalculation.”

Israel’s airstrikes on the country were seen “as a declaration of war” against it, that statement said, adding that the U.N. Security Council and Secretary General António Guterres should “condemn this aggression” and “take immediate, strong, and binding action to hold” Israel accountable.

Professors and their family members were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran along with top military leaders, officials have said and Iranian state media have reported today.

Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the country's top military official was among those killed, along with the commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp, Hossein Salami, state media said. Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, another top official with the IRGC was also reportedly killed.

At least five professors from Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University were killed along with some of their family members, the instituion said in a statement.

Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi, a nuclear scientist and president of the Islamic Azad University, was among those killed along with nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi. Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, Abdolhamid Minoucher and Seyed Amir Hossein Faghihi, the statement said. It did not name their relatives.

The United Nations Security Council will meet later today after a request for an emergency session from Iran, diplomats told Reuters.

Earlier, a spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the country had requested an emergency session after Israel struck its nuclear sites and killed top military officers and scientists.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., voiced support this morning for Israel's actions to target Iran, its nuclear program and top officials.

"Israel decided it needed to take action to defend itself. They were clearly within their right to do so," he said in a post on X. "Iran will face grave consequences if it responds by unjustifiably targeting U.S. interests."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., response on X was slightly more neutral, expressing that he wants the U.S. to work with Israel and its allies to "restore peace in the region."

"Iran must never gain access to a nuclear weapon," Thune said. "Today, Israel has determined that it must take decisive action to defend the Israeli people. The United States Senate stands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas. Iran should heavily consider the consequences before considering any action against Americans in the region."

This was really two kinds of attacks in one. There was a series of attacks on nuclear sites, but then there were also attacks on generals and senior leaders in the Iranian regime.  

The Iranians have been concerned for some time that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu would spoil ongoing negotiations with the United States to create a preliminary agreement about uranium enrichment.  

On my two recent visits to Iran, I could tell both the Iranian people and the regime had not interest in conflict. Lots of people, civilians and officials, told me this many times.  

But it was certainly something they felt was coming, because Netanyahu has been pushing for some time to expand his war in Gaza and bring it to Tehran.  

Iran can still agree to a nuclear deal with the United States, President Donald Trump said.

"Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to 'make a deal.' They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

The U.S. had been publicly urging Israel to hold off on an attack as the Trump administration negotiated with Iran, and said it was not involved and was not providing assistance for today's strikes.

The price of U.S. crude oil is soaring around 8% this morning on the news that Israel is conducting strikes in Iran. Overnight oil prices rose as much as 13%.  

Iran is one of the world’s top oil producing nations and exports nearly 2 million barrels of oil per day. Its close neighbors, notably the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq also rank among the world’s top 10 oil producing countries.

Any disruption to that flow of oil could ripple throughout the global market. Analysts at ING also warn that “a more severe scenario is if escalation leads to a disruption in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This could impact oil flows from the Persian Gulf. Almost a third of global seaborne oil trade moves through this chokepoint.” 

The International Energy Agency said it was monitoring the impact from the conflict but noted “markets are well supplied today.” 

Amid the tension, S&P 500 futures traded lower by around 1% and Nasdaq futures tumbled 1.2%. Dow futures fell 450 points. 

Crowds gathered in Tehran's Revolution Square today to protest against Israeli strikes on critical nuclear and military sites across the country.

Chanting slogans and waving their hands, some held banners and national flags, while others waved Palestinian flags.

Israel felt like it had to act now because it was concerned about Iran dispersing its centrifuge, enrichment capability and its bomb making capability, Jeremy Bash, NBC News analyst and former chief of staff at the Pentagon and the CIA, told TODAY this morning.

It is unclear how successful the attacks were, Bash said, adding that Iran has responded to similar attacks in the past by firing missiles and drones at Israel.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group has issued a statement condemning Israel’s attack on Iran, which it said represented “a dangerous escalation” that was “backed by full American support and sponsorship.”

Israel's strikes undermined all past efforts to maintain stability and security in the region, the statement said. “The Israeli enemy has crossed all red lines, mistakenly believing it can alter the equations,” the statement added.

Earlier, a Hezbollah official told Reuters that the group would not initiate its own retaliatory attack on Israel in response to the strikes on Iran.

Iran’s president has vowed a “powerful response” to Israel’s strikes that he said would “make the enemy regret its foolish actions.”

“The Iranian nation and the country’s officials will not remain silent in the face of this crime,” Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised statement, adding that Iran’s response would be “lawful.”

He also called on the Iranian public to “avoid paying attention” to rumors, without expanding further. “They should stand united, support their officials, and trust in the leadership,” he said.

Israel was left with “no choice” but to act against the Iranian regime after it continued to develop its nuclear weapons program, a spokesperson for the country’s military said today.

Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told a news conference that the Israeli Air Force had intercepted more than 100 drones launched by Iran on Israeli territory. Israel gave an “early warning” to all Israelis because “we understood there could be a strike on the Israeli homefront,” he added.

The IDF was preparing for more strikes on Iran, he said, adding that the military had already caused “significant damage” to Natanz, Iran’s largest nuclear facility.

"We must remember that the operation is only beginning... we will continue to act and defend the citizens of Israel,” he said.

Israel has followed up its overnight strikes on Iran with more attacks in the daytime, Iranian state media has reported.

NBC News' Matt Bradley reports from the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

European leaders have called on Israel and Iran to exercise restraint after the overnight attacks.

Calling the latest developments “deeply alarming,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X that both sides should de-escalate the situation immediately.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also took to the social media site to say that both sides should “refrain from steps that could lead to a further escalation and destabilise the whole region.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani echoed those sentiments, telling Italian news channel SKY TG24 that he held a call with Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar where he asked him to avoid escalation.

Israel's attack on Iran came less than 24 hours after the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), declared the Islamic Republic had breached its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years.

In a resolution, the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors said “Iran’s many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 to provide the Agency with full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran” had constituted non-compliance of its Safeguards Agreement with the agency.

The resolution was passed at a closed-door meeting on Thursday with 19 countries — including the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany — in favour, and three states — Russia, China, and Burkina Faso — against. There were 11 abstentions.

Iran condemned the resolution as “political” and said it would open a new enrichment facility.

There have been fresh attacks by Israel on Natanz, Iran's largest nuclear enrichment facility in the central Isfahan province, Iranian state media reported.

Planes traveling through the Middle East are avoiding flying over Israel and Jordan, according to airline tracker FlightRadar24.

Earlier, Israel closed its air space in the wake of the strikes on Iran and an anticipated military response.

The decision to launch strikes on Iran was made at the “last possible minute,” Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar told his German counterpart in a phone call today.

Sa’ar’s office said in a statement that he made the comments during a marathon of calls with fellow foreign ministers around the world to discuss Israel’s decision to launch the sweeping attack.

In a call with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Sa’ar said the decision to launch the strikes was made “at the last possible minute, after all other avenues had been exhausted,” the statement posted to Sa’ar’s website said.

“The whole world saw and understood that the Iranians were not ready to stop and we had to stop them,” he said of Iran’s nuclear program during the call, pointing to the IAEA’s latest report. “We know that challenging days lie ahead, but we have no other choice,” he added.

President Donald Trump in his latest post on Truth Social said he had given Iran “chance after chance to make a deal” on its nuclear capabilities.

Trump said he had previously warned Iran that Israel, along with the U.S., had “lethal military equipment...and know how to use it,” against “certain Iranian hardliner’s [sic]” who he said “spoke bravely.”

"They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!" Trump said, adding that Iran must make a deal before the attacks escalate further.

Israel’s tourism ministry has issued a warning for visitors to the country to follow new guidelines from the Home Front Command, noting that the “entire country” is to shift from “full activity to essential activity only.”

The shift to essential activity only was expected to last until at least tomorrow night at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).

Public gatherings were prohibited, with only essential services expected to operate as it urged visitors to stay close to bomb shelters and protected areas, it said.

The ministry also noted that Israel's airspace had been closed, with all incoming and outgoing flights suspended until further notice.

A vacant scene at the departures hall of Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv today, after Israel closed its air space to takeoff and landing.

Natanz, Iran’s largest nuclear site in the central Isfahan province, had been struck in Israel's attack but that there was no increase in radiation levels observed there, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said.

Three other nuclear sites — the Fordow, Isfahan, and Bushehr sites — had not been impacted, it added.

The IAEA director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said in a statement that he was in touch with Iranian officials. Calling the developments “deeply concerning,” Grossi said: “I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment.”

He added that such attacks had serious implications for nuclear safety and regional and international peace and security.

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a statement that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed him about Israel’s attack on Iran in a phone call this morning.

“Israel has a right to defend itself and Iran should not develop nuclear weapons,” Merz said, while calling on both sides to refrain from escalation.

Merz did not say whether he was forewarned about the strikes.

Israel's Middle Eastern neighbors have condemned Israel's unprecedented wave of attacks on Iran.

Egypt’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks in a post on Facebook and said they represented “a blatant and extremely dangerous regional escalation.”

Jordan’s foreign ministry also condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms” in a statement on X, adding that it considered it a “flagrant violation” of Iran’s sovereignty, international law, and the United Nations charter.

In a separate post on X, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Israel’s attack came at “an extremely critical time” when the U.S. was negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran that would “save the whole region.” He added that Israel’s “provocative action... drags the area further towards the abyss of regional war.”

Saudi Arabia in a post on X said Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, where he “expressed his condemnation” of Israel’s attack.

Video shows damage to a residential building in Tehran on Friday morning after Israel attacked Iran’s capital in strikes that targeted the country’s nuclear program.

As residents watched on, emergency workers could be seen putting out flames of fires. Others cleaned up the debris in the streets.

Australia is “alarmed” by escalation between Israel and Iran, its Foreign Minister Penny Wong said today.

“This risks further destabilizing a region that is already volatile,” Wong told reporters. “We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions.”

She urged Israel and Iran to prioritize "dialogue and diplomacy," and acknowledged the "threat" of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program.

Israeli airline El Al has canceled all flights to Israel after security officials in the country closed its airspace for takes offs and landings and diverted flights in already the air to other countries.

Customers whose flights were cancelled due to the security situation were entitled to a refund, it said.

Israel will “forever regret” its overnight missile strikes on Iranian facilities and senior regime figures, Iran’s Defense Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, said in an interview on state-TV.

Israel “is trying to create psychological unrest among the Iranian people, but it fails to realize that such savage actions only strengthen national unity in Iran and will backfire on them,” he said.

Nasirzadeh added that the strikes showed “how ineffective and untrustworthy the American regime is.”

Iran had been in talks with the United States over a possible deal designed to curb Iran’s nuclear capabilities. The latest round of discussions set for Sunday, have been canceled.

Jordan, Israel’s eastern neighbor, said its air force intercepted several missiles and drones in its air space this morning, the state-owned Petra news agency reported, citing a senior military source.

“The source noted that the Air Force is operating at a high state of readiness to defend the skies of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and safeguard the security of its people,” the agency said.

Petra reported that the missiles and drones “were likely to fall within Jordanian territory, including populated areas.”

The agency’s report did not outline which power Jordan thinks launched the attack.

Iran has launched more than 100 drones towards Israel in the past few hours, IDF Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said in a statement today, the first sign of retaliation to Israel’s attacks.

Israel's military was working to shoot them down, he added.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says there has been no increase in radiation levels observed at the Natanz uranium enrichment site which was targeted in Israel’s attack.

Iranian officials told the agency that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant was not targeted in the strikes, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on X.

Previous damage to Iran’s air defenses and Israel’s military superiority helped in the airstrikes that Israel launched against the country, analysts said.

Iran had suffered serious damage to its air defenses in previous air strikes, and shoring up those systems was not something that could be accomplished quickly, said Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“It’s a big country with masses of targets to protect against a very advanced opponent,” Knights said. “They just don’t have good enough air defenses to keep the Israelis out, obviously.”

Read the full story here.

Although U.S. officials have stressed that the country played no role in Israel’s attacks this morning, Iran’s foreign minister says the American government is also to blame.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Israeli attack violated the United Nations charter and that Iran has a legal right to respond.

“The Iranian armed forces will defend the country decisively and without hesitation, using whatever methods they consider necessary,” he said, according to Iran state media FARS.

“​The aggressive actions of the Zionist regime against Iran could not have happened without the coordination and approval of the United States,” he said. “Therefore, the American government, as the main supporter of this regime, is also responsible for the dangerous consequences of these actions.”

The chief of the Iran Armed Forces, the country’s most senior military official, was killed in Israel's strikes today, according to Iranian state television.

Mohammad Hossein Bagheri's death was reported on multiple Iranian state media outlets, including Tasnim, Fars and Raja News.

State media previously reported that the commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hossein Salami, and Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, a top official in the IRGC, were also killed in the morning strikes.

Their deaths are a major blow to the military.

State media reported that in the wake of those deaths, Iran's supreme leader named Habibollah Sayyari as the new chief of armed forces and former Quds force commander Ahmad Vahidi as new IRGC commander in chief.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres "condemns any military escalation in the Middle East" and called for restraint to avoid a deeper conflict, his spokesperson said.

“He is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran’s nuclear program are underway,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General asks both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford,” the statement reads.

Firefighters work at the scene of an explosion at an apartment building in Tehran this morning.

Oman, which had been set to host U.S.-Iran nuclear talks this weekend, criticized the Israeli strikes.

“Oman holds Israel responsible for this escalation and its repercussions, and calls on the international community to take a clear and firm position to stop this dangerous approach, which threatens to exclude diplomatic solutions and undermine the security and stability of the region,” the government of the Gulf Arab country said in a statement.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said yesterday that the sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program would be held Sunday in Muscat, the capital of Oman.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site was among the targets of Israel’s attacks. 

“The IAEA is closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation in Iran. Agency can confirm Natanz site among targets,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement.

“The Agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country,” he said.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed “severe punishment" for an Israeli attack that he called a crime.

"The evil and bloody hand of the Zionist regime committed a crime in our beloved country at dawn today, once again revealing its wicked nature by targeting residential areas. This regime must await severe punishment," he said in a statement hours after Israeli strikes.

“By God’s will, the powerful arm of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces will not let it go unpunished,” he said.

“In the enemy’s attacks, a number of commanders and scientists were martyred. Their successors and colleagues will immediately continue their duties, God willing,” he said. “With this crime, the Zionist regime has brought a bitter and painful fate upon itself, and it will certainly face it.”

A spokesman for Iran’s armed forces has promised a heavy response to Israel's attack is to come.

The comments by Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi and were reported by state-run media IRNA.

Iran state-run media IRNA reports that in addition to the death of the IRGC commander, “[s]everal explosions also took place at Iran’s Natanz nuclear plant in Bushehr.”

The nuclear facility is a uranium enrichment facility. A blackout that Iran called an attack damaged the underground facility in 2021.

The U.S. Embassy has warned all U.S. government employees and their families in Israel “to shelter in place until further notice.”

“This is provided for your information as you make your own security plans,” the State Department said in a notice.

“The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness,” it said.

Video shared on social media, and verified by NBC News, showed the damage and destruction in Tehran in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes.

The IDF said it used “dozens” of air force jets in this morning's strikes in Iran.

The IDF said that the jets “completed the first stage” and that the targets included nuclear targets in different parts of the country.

The military called the strikes a pre-emptive operation against Iran’s nuclear program.

Sen. Chris Murphy said Israel’s attack on Iran was "clearly intended to scuttle the Trump administration’s negotiations with Tehran."

The strikes are "further evidence of how little respect world powers — including our own allies — have for President Trump,” Murphy, D-Conn., wrote on X.

Another Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Israel’s attack alarming and “a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence.”

“I urge both nations to show immediate restraint, and I call on President Trump and our international partners to press for diplomatic de-escalation before this crisis spirals further out of control,” Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., responded to the attack with a post on X that read "Game on" and "Pray for Israel."

Photos released by Iran’s official Sepah News Telegram channel show a building in Tehran reportedly hit in an Israeli strike early Friday.

Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in the Israeli strikes, its state media arm, Tasnim, reported.

Salami was at the IRGC headquarters in Tehran when the building was attacked.

Iranian state media also reported that the Israeli strikes also killed Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, a top official in the IRGC; Fereydoon Abbasi, a nuclear scientist and former atomic energy chief; and Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi, a nuclear scientist. 

Israel targeted “Iran’s main enrichment facility” and nuclear scientists working on Iran’s nuclear program, Netanyahu said.

“We targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility,” he said.

“We targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb,” Netanyahu said. “We also struck at the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program.”

Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said tonight that the United States was not involved in the attack on Iran and warned Iran about any response.

“To be clear, the United States is not involved, and Iran should not target any U.S. forces under any circumstance,” Crawford said in a statement.

“I will say I regret that we have come to this breaking point. However, under no circumstance can Iran get its hands on a nuclear weapon,” he said.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post said Crawford represents an Arizona district. He represents an Arkansas district.

The main building of the commander offices of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was attacked and is burning, state TV in Iran showed.

Other targets appeared to be residential compounds home to top military officials.

On Iranian news channel IRINN, attacks were reported in Natanz, Khandab, where there is a heavy water reactor, and Khoramabad.

Netanyahu thanked Trump in his address to the nation, citing opposition to Iran's nuclear enrichment program.

"He has made clear time and again that Iran cannot have a nuclear enrichment program,” he said. “Today, it is clear that Iran was just buying for time.”

Trump, asked earlier today whether he was trying to talk Netanyahu out of attacking Iran, said that he preferred an agreement with Iran and that “we’re fairly close to an agreement.”

“As long as I think there is an agreement, I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it,” Trump said.

But he added: “Whether it’s going in or not going in, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I’d prefer, I’d prefer the more friendly path.”

Israel targeted and potentially killed top generals in Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and scientists working on nuclear enrichment in the morning strikes, according to a source familiar with the operation.

The strikes will continue, according to the source.

Trump’s national security team monitored the strikes on Iran in real time in the Situation Room, according to five U.S. officials.  

The national security team's meeting today was ongoing at 9 p.m.

Netanyahu said Iran and its nuclear program are threats to Israel's very existence.

“Today, the Jewish state refuses to be the victims of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime,” he said in an address tonight, in which he also called the Iranian people “brave.”

“Our fight is not with you,” Netanyahu said. “Our fight is with the brutal dictatorship that has oppressed you for 46 years.”

People gather in the street near an emergency vehicle in the aftermath of Israeli strikes today in Tehran.

An allied government source told NBC News tonight that they were notified of Israel’s strikes in advance, and received a message to the effect of, “This is going to be ugly, get your people out.”

Netanyahu said Iran has called for Israel’s destruction and recently took steps to weaponize enriched uranium.

“They’ve backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop a nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said.

He alleged that Iran in recent years has produced enough highly enriched uranium “for nine atom bombs.”

“In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before — steps to weaponize this enriched uranium,” he said. “And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time.”

Netanyahu said that “it could be a year, it could be within a few months, less than a year.”

"This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival,” he said.

U.S. stock futures, an indication of where stocks will open at 9:30 a.m. ET tomorrow, plunged on news from Israel that it conducted airstrikes on Iran.

S&P 500 futures slid 1.6% as Nasdaq futures plunged 1.8%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped more than 600 points, or about 1.4%.

Meanwhile, the price of oil soared 6%. Iran and other countries in the region are among the world's top producers of oil, and any disruption could cause ripples throughout the world.

Global stock markets also dropped, led by a more than 1.5% drop on Japan's Nikkei index and a 1.2% decline on South Korea's Kospi stock index.

Netanyahu said in an address that Israel launched “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,” he said.

Israel said in a statement that it launched an offensive against Iran's nuclear program.

The statement is below:

“The IDF launched a preemptive, precise, combined offensive to strike Iran’s nuclear program.

“Dozens of IAF jets completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.

"Today, Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and to the wider world. 

"The State of Israel has no choice but to fulfill the obligation to act in defense of its citizens and will continue to do so everywhere it is required to do so, as we have done in the past."

Iranian state-run media IRNA reported that “sounds of explosions have been heard in and near the Iranian capital, Tehran.”

IRNA reported that the source of the sounds was not clear.

In addition to the report by IRNA, sounds of what appeared to be jets and antiaircraft missiles have been heard north of Tehran.

The Trump administration distanced itself from Israel's strikes on Iran, saying Israel took "unilateral action."

“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

He said Israeli officials had communicated to Washington that Israel's action was "necessary for its self-defense."

"President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel," Rubio said.

President Donald Trump earlier today appeared to say he was against an Israeli attack on Iran while there was hope for a deal with the United States.

Asked whether he has been trying to talk Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out of an Israeli attack on Iran, Trump said, “I’d much prefer an agreement.”

“We’re fairly close to an agreement. We are fairly close to a pretty good agreement,” he said.

“I’d much prefer an agreement,” he said. “As long as I think there is an agreement, I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it — might help it actually, but it also could blow it.”

Israel also attacked Iran in October, weeks after Iran launched around 200 missiles at Israel.

Iran launched its attack, which officials said was largely intercepted, after Israel launched attacks in Lebanon, including the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Hezbollah militant group is backed by Iran.

In response to the Oct. 1 missile attack, Israel struck Iranian military sites in three waves later that month.

The Israel Defense Forces said then that it hit aerial defense systems and missile manufacturing facilities in Iran, avoiding nuclear and oil facilities in what appeared to be a limited attack aimed at deterrence by showing its military might while avoiding a major escalation.

The IDF said at the time that it was responding to “months of continuous attacks” from Iran and its regional allies.

Israel confirmed it had launched a strike on Iran and declared a state of emergency early Friday local time.

“Following the State of Israel’s pre-emptive strike 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 early Friday local time.