Israel hits Iran’s nuclear program and military leadership in unprecedented strikes
By Helen Regan, Lauren Izso and Tamar Michaelis, CNN
(CNN) — Israel struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear, missile and military complex early Friday, in an unprecedented attack that reportedly killed Iran’s top military commander and plunges the wider Middle East into dangerous new territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation “struck at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program” and targets included Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz, Iranian nuclear scientists, and Iran’s ballistic missiles program.
“Moments ago, Israel launched operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” Netanyahu said in a televised address.
“This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”
Repeated explosions could be heard in Tehran, according to Iranian state media outlet IRNA, and the country has temporarily closed its airspace over the capital.
Sirens sounded across Jerusalem before dawn Friday as Israel declared a state of special emergency, closing schools and banning social gatherings and non-essential work. Israeli sources told CNN they were bracing for a significant Iranian retaliation.
An Israeli military official told a briefing that Israel launched dozens of strikes in different areas of Iran in a “preemptive, precise, combined offensive.”
Iran’s top military leaders as well as senior nuclear scientists were targeted in the opening strikes and “chances are increasing that they were eliminated,” an Israeli security source told reporters.
A separate source familiar with the details said some senior Israeli officials have been moved to “secret locations” following Israeli attempts to eliminate senior Iranian officials.
The United States was not involved in the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, noting that Israel had “advised” the US that it believed the “action was necessary for its self-defense.” Earlier, President Donald Trump had warned of the possibility of “massive conflict” in the Middle East that could take place “soon.”
Trump convened a Cabinet-level meeting Thursday evening, which was expected to focus on the US response to the developing events in Iran, a White House official and two sources familiar with the plans told CNN.
Friday’s strikes came shortly after Tehran said that it would ramp up its nuclear activities due to the International Atomic Energy Agency passing a resolution saying that the country was not in compliance with its non-proliferation commitments, senior US officials told CNN.
Israel’s National Security Cabinet had met throughout the night leading up to the attack in Iran, according to an Israeli official.
Israel has closed its airspace until further notice, according to the country’s ministry of transportation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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