SRINAGAR: In an unprecedented escalation in West Asia, Israeli fighter jets launched a wave of deadly strikes across Iran in the early hours of Friday, killing top military leaders, nuclear scientists, and civilians in what Tehran has condemned as a flagrant act of aggression.
The strikes, which targeted cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, and Qasr-e Shirin, resulted in widespread damage to residential areas and non-military buildings. Iranian state media and local officials confirmed the deaths of several high-ranking commanders and scientists, prompting vows of swift retaliation from the Iranian leadership.
Among those slain are Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Major General Gholamali Rashid, head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters; and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s Chief-of-Staff. The attack also claimed the lives of at least six nuclear scientists, including former nuclear chief Fereydoun Abbasi and physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Tehran Times reported.
Eyewitness reports and images confirmed that at least some of the airstrikes hit densely populated civilian areas in Tehran, where dozens of residents, including women and children, were either killed or wounded. At Chamran Hospital in Tehran alone, 50 injured civilians were admitted, state TV said.
In an official message released later in the day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei pledged “severe punishment” for what he called a “crime against our beloved country.” Blaming the Zionist regime for striking residential centres and assassinating scientific and military leaders, the Leader said Iran’s armed forces “will not let them go unpunished.”
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing Israel of violating Iran’s sovereignty and international law, calling the strikes a breach of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter. The ministry invoked Iran’s right to self-defence under Article 51, declaring that Tehran would respond “appropriately” at a time of its choosing.
The statement also blamed the United States as the “primary supporter” of Israel, warning Washington that it too would bear consequences. “The dangerous consequences of this adventurism will not be limited to Tel Aviv,” it said.
While US officials denied involvement, former President Donald Trump confirmed in a Fox News interview that Washington had advance knowledge of the Israeli strikes. Trump reiterated that Iran must not acquire a nuclear bomb and said he still hoped for a return to negotiations.
However, the Israeli assault appears to have derailed diplomatic efforts. Talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme, expected to resume in the coming weeks, have now been thrown into uncertainty.
Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was also among the reported targets, with the Natanz enrichment facility confirmed as one of the strike sites. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had reported no rise in radiation levels at the site. The IAEA also confirmed that the Bushehr nuclear power plant was not hit.
Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told reporters that operations were still underway, with fighter jets targeting “military and nuclear infrastructure across Iran.” The exact scope of the damage remains unclear, but analysts describe the attack as the most direct and provocative strike Israel has launched inside Iran to date.
The strikes mark a dangerous new chapter in the Israel-Iran conflict, with international observers bracing for Iran’s response and the wider implications for regional security. The United Nations and key global powers have yet to issue formal statements, but urgent consultations are expected.
As of Friday evening, no official casualty count has been released by the Iranian government, but sources indicate a significant loss of life and material damage. While streets in Tehran remain tense but calm, public mourning and protests are expected in the coming days.
Ayatollah Khamenei, addressing the nation, closed his message with a stark warning to Israel: “With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared a bitter and painful fate for itself, and it will assuredly receive it.”
