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LAST UPDATE | 13 Jun
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country expects to face “several waves of Iranian attacks” following Israeli air strikes on military and nuclear sites across Iran early this morning.
In a video statement, Netanyahu revealed that he had initially planned the strikes for April but said, “for various reasons, it did not work out.”
“It was necessary to act and I set the implementation date for the end of April 2025,” he said.
“We expect to be exposed to several waves of Iranian attacks.”
Iran has labelled the strikes a “declaration of war,” while US President Donald Trump warned of “even more brutal” attacks if Tehran fails to reach a deal over its nuclear programme.
Israel said it targeted roughly 100 sites across Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, and claimed to have killed several top Iranian officials, including most of the senior leadership of the Revolutionary Guards’ air force.
In response to the initial strikes, Iran launched about 100 drones towards Israel, which the Israeli military said it was working to intercept.
Trump, a key ally of Israel, implied that Iran was to blame, saying it had failed to respond to a US ultimatum over its nuclear programme.
“I think it’s been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it … They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit.
And there’s more to come. A lot more,” he told an ABC reporter in a recorded interview shared on X.
In a separate Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to ‘make a deal’. They should have done it! Today is day 61 … Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
Despite his remarks, Washington has denied any role in the operation.
“There has already been great death and destruction,” Trump added. “But there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end.”
Israel’s assault appears to be the most significant Iran has faced since its war with Iraq in the 1980s, with multiple sites hit across the country.
Iranian state television reported the death of Revolutionary Guard leader Hossein Salami. Another senior Guard figure, Iran’s aerospace commander, and two nuclear scientists are also feared dead.
Israel’s defence ministry said “most of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force leadership was neutralised while convening at their underground headquarters”.
The Revolutionary Guards oversee Iran’s airspace and its ballistic missile arsenal.
The chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, General Mohammad Bagheri, was also confirmed dead, according to state media.
Following the strikes, Iran’s communications ministry imposed nationwide internet restrictions, saying they will be lifted “once the normalcy returns”.
Multiple sites in the capital were hit. Netanyahu said the operation targeted nuclear and military facilities, as well as officials leading Iran’s nuclear programme and missile development.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the Natanz enrichment site was struck, and said it is monitoring radiation levels.
The organisation added that will hold a special emergency meeting of its governing board next week to discuss the strikes.
Iran has described the assault as a “declaration of war”.
Both Iran and Israel have closed their airspaces, as have Jordan, Syria and Iraq, while Gulf states said air travel had been disrupted.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel had hit “residential centres” and promised there would be “severe punishment”.
Israeli leaders said the attack involved 200 fighter jets and was necessary to head off what they described as an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear weapons.
“In recent months, accumulated intelligence information has provided evidence that the Iranian regime is approaching the point of no return,” the Israeli military said in a statement today.
The military said it hit the underground uranium enrichment centrifuges at Iran’s vast Natanz facility.
“The underground area of the site was damaged. This area contains a multi-storey enrichment hall with centrifuges, electrical rooms and additional supporting infrastructure,” the military said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran will make Israel “regret” its deadly attacks.
“The Iranian nation and the country’s officials will not remain silent in the face of this crime, and the legitimate and powerful response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act,” Pezeshkian said in a video statement aired on state TV.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi promised a “decisive and certain” response to the strikes.
Netanyahu said in an address on YouTube that the attacks will continue “for as many days as it takes to remove this threat”.
“It could be a year. It could be within a few months,” he said.
“This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60%, though still short of the 90% needed for a nuclear warhead.
The United States, currently negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme, said it was informed in advance of the Israeli attack.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Israel’s actions as “unilateral,” adding that the US is “not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”
Yesterday, the US withdrew some diplomats from Baghdad and offered voluntary evacuation for families of troops in the Middle East.
The attack comes amid rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear progress.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s board censured Iran for the first time in 20 years over its refusal to cooperate with inspectors. In response, Iran announced plans for a third enrichment site and upgraded centrifuges.
Following the strike, President Trump told Fox News that Iran “cannot have a nuclear bomb.”
The Israeli attack has been met with alarm by world leaders.
While Middle Eastern nations – alongside Russia and China – have condemned the attack, Western states have urged restraint and a diplomatic solution.
Israel has since announced that it will shut down its diplomatic missions across the globe, with consular services for Israelis overseas being suspended.
No indication was given regarding the duration of the closures, but a notice was issued on the websites of a number of Israeli embassies.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Iranian people expected the European Union and the broader international community to condemn Israel’s “criminal attack”.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressed being “deeply concerned,” urging stability and diplomacy.
Tánaiste Simon Harris highlighted risks of regional escalation and stressed the need for a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear programme.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for maximum restraint, particularly worried about Israel’s strikes on nuclear sites.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the situation as “dangerous,” urging all parties to avoid escalation and favour diplomacy. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed calls for de-escalation.
A statement from IDF Spokesperson BG Effie Defrin on the preemptive Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear targets pic.twitter.com/IJNT5LXz6o
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 13, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron defended Israel’s “right to defend itself”, adding that France had repeatedly condemned Iran’s ongoing nuclear program.
France has repeatedly condemned Iran’s ongoing nuclear program and has taken all appropriate diplomatic measures in response.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 13, 2025
In this context, France reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and ensure its security.
To avoid jeopardizing the stability of the entire region,…
Russia has condemned the attack and urged its citizens to leave Israel and Iran.
“Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The Russian embassy in Tel Aviv pressed Russians in Israel to leave the country if they could, and said it “strongly recommends” against travelling there until the “situation normalises.”
Moscow’s mission in Tehran issued a similar warning, saying it was recommending citizens to “refrain from visiting Iran”, to avoid going near military facilities, and not to take photos or videos anywhere in the country.
China said it is “deeply worried about the severe consequences that such actions might bring,” according to foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said while calling for de-escalation.
Qatar, Oman, Turkey, Jordan, and Hamas condemned the strike, warning it threatens regional stability. Iraq labelled it a violation of international law.
The Czech Republic supported the strikes, with Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky viewing them as a “reasonable reaction” to the threat of a nuclear bomb.
With reporting from Andrew Walsh, Press Association and AFP
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