Iranian missiles strike Tel Aviv, Jerusalem
Explosions illuminated the night sky over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Friday as Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles in a fierce retaliation for Israel’s unprecedented strikes on its nuclear and military sites.
Sirens echoed across Israel, marking a sharp escalation in the intensifying conflict between the two nations.
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, described the missile barrage as a “crushing” response to Israel’s "Operation Rising Lion," which targeted Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, a nuclear site in Isfahan, and missile launch sites, while killing top military commanders, including Chief of Staff General Mohammad Bagheri and Revolutionary Guards chief Major General Hossein Salami.
Iranian media also reported the deaths of six nuclear scientists and nearly 80 civilians, with over 300 wounded. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of initiating a war, vowing that “hit and run” attacks would face grave consequences.
Military analyst Elijah Magnier told Al Jazeera that Iran’s ability to launch waves of missiles demonstrated its resilience despite heavy losses. “Iran is showing they have enough missiles, and Israel failed to destroy all their stockpiles or deter them,” he said, noting the difficulty of intercepting the barrages.
In Tel Aviv, live footage showed plumes of smoke rising after explosions, with Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reporting 15 people wounded, one moderately. Israel’s Magen David Adom ambulance service dispatched teams to seven strike sites in the metropolitan area.
Explosions were also reported in Jerusalem, according to Reuters. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed precise strikes on Israeli military centres and airbases, and IRNA reported two Israeli fighter jets shot down, though this remains unverified.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video address posted on X, called the strikes a necessary defence against Iran’s “nuclear and ballistic missile threat.”
He claimed Israel had eliminated key Iranian commanders, scientists, and much of its missile arsenal, warning, “More is on the way. The regime does not know what will hit them.”
Netanyahu likened the campaign to preventing a modern Holocaust, stating it would continue until Iran’s nuclear threat is neutralised.
US President Donald Trump, after hours of silence, is reportedly in the White House Situation Room with security experts.
Trump, who confirmed US foreknowledge of Israel’s plans, reiterated his call for Iran to negotiate a nuclear deal, posting on Truth Social, “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left.” Scheduled US-Iran nuclear talks for Sunday remain uncertain, with Trump noting Iran’s insistence on a civilian nuclear program as a sticking point.
The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting at Iran’s request, with Tehran condemning Israel’s actions as “unlawful” and promising a proportional response.
Crude oil prices surged amid fears of wider conflict, though OPEC reported no immediate supply disruptions.
Iran’s regional proxy capabilities, weakened by the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and losses to Hezbollah and Hamas, were supplemented by a missile from Yemen’s Houthi militia, which struck Hebron in the West Bank, wounding three Palestinian children.
Israel intercepted around 100 Iranian drones, with Iran denying their launch.
As both sides dig in, the fast-moving crisis threatens to destabilise the region further, with no clear end in sight.
Source: Al Jazeera, BBC
