Israel hits Iran’s nuclear sites, military chief, several commanders killed

Israel launched a major attack on Iran, targeting six key locations,  including nuclear facilities and residential areas,  in two waves of airstrikes. A third wave is reportedly underway.

One of the key targets was the city of Natanz, located south of Tehran, which houses Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility.

The attacks, carried out under Operation Rising Lion, have resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking military commanders, two nuclear scientists, and numerous civilians, according to Iranian media sources.

Among those killed are Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Gen Mohammad Bagheri and  Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, top figures in Iran’s military leadership.

Other prominent figures confirmed dead include:

Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, former head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) and a current Member of Parliament.

Reza Mozaffarinia Hosein, head of Iran’s Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), successor to the assassinated scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters and a key strategist behind “Operation True Promise.”

Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, president of Islamic Azad University in Tehran and a former project supervisor of Iran’s Amad nuclear program.

Additionally, Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was critically injured in the Israeli strikes on Tehran, according to Iran’s state-run Nour News.

In response, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei denounced the strikes, stating that they reveal Israel's "malicious nature" and warning that the "Zionist regime should anticipate a severe punishment." He declared that Israel had chosen a "bitter fate" for itself.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry also issued a stern warning, holding both Israel and the United States accountable for the attack. It asserted that the assault would not have been possible without U.S. coordination and support, and cited the UN Charter to justify its “legal and legitimate” right to retaliate.

“The dangerous and far-reaching consequences of the Zionist regime’s aggression against our beloved homeland will be the responsibility of that regime and its supporters,” the statement said.

“The Zionist regime’s actions could not have occurred without coordination and authorisation from the United States. The US government, as the main supporter, will also bear responsibility.”

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that Israel acted unilaterally, insisting that the United States had no involvement in the strikes. However, he warned Iran against retaliating against US personnel or interests in the region.

With tensions now at a boiling point, Iran and Israel appear to be on the brink of full-scale war.