Fears of all-out war as Iran vows ‘harsh response’ to Israeli strikes

In a recorded video message, Netanyahu described the operation as “a decisive moment in Israel’s history” that would take “as long as is needed to complete the task of fending off the threat of annihilation against us”.

The Israeli military said Iran’s nuclear program had “accelerated significantly” in recent months, bringing Tehran significantly closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon, Reuters reported.

Iranian state television said the head of the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, General Hossein Salami, was feared dead in the strikes, along with another top guard official and two nuclear scientists.

The Revolutionary Guard, created after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, is one of the main power centres within the country’s theocracy. It also controls Iran’s ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Multiple sites in Tehran were hit in the attack, and the guard’s headquarters was reported to be ablaze. Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions in other cities and at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility.

Iranian state television displayed a black band over the corner of its broadcast, suggesting the attack had been significant enough to spark public mourning.

Flights at Tehran’s main airport have been grounded, and flight tracking data showed commercial aircraft re-routing to avoid Iranian airspace.

Iran also closed its airspace when launching attacks against Israel last year.

Nuclear threat

The strikes come a day after Iran said it would expand its nuclear program, and the United States began pulling staff out of its Iraqi embassy, amid threats from Iran that it would strike US assets if it were attacked.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was not involved in the Israeli attack and said Iran should not target US interests or personnel in response.

“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said in a statement.

“Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” he said.

The US military is planning for the full range of contingencies in the Middle East, including the possibility that it might have to help evacuate American civilians, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a “special situation” in Israel after the attack and warned Israelis to expect retaliatory drone and missile strikes.

As the strikes began, US President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House, mingling with members of Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed, but he continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes.

Trump had warned hours earlier that a strike was likely.

“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump told reporters.

Trump and Netanyahu have disagreed for months over how to handle Iran, with Netanyahu wanting to use military force to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Trump pushing for a diplomatic solution, saying repeatedly he did not want Israel to strike.

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Trump had been seeking a new nuclear deal to place limits on Iran’s disputed uranium enrichment activities, but the talks appeared to have hit an impasse, although more discussions were meant to take place on Sunday.

Oil surged following reports of the strike. Brent rose as much as 5.7 per cent, jumping above $73 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate also rallied.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia was alarmed by the strikes.

“This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that will further exacerbate tensions.

“We all understand the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program represents a threat to international peace and security, and we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy.”

Why is Israel attacking Iran?

Israel has warned for years that it would not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn’t want, although officials there have repeatedly warned it could build them.

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Friday’s strikes targeted Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility, Iranian scientists working on a nuclear bomb, as well as Iranian commanders and missile factories, Israel said.

A day earlier, Iran said it would inaugurate a new uranium-enrichment facility in response to a decision by the United Nations atomic watchdog to censure the country over its nuclear program because it was not working with its inspectors.

One Israeli official said Iran had enough material to make 15 nuclear bombs within days.

Uranium must be enriched in centrifuges to produce explosive material for nuclear weapons. The process is complicated and requires dedicated, specialised facilities as well as technical expertise.

Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, with Iran, which doesn’t recognise Israel, using proxy forces such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen to attack Israel.

Israel has, in turn, been accused of being behind a series of assassinations and covert attacks on Iranian soil, many of them targeting nuclear scientists.

The two countries exchanged direct fire for the first time last year after tensions surged following the October 7, 2023, attacks. The most recent strikes were in October 2024, when Israel struck Iranian air defences and a missile factory in retaliation for strikes from Tehran.