Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply on Friday, June 13, 2025, after Israel launched a series of targeted airstrikes on Iran, hitting nearly 100 locations, including nuclear facilities, military command centres, and residential buildings in Tehran.
Among the casualties were Iran’s top military figures — General Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, and Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. State media also confirmed the deaths of at least six senior nuclear scientists in the assault.
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the strikes were aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear capabilities. “We have struck the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme,” he stated. “The operation will continue for as many days as it takes.”
In a separate statement, Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said the attacks served a clear warning. “The precise targeting of senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian military, and nuclear scientists — all of whom were involved in advancing the plan to destroy Israel — sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel’s destruction will be eliminated.”
Iran reacted furiously, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promising a “bitter and painful” fate for Israel. The Iranian Armed Forces issued a chilling statement: “There are no limits in responding to this crime. Israel has crossed all red lines.”
Shortly after the Israeli assault, Iran launched a retaliatory strike using around 100 drones, according to the Israeli military. Most were intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace. Jordan also reported intercepting drones and missiles that violated its airspace, while air raid sirens blared across its capital, Amman.
United States President Donald Trump confirmed he had prior knowledge of Israel’s strike. In an interview with Fox News, he remarked, “Tehran cannot have a nuclear bomb.” However, he clarified that the U.S. was not involved in the operation and urged Iran not to target American personnel or interests.
Tehran, however, held the U.S. partially accountable. “Israel’s operation cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States,” an Iranian official said, adding that Washington would be held “responsible for consequences.”
Flights were suspended across Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Iran’s main airport in Tehran was shut down, and queues formed at petrol stations in panic.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the Natanz nuclear site was among the targets. “The agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels and with inspectors inside the country,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said.
Trump, meanwhile, suggested that while a diplomatic resolution was still possible, the attack might complicate the sixth round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks scheduled in Oman. “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it,” Trump said. “Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.”
As the world watches closely, oil prices surged and global stock markets dipped, reflecting the geopolitical uncertainty surrounding this high-stakes conflict. Israel remains on high alert, declaring a state of emergency and bracing for further Iranian retaliation.
The full extent of the damage — and its global consequences — may only be beginning to unfold.
