Iran launches retaliatory attack against Israel

Iran launched a retaliatory attack against Israel on Friday night, firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israeli cities in what Tehran called “Operation Severe Punishment.” The massive barrage sent air raid sirens wailing across Israel and forced millions of civilians into shelters as explosions rocked Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The Iranian assault came just hours after Israel conducted its most significant military strike against Iran since the 1980s war with Iraq, targeting nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders in what Israeli officials described as a preemptive operation to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Israeli warplanes struck Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear site and eliminated the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along with other senior military leaders.

Israeli authorities declared that “all of Israel is under attack” as the Iranian missiles overwhelmed air defense systems across the country. Ben Gurion Airport was immediately closed and tens of thousands of Israeli troops were mobilized as the nation went on maximum alert. The Israeli military reported detecting dozens of incoming missiles and intercepted the barrage, though several projectiles reached populated areas.

In Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial capital, missiles struck urban areas causing explosions that lit up the night sky. Israeli paramedics treated five people for shrapnel injuries as debris from intercepted missiles rained down on the city. Live footage showed what appeared to be direct missile impacts in central Tel Aviv, marking the first time Iran’s missiles have successfully penetrated Israeli air defenses to hit major population centers.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Israel had initiated a war and promised that revenge would be painful, with nowhere in Israel remaining safe. Iranian state media framed the massive missile attack as the beginning of what they called a “devastating retaliation” against Israeli aggression. The Revolutionary Guard confirmed that Iranian forces were fully mobilized for continued military action, signaling that Friday night’s



barrage may be only the opening salvo in a prolonged conflict. This is Vinod Kumar for Akashvani News from Dubai.

Iran’s state news agency reported that Tehran launched the missile attack specifically in response to Israel’s destruction of the Natanz nuclear facility and the assassination of Iran’s top military commanders. Iranian officials described the strikes as crossing all red lines and warranting an unlimited response.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of crossing a red line by deliberately targeting populated civilian areas, warning that Israel would respond with overwhelming force. The unprecedented exchange of direct strikes between the two adversaries has shattered the previous pattern of proxy warfare and raised fears of an all-out regional conflict.

The Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear program represented the culmination of years of threats by successive Israeli governments to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. American administrations had long sought to prevent such an attack, fearing it would ignite a wider Middle East war and potentially prove ineffective against Iran’s dispersed and hardened nuclear infrastructure.

The current escalation comes amid growing international concern over Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, which has been expanding since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear agreement. Iran has steadily increased its uranium enrichment levels and accumulated significant stockpiles of nuclear material, bringing it closer to weapons capability.

US President Donald Trump has suggested that Israel’s strikes could help his administration make a nuclear deal with Iran. When asked whether the Israel bombing jeopardised the negotiations, he said, maybe now Iran will negotiate seriously.

Earlier, Mr Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call for the first time since the Israel attacked Iran. President Trump repeatedly urged Iran to make a nuclear deal to avoid further Israel strikes which he warned will be even more brutal.