Dozens of Israeli aircraft participated in an initial wave of strikes on dozens of military targets and Iranian nuclear sites early on Friday morning.
Warning sirens have been set off to get the public ready for potential Iranian counterattacks of ballistic missiles on Israel.
The IDF had not stopped attacking since the initial wave. Rather, as of 4:30 a.m., the IAF was still carrying out broad attacks, and there were no specific signs of stopping.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Iran is gearing up to produce tens of thousands of ballistic missiles, which could kill millions of Israelis even without nuclear weapons, but imagine if any of them had nuclear weapons on them.
Further, Netanyahu stated Iran may only be a few months away from being able to actually make a nuclear weapon, and not just have enough uranium.
A senior defense official on Friday morning said that there is an increasing possibility that the Iranian high command, including Iran’s military chief and Iran’s senior nuclear scientists, have been killed in the preemptive strike.
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The IDF confirmed that the reason for the attack is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and to the wider world,” the military said.
According to the IDF, Iran has enough uranium to weaponize it to nuclear levels, for 15 nuclear weapons within days.
Defense sources have warned that stairwells are no longer considered adequate protection in the event of missile retaliation.
“The best protected space is a reinforced security room (Mamad) or a designated shelter,” the sources said. The IDF’s Home Front Command has opened several underground parking garages to serve as temporary safe zones amid heightened alert.
In recent days, Iran developed a plan with Hezbollah, Hamas, and other proxies to destroy the State of Israel, potentially including attempts to attack via all borders, including Egypt and Jordan.
Seeking to justify Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran, IDF Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin noted that the Islamic Republic attacked the Jewish state twice, in April 2024 and October 2024.
He also said that Iran was the leader of a group of proxies which had carried out all of the attacks against Israel during the war, including Hamas’s massive invasion on October 7, 2023 and Hezbollah thousands of attacks on Israel from October 2023 – November 2024.
The IDF targets also include commanders, bases, and nuclear sites, though the main goal is nuclear sites.
Further, the IDF said in the last 20 minutes, Iran was taken by surprise and they were attacked in places they didn’t expect.
Israeli officials were transferred to a safe location following an assassination attempt on senior Iranian officials.
Israel has had strong coordination with the US, but Israeli military officials refused to say whether America was pre-updated or fully coordinated into the current attack, coming hours after Washington seemed to suggest it might not be in the loop or approve.
There was also a possibility that Israel having its navy in the area of Yemen and Iran could have military implications, though the IDF did not fully specify.
US President Donald Trump reportedly called a cabinet meeting following the strike.
“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,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
“President Trump and the administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
Mixed reports are saying there is a possibility that Israel has targeted the chief of staff of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
On April 13-14, 2024, Iran changed the Middle East forever, ending a decades-long covert shadow war with Israel by openly and directly attacking Israel with 180 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and dozens of cruise missiles.
Israel responded on April 19, 2024, by attacking one S-300 anti-aircraft defense system, which was protecting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facility in Isfahan.
The Jewish state never seriously considered attacking Iran’s nuclear sites in April 2024 like it did in October 2024, but that first direct round between the sides set the stage for the more dramatic follow-up and Friday morning’s preemptive strike.
Similar but evolved debates came into play in October 2024 after Tehran attacked Israel directly a second time, this time with over 200 ballistic missiles on October 1, 2024.
On October 24, 2024, Israel launched attacks on dozens of targets in Iran, including all of its remaining S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, much of its ballistic missile production capacity, and one minor nuclear site at Parchin.
This is a developing story.
[JP]
