Israel’s protection minister warned Saturday that “Tehran will burn” if Iran continues firing missiles at Israel. Iran’s retaliatory strikes come after Israel unleashed a collection of blistering assaults on Iran’s nuclear program and armed forces on Thursday.
Talking after an evaluation assembly with the military’s chief of workers, Protection Minister Israel Katz stated Iran pays a heavy worth for harming Israeli residents. A minimum of three folks have died in Israel, and dozens wounded, Israel Protection Forces (IDF) officers stated Saturday morning. Iran’s U.N. ambassador stated a minimum of 78 folks have died and a whole bunch have been wounded in Iran from Israel’s strikes.
“If (Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front — Tehran will burn,” Katz stated.
Iranian state tv reported on-line that air defenses have been firing within the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Tabriz, signaling the beginning of what may very well be a brand new Israeli assault on Saturday. Footage from Tabriz confirmed black smoke rising from town.
An Israeli navy official stated Saturday that the navy was poised to hold out extra strikes in Iran, saying, “This is not over.” He spoke on situation of anonymity, consistent with official procedures.
Israel’s preliminary assault used warplanes — in addition to drones smuggled into the nation upfront, in keeping with officers — to hit key amenities and kill high generals and scientists. Israel’s military stated Saturday it killed 9 senior scientists and consultants concerned in Iran’s nuclear mission.
Israeli Iron Dome air protection system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 13, 2025.
Leo Correa / AP
Each Israel and Iran stated their assaults would proceed, elevating the prospect of one other protracted Mideast battle. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Friday that his goal was to get rid of any Iranian risk to Israel, however he additionally urged Iranians to stand up towards their leaders. Israel would welcome the federal government’s overthrow even when it’s not actively searching for it.
“The time has come for you to unite around your flag and your historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from an evil and oppressive regime,” Netanyahu stated Friday. “It has never been weaker. This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard.”
Strikes might derail U.S.-Iran nuclear talks
Israel’s strikes additionally put additional talks between the USA and Iran over a nuclear accord into doubt earlier than they have been set to fulfill Sunday in Oman. Iran’s International Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei referred to as additional nuclear talks with the USA “meaningless” after Israeli strikes on the nation, state tv stated.
“The U.S. did a job that made the talks become meaningless,” Baghaei was quoted as saying. He added that Israel had handed all Iran’s pink traces by committing a “criminal act” by way of its strikes.
Firefighters and folks clear up the scene of an explosion at a residence compound after Israeli assaults in Tehran, Friday, June 13, 2025.
Vahid Salemi / AP
President Trump urged Iran on Friday to achieve a cope with the U.S. on its nuclear program, warning on his Fact Social platform that Israel’s assaults “will only get worse.”
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left,” he wrote.
“The Iranians tend to negotiate very slowly. And be very slow to make concessions,” Todman stated. “And so I think he’s now viewing these military actions by Israel as a way of increasing pressure on Iran to make those concessions and ultimately come to a deal.”
Iranian missiles strike Israel
Khamenei stated in a recorded message Friday: “We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.”
Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late Friday and early Saturday. Iranians awoke Saturday to state tv airing repeated clips of strikes on Israel, in addition to movies of individuals cheering and handing out sweets. Israel’s navy stated extra drones have been intercepted close to the Lifeless Sea early Saturday.
A hospital in Tel Aviv handled seven folks wounded within the second Iranian barrage; all however one among them had mild accidents. Israel’s Hearth and Rescue Companies stated they have been wounded when a projectile hit a constructing within the metropolis. A spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital stated one lady was killed.
An explosion is seen throughout a missile assault in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Tomer Neuberg / AP
Hours later, an Iranian missile struck close to houses within the central Israeli metropolis of Rishon Lezion, killing two extra folks and wounding 19, in keeping with Israel’s paramedic service Magen David Adom. Israel’s Hearth and Rescue service stated 4 houses have been severely broken.
Israel’s primary worldwide airport stated Saturday it is going to stay closed till additional discover.
The Israeli navy stated it carried out in a single day strikes on dozens of targets, together with air defenses, “in the area of Tehran.”
Israel’s paramedic providers stated 34 folks have been wounded within the barrage on the Tel Aviv space, together with a girl who was critically injured after being trapped beneath rubble. In Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, an AP journalist noticed burned-out vehicles and a minimum of three broken homes, together with one the place the entrance was practically totally torn away.
Residents of a central Israeli metropolis that was hit Friday evening instructed the AP the explosion was so highly effective it shook their shelter door open. “We thought, that’s it, the house is gone, and in fact half of the house was gone, it fell apart,” stated Moshe Shani.
This image exhibits a path from an Iranian rocket within the sky above Jerusalem on June 13, 2025.
AHMAD GHARABLI
U.S. ground-based air protection programs within the area have been serving to to shoot down Iranian missiles, stated a U.S. official who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the measures.
Israel’s ongoing airstrikes and Iran’s retaliation raised considerations about all-out struggle between the international locations and propelled the area, already on edge, into even better upheaval. Israel’s 20-month-long struggle with Gaza exhibits no indicators of ending. A minimum of 27 folks have been killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza in a single day Friday, in keeping with native hospitals.
Strikes elevate fears of all-out struggle
International locations within the area condemned Israel’s assault, whereas leaders across the globe referred to as for instant de-escalation from each side.
Israel had lengthy threatened such a strike, and successive American administrations sought to forestall it, fearing it might ignite a wider battle throughout the Center East and probably be ineffective at destroying Iran’s dispersed and hardened nuclear program.
However a confluence of developments triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault — plus the reelection of Mr. Trump — created the circumstances that allowed Israel to lastly comply with by way of on its threats. Netanyahu stated the U.S. was knowledgeable upfront of the assault.
On Thursday, Iran was censured by the U.N.’s atomic watchdog for not complying with obligations meant to forestall it from creating a nuclear weapon.
Above-ground part of Natanz facility destroyed
Israel stated it additionally struck a nuclear analysis facility in Isfahan, and stated it destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Iran confirmed the strike at Isfahan.
This satellite tv for pc picture offered by Maxar Applied sciences exhibits the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran on Jan. 24, 2025.
Maxar Applied sciences through AP
U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi instructed the Safety Council that the above-ground part of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The primary centrifuge facility underground didn’t seem to have been hit, however the lack of energy might have broken the infrastructure there, he stated.
Netanyahu stated the assault had been months within the making and was deliberate for April earlier than being postponed.
Israel’s Mossad spy company positioned explosive drones and precision weapons inside Iran forward of time, and used them to focus on Iranian air defenses and missile launchers close to Tehran, in keeping with two safety officers who spoke on situation of anonymity.
It was not doable to independently corroborate these claims.
Over the previous yr, Israel has been concentrating on Iran’s air defenses, hitting a radar system for a Russian-made air protection battery in April 2024, and surface-to-air missile websites and missile manufacturing amenities in October.
The primary wave of strikes gave Israel “significant freedom of movement” in Iran’s skies, clearing the way in which for additional assaults, in keeping with an Israeli navy official who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not licensed to debate particulars of the assault with the media.
The official stated Israel is ready for an operation that would last as long as two weeks, however that there was no agency timeline.
Amongst these killed have been three of Iran’s high navy leaders: one who oversaw the whole armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami; and the top of the Guard’s ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
Two of Bagheri’s deputies have been additionally killed, Iran confirmed Saturday: Gen. Gholamreza Mehrabi, the deputy of intelligence for the armed forces’ normal workers, and Gen. Mehdi Rabbani, the deputy of operations.
On Saturday, Khamenei named a brand new chief for the Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division. Gen. Majid Mousavi will change Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who was killed in Friday’s airstrike. The Guard’s aerospace division oversees Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles.
