Israel has carried out military strikes inside Iran, targeting what it described as the “heart” of Tehran’s nuclear program.
The attack comes just days after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, defiantly rejected a key U.S. demand to halt uranium enrichment—a major sticking point in stalled nuclear negotiations.
In a televised address, Khamenei warned that Israel would face “severe consequences” for the strikes, which Iranian state media say killed top officials, including Hossein Salami, chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as several nuclear scientists.
A spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces vowed that both Israel and the U.S. would pay a “heavy price.”
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu called the strikes a “targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”
He claimed Iran was “weeks away” from producing a nuclear weapon if left unchecked.
Israel has since declared a state of emergency, anticipating retaliatory attacks “in the immediate future.”
The U.S. proposal for a revived nuclear deal, mediated by Oman, was presented to Iran over the weekend.
However, major disagreements persist, including Iran’s refusal to cease domestic uranium enrichment or export its stockpile of highly enriched uranium—a potential precursor for nuclear arms.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated Washington had “no role” in the strikes and provided no assistance.
The attack marks a dangerous escalation in the shadow war between Israel and Iran, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Analysts warn that Tehran’s promised retaliation could trigger further instability across the Middle East.
