Topline
Israel launched a series of major military strikes against Iran and its nuclear program on Thursday, killing several top military officials and nuclear scientists in the country, in a move that U.S. officials said was a “unilateral” action by Israel as they denied any involvement by U.S. forces.
Timeline
An Iranian military spokesperson, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, told the country’s media that the overnight strikes damaged residential buildings and claimed that the Israeli attack had been “carried out with U.S. support,” even as Washignton has denied involvement.
Shekarchi added that the Israeli strikes will be met with a “heavy response.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed that Iran’s Natanz nuclear sites was targeted by the Israeli strikes and said: “The Agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country.”
Iranian state media said the commander in chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Hossein Salami, was killed in the Israeli strikes, along with Gen. Gholamali Rashid, the deputy chief of staff of the Iranian military.
State media reports added that two prominent nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were also killed in the strikes.
Sirens blared across Israel on Thursday night as the country’s defense minister Israel Katz declared a state of emergency in the country saying: “Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the state of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement the U.S. is not involved in the strikes and that Israel believed the strikes were “necessary for its self-defense.”
Rubio urged Iran to not target U.S. interests or personnel.
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Key Background
The attack comes a day after several U.S. embassies in the Middle East were evacuated over “heightened security risks” in the region. President Donald Trump, who has opposed immediate military action against Iran in hopes a nuclear deal could be reached, said Thursday afternoon, prior to the strike, “it looks like something could very well happen” and that the U.S. was “fairly close” on a nuclear agreement. Trump also said an attack by Israel “could blow” a potential agreement, noting there is a “chance of massive conflict.”
Further Reading
Will Israel Strike Iran? Trump Evacuates 4 Middle East Embassies As Fears Grow (Forbes)
An Israeli military official says his country targeted Iranian nuclear sites (Forbes)
