Tehran: Iran and Israel targeted each other with airstrikes early on Saturday after Israel launched its biggest-ever offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
According to France24.com, air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the country's two largest cities, before dawn, sending residents rushing into shelters. The military reported that its air defense systems were active, attempting to intercept Iranian missiles.
The Fars news agency reported that two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, with Iranian media noting flames were observed there. The airport, located near key Iranian leadership sites, hosts an air force base equipped with fighter jets and transport aircraft.
Israeli media indicated that a suspected missile landed in Tel Aviv, while a Reuters witness heard a loud explosion in Jerusalem. It remained uncertain whether the activity resulted from Iranian strikes or Israeli defensive measures.
The Fars news agency also mentioned that Tehran launched a third wave of airstrikes on Saturday, following two salvos on Friday night. These actions were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran earlier on Friday, targeting commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets, and nuclear sites.
In central Tel Aviv, a high-rise building was struck during the missile attacks, damaging its lower third in a densely populated urban area. An apartment block in nearby Ramat Gan was destroyed. Israel's ambulance service reported 34 people injured on Friday night in the Tel Aviv area, mostly with minor injuries, with police later confirming one fatality.
The US military assisted in intercepting Iranian missiles aimed at Israel on Friday, stated two US officials. Israel's military disclosed that Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday, most of which were intercepted or fell short. Nevertheless, several buildings in and around Tel Aviv sustained damage.
The ongoing Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent Iranian retaliation heightened concerns of a broader regional conflict, despite Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon being weakened by Israel.
Iran's state news agency IRNA stated that Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel's assault on Iran's Natanz underground nuclear site, which allegedly killed its top military commanders. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
Israeli officials suggested that assessing the full extent of damage at Natanz might take time. Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium there to bomb-grade levels rather than for civilian use.
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi informed the Security Council on Friday that the above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz was destroyed. He added that the UN was still collecting information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and Isfahan.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of initiating a war. A senior Iranian official warned that no place in Israel would be safe, promising painful revenge.
Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani reported that 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran, with over 320 individuals wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of complicity in the attacks and stated that it shared full responsibility for the consequences.
Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon claimed intelligence confirmed that Iran would soon have enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He described Israel's operation as "an act of national preservation."
Iran has consistently asserted that its nuclear program is intended for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog recently concluded that Iran was violating its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty.
US President Donald Trump stated that it was not too late for Tehran to stop the Israeli bombing campaign by negotiating a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in discussions with the Trump administration over a nuclear deal to replace the one Trump withdrew from in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer.