By Kay Noel
Israel conducted strikes across Iran on Friday, targeting the “heart” of the country’s nuclear programme. The Israeli military reported that Iran launched a counter-attack of over 100 drones, which Israel has begun to intercept outside its territory. A state of emergency was declared in Israel.
The strikes resulted in significant casualties and damage. Hossein Salami, chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and nuclear scientists were reportedly killed. The strikes also hit Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz. The US denied involvement in the strikes, while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the Natanz facility was hit but reported no increase in radiation levels.
The initial strikes occurred around 03:30 local time (0100 BST) in Tehran, with residential areas hit and blasts heard northeast of the capital. Israel’s military said it struck “dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.” An explosion was later reported at the Natanz nuclear facility, located about 225km south of Tehran.
