Israel Launches Major Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Program
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says operation "will continue as long as is needed."
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated accordingly.
The IDF in an official statement says that it has launched a “precise, preemptive strike” in Iran, “with the goal of damaging Iran’s nuclear program and in response to the Iranian regime’s ongoing aggression against Israel.”
“Dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft recently completed the opening blow, which included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear-related sites in various areas in Iran,” the IDF says.
“The public is requested to follow the instructions of the IDF Home Front Command, which will be updated as necessary, and act calmly and responsibly. The IDF and the relevant authorities are prepared for a wide range of scenarios in defense and offense that may be needed,” the military says.
The IDF statement continues: “For years, the Iranian regime has been waging a direct and indirect campaign of terror against the State of Israel, by funding and directing terrorist activities via its proxies across the Middle East, while advancing toward obtaining a nuclear weapon. The Iranian regime is at the head of the axis responsible for all terrorist attacks against the State of Israel since the beginning of the war.”
“The Iranian regime has proclaimed that its objective is to destroy the State of Israel. Senior officials in the Iranian regime have publicly declared their intent to destroy Israel, and are operating to achieve this together with their proxies in the Middle East. Today, Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and a significant threat to the wider world. The State of Israel will not allow a regime whose objective is to destroy the State of Israel to obtain weapons of mass destruction,” the IDF says.
“The IDF has conducted a process of preparations for a campaign on the frontline and on the home front. The resilience of Israel’s citizens will be an important factor of the campaign. The IDF is ready to continue to act as required. The State of Israel has the obligation to act in defense of its citizens and will continue to do so everywhere it is required to do so, as we have done in the past. The IDF is conducting an ongoing situational assessment and will update on any developments,” it adds.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said in an interview on Fox News that Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear and military sites after receiving intelligence that Tehran was “moving forward” with plans to “destroy” both Israel and the United States.
Asked about what intelligence Israel received that prompted its attack last night, Danon said that “for years,” Israel was aware of threats from Iran “to destroy Israel, to destroy the United States,” but that Israel had “gathered intelligence that they [Iran] are actually moving forward” to execute such plans by pursuing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.
In addition to trying to develop a nuclear weapon, Iran was attempting to reach the same ballistic missile capabilities, in terms of number of missiles, as the US and Russia, as well as use its proxies in the Middle East to pursue its goal of destroying Israel, says Danon.
Through its proxies, Iran planned to “initiate another attack like Oct. 7,” he adds.
“Once we gathered the information about that, we decided not to wait. We believed their intentions,” says the envoy.
“We expect very intense days ahead of us,” he continues, “but we took that risk because we realized the option to wait for Iran to actually assemble the nuclear capability on the ballistic missiles — we can not wait for that.”
“It’s going to be a long operation…we are determined to finish the job,” he says.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the Israeli strikes on nuclear and military targets in Iran were “excellent” and warned there was much more to come, in a phone interview with ABC News.
“I think it’s been excellent. We gave them a chance, and they didn’t take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come. A lot more,” Trump said.
ABC News said that the U.S. president refused to comment on whether there was American participation in the strikes.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
In an earlier post, Trump said: “There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end.”
He urged Iran “to make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.”
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