Iran Fires 100 Drones At Israel As Revolutionary Guard Corps Leader Killed In Overnight Strikes

Iran has fired 100 drones at Israel in response to an operation targeting senior Iranian military leaders and nuclear facilities overnight Friday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed more than 200 Air Force fighter jets attacked about 100 targets across Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Operation Rising Lion is a targeted military operation to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”

It struck “at the heart” of Iran’s nuclear enrichment and weaponization programs, as well as targeting leading nuclear scientists and the country’s ballistic missile program, Netanyahu said.

The strikes killed the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to retaliate and said Israel should prepare for a “bitter, painful fate.”

“That [Zionist] regime should anticipate a severe punishment. By God’s grace, the powerful arm of the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces won’t let them go unpunished,” he said.

The Natanz Nuclear Facility was among those targeted in the Israeli strikes, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed.

There is, so far, no increase in radiation from the site.

A state of emergency has been declared in Israel as officials anticipate retaliation and work to intercept the drones Iran launched in response.

Netanyahu said the operation could go on for days and was in response to how close Iran was to producing nuclear weapons.

“If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year, it could be within a few months, less than a year,” he said.

“This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”

“Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and to the wider world,” the IDF added.

“The State of Israel has no choice but to fulfill 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.”

Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, and Maj-Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, were also killed, according to the IDF.

Iranian state media is reporting that the strikes hit residential buildings in Tehran and killed women and children, as well as leading nuclear scientists.

This claim has not been independently verified.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has accused the U.S. of being involved in the strikes, as it urged the United Nations (UN) to take “immediate action.”

“The Zionist regime’s acts of aggression against Iran could not have been carried out without the coordination and approval of the United States,” a statement read.

“Consequently, the U.S. government, as the primary patron of this regime, will also bear responsibility for the dangerous repercussions of the Zionist regime’s reckless actions.”

The U.S. has confirmed having knowledge of the planned attacks but says it did not play any part.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.

“Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.

“President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners.”

“Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

This follows the U.S. ordering the evacuation of non-essential embassy staff and their families from Iraq, along with new restrictions on the movement of American personnel in Israel.

Reports then began to circulate that an Israeli strike on Iran was imminent.

Yesterday, for the first time in 20 years, the IAEA formally declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.

“Iran’s many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 to provide the agency with full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran ... constitutes non-compliance with its obligations,” the report said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been in talks with Iran over a nuclear deal.

Shortly before the Israeli strikes, he posted on Truth Social: “We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue!

“My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon.”

World leaders have urged Israel and Iran to show restraint and urgently reduce tensions.

“The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X.

“Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm, and a return to diplomacy.”

“We call on all sides to exercise restraint and avoid any escalation that could undermine regional stability,” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a statement.

Turkey has strongly condemned the Israeli strikes and urged it to “stop aggression.”

“The timing of the strikes, which occurred during intensified negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, clearly indicates that the Netanyahu government is unwilling to resolve any issue through diplomatic means and does not hesitate to risk regional stability and global peace for its own interests,” a Foreign Ministry statement read.

“Israel must immediately cease its aggressive actions that could lead to broader conflicts.

“We reiterate that we do not want to see any more bloodshed and destruction in the Middle East. We call on the international community to take urgent action to prevent the spread of war.”