Israel-Iran Conflict Escalates with Mutual Airstrikes

Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion,” conducting dozens of preemptive airstrikes on more than 100 targets in Iran, including key nuclear facilities and personnel, dropping over 330 munitions. Iran retaliated with about 100 missiles, most intercepted by Israel’s defenses with U.S. assistance; the U.S. said it did not participate in the strikes. The attacks followed an IAEA censure of Iran for non-cooperation and increased near-weapons-grade uranium stockpiles. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said Iran confirmed strikes on Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan, with Natanz’s above-ground 60% enrichment plant destroyed and possible centrifuge damage. The article outlines Iran’s major nuclear sites: Natanz and Fordo enrichment facilities (hardened, with Fordo deep underground), the Bushehr civilian power plant (Russian-fueled), the Arak heavy water reactor (plutonium pathway concerns), the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center (research and labs), and the Tehran Research Reactor. U.S. officials urged renewed negotiations; Iran announced plans for a third enrichment site and more advanced centrifuges.

Israel launched extensive airstrikes across Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, scientists, and senior military commanders. The IDF said 200 jets hit over 100 targets, including sites in Tehran, Natanz, and the Isfahan area, damaging underground enrichment infrastructure and a metallic uranium production facility. Fordow was not struck initially, though later reports noted drones near the site. The IAEA reported no radiation increase at Natanz. Israel claimed the killings of top Iranian military figures, including Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC leaders. Iran responded with waves of drones and missiles, most intercepted but with limited structural hits. The U.S. said it was not involved, as the Trump administration pursued talks to limit Iran’s nuclear program. Both Israeli and Iranian leaders issued defiant statements, with Tehran vowing strong retaliation. Maps in the report track confirmed strike locations and key nuclear sites.

Israel’s escalating strikes on Iran over its nuclear program have triggered fear and flight from major cities, especially Tehran, where residents report nighttime explosions, fuel depot hits, and limited shelter options. Authorities are opening Tehran’s metro, schools, and mosques as ad hoc shelters; fuel purchases and cash withdrawals are capped, and roads north toward the Caspian are jammed with families leaving. Similar panic buying and fuel lines are reported in Shiraz. Iran experts say strikes on residential areas mark a dangerous escalation. While many Iranians oppose their government, residents interviewed reject Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s call for revolt amid bombings. Israel says operations could last weeks with implicit US backing and has warned civilians near weapons facilities to evacuate. Iran has vowed proportional retaliation; over 200 rockets were launched into Israel overnight, with casualties reported on both sides.

CNN’s Nic Robertson reports from Bat Yam, a central Israeli city hit by Iranian missiles, showing damage in a residential area. At least 10 people have been killed across Israel from the overnight Iranian strikes as emergency teams continue search and rescue operations. The attack is part of an escalating exchange of missile and drone strikes between Iran and Israel.

Israel and Iran’s conflict entered a fourth day with intensified mutual strikes. Iran launched overnight missile barrages that hit an oil refinery in Haifa, damaged Israel’s power grid, and struck residential areas in Tel Aviv and central Israel, killing at least five overnight and bringing Israel’s death toll to about 18 since Friday. Israel said it hit Quds Force command centers in Tehran as part of an operation expected to last weeks, with implicit US approval. Casualties in Iran have risen to at least 224 dead and over 1,200 hospitalized. Civilians on both sides are fleeing or sheltering amid significant damage. Oil prices rose on fears of regional supply disruption. US officials said President Trump rejected an alleged Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, a claim denied by Israel’s prime minister.

CNN’s Clarissa Ward reports from Tamra, a predominantly Palestinian town in northern Israel, where an Iranian rocket hit a home, killing multiple civilians. The visit highlights the human toll of escalating Iran-Israel exchanges, with residential areas coming under direct attack amid broader regional strikes and counterstrikes.

Iranian state media report that Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an Israeli airstrike at his home in Tehran. A longtime senior military and security figure, Shamkhani previously led IRGC Ground Forces, commanded the Artesh Navy, served as defense minister (1997–2005), and headed the SNSC (2013–2023). Analysts say his death signals a strategic escalation by Israel aimed at Iran’s leadership and power structure, following other strikes on Iranian targets. Shamkhani’s influence grew after Qassem Soleimani’s 2020 death; he was sanctioned by the U.S. after Iran’s missile retaliation that year.

Sky News analysis argues Israel’s strike on Iran aimed not only to deter a potential Iranian nuclear weapon but also to weaken the regime and encourage internal change. Netanyahu’s call for Iranians to overthrow their “oppressive” rulers and his use of the “woman, life, freedom” slogan signal a bet that public discontent—driven by economic hardship and shortages—could grow if the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is degraded. Israel has targeted IRGC leaders and infrastructure while avoiding the regular army, calculating broader military and public resentment of the IRGC. However, analysts note the regime’s proven willingness and capacity to violently suppress dissent, the absence of a unifying opposition leader, and the possibility that any transition could be a military takeover rather than a popular uprising. Uncertainty remains over whether Supreme Leader Khamenei, if threatened, might resort to drastic military escalation.

Israel and Iran entered a fourth day of their most direct and deadly confrontation in decades. Israel struck what it says was the Quds Force command center and other Revolutionary Guards sites, after days of attacks on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure that have killed at least 224 people in Iran, including multiple senior commanders. Iran retaliated with hundreds of ballistic missiles, hitting targets across Israel, including an apartment building in Petah Tikva that killed at least three people and Israel’s largest oil refinery in Haifa Bay, sparking major fires. At least 13 civilians have been killed in Israel since Friday, with dozens more injured. Israel continued strikes on missile sites inside Iran and maintained shelter orders as alerts sounded nationwide. Diplomacy appears stalled after U.S.-Iran nuclear talks were canceled, though European leaders urged de-escalation. Both sides show no sign of backing down.

Israel and Iran escalated their confrontation with reciprocal strikes. Israel expanded attacks on Iran, targeting its energy sector and the Defence Ministry headquarters, following an earlier operation aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear program. Iran responded with a large missile barrage into Israel, killing at least eight people, including children, and causing extensive damage, notably collapsing an eight-storey building in Bat Yam where dozens are missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing in Israel, while casualty figures in Iran remain unclear. The exchanges deepen the regional crisis and signal a dangerous intensification of direct conflict between the two countries.