Iranian state media confirms death of Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami
Iranian state media has confirmed the killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami in an Israeli strike.
One other top Guard official, as well as two nuclear scientists, were also feared dead, the reports say.
There has been no officials comment from the Iranian government or Revolutionary Guards.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is one of the main power centres within the country. It also controls Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Fire and smoke were seen at a key site for the Guards in Tehran after the Israeli strikes, state TV reported.
“A fire and smoke is being seen at IRGC General Command Headquarters in Pirouzi Street in the east of Tehran,” state TV said.
Key events
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, says Israel launched Operation “Rising Lion” against Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure with the aim of eliminating an existential and immediate threat to the citizens of Israel and the entire world.
Speaking to the UN secretary general and members of the security council, Danon said: “This is a moment to make moral decisions. Stand by Israel – or you will be partners in a dangerous silence.”
The Iranian regime is blatantly violating international agreements, advancing towards nuclear weapons, and operating a regional terror network.”
Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei says Israel will receive a harsh punishment
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Israel will receive a harsh punishment after its attack on Iran early on Friday.
Khamenei has confirmed that several commanders and scientists were killed in the attacks – and warned that Israel had “prepared a bitter fate for itself.”
Iran has shut its airspace until further notice after Israel carried out air strikes on multiple targets across the country, state TV reported.
Public relations of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization announced the closure of the country’s airspace until further notice by issuing aeronautical notices (NOTAM).”
Oil prices jump on news of Iran strikes
Oil prices jumped more than 7% on Friday, hitting their highest in months after Israel said it struck Iran, dramatically escalating tensions in the Middle East and raising worries about disrupted oil supplies.
Reuters reports that Brent crude futures rose $5.29, or 7.63%, to $74.65 a barrel by after hitting an intraday high of $75.32, the highest since 2 April. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up $5.38, or 7.91%, at $73.42 a barrel after hitting a high of $74.35.
“The Israeli attack on Iran has heightened the risk premium further,” MST Marquee senior energy analyst Saul Kavonic said.
“The conflict would need to escalate to the point of Iranian retaliation on oil infrastructure in the region before oil supply is actually materially impacted,” he said, adding that Iran could hinder up to 20 million barrels per day of oil supply via attacks on infrastructure or limiting passage through the Strait of Hormuz in an extreme scenario.
International Atomic Energy Agency closely monitoring situation
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that it is monitoring the situation in Iran and has confirmed that the Natanz enrichment facility is among the targets.
The Agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country.”
On Thursday the IAEA issued its strongest condemnation of Iran in 20 years as it said the country had continued to enrich uranium to near weapons-grade levels and had failed to comply with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations.
Summary
It’s 6.30am in Iran where Israel has launched a number of strikes aimed at “dozens” of targets, including nuclear facilities.
Here’s where things stand:
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Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the attack, dubbed Rising Lion, would take “many days” and was aimed at “rolling back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival”.
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Netanyahu said one target was the Natanz nuclear facility, a key site for uranium enrichment.
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The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, announced a “special situation” in Israel after the country launched the strikes and said Israel expected retaliation.
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Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israel’s air defence units stood at high alert.
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Iranian state TV reported that Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami was killed in the strikes and the unit’s headquarters in Tehran had been hit. State TV is reporting that nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were also killed.
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Iran’s Press TV reports there have been a number of fatalities from Israel’s attack in Tehran. State TV has said several explosions were heard in Tehran and the country’s air defence system are on full alert.
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Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations has said Israel has an ongoing dialogue with the United States but its determination to strike Iran was an independent Israeli decision.
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Donald Trump will attend a national security council meeting on Friday morning, in the wake of the strikes. Earlier, Trump warned that a “massive conflict” could break out in the Middle East soon if talks over an Iranian nuclear deal break down.
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Secretary of state Marco Rubio said the US was not involved in the strikes. “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. 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-defence.”
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World leaders have voiced concern over the strikes. New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said that the Israeli airstrikes on Iran was a “really unwelcome development”.
Reports of further round of strikes on Tehran
People in Iran’s capital, Tehran, are reporting hearing explosions boom across the city again, the Associated Press reports.
Iranian state media are reporting fresh Israeli attacks in Tehran and Reuters has said that air defence fire can be heard over the city.
Israel’s army chief has said the military’s strikes against Iran on Friday may not achieve “absolute success” and warned citizens to brace for likely retaliation from the Islamic republic.
“I can’t promise absolute success – the Iranian regime will attempt to attack us in response, the expected toll will be different to what we are used to,” Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said, while calling the strikes on Iran a “historic campaign unlike any other”.
Defence minister Israel Katz said Israel was at a “critical juncture” in its campaign against Iran.
“This is a defining moment in the history of the State of Israel and in the history of the Jewish people,” Katz said in a statement.
We are now at a critical juncture. If we miss it, we will have no way to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons that will endanger our very own existence.”
Julian Borger
The attack on Iran comes a few days before a new round of US-Iranian talks were due in Oman, aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear programme, which has expanded rapidly since 2018 Donald Trump withdrew from an international deal constraining the programme.
The US president had discouraged Israel from taking military action while the talks were under way, though in the past few days he had expressed pessimism about them. It is unclear whether Washington was given advance warning of Israeli action and whether Trump had given a green light.
In his speech, Netanyahu praised Trump for his efforts to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, and said Israel was acting in both its own and America’s interest.
New York Times journalist Farnaz Fassihi is reporting on Iranian statements saying that the country will be “retaliating in force soon with counter strikes.”
Gen Shekarchi, a spokesperson of the Armed Forces, said “Israel and the United States will receive a forceful slap.”
Iran’s state TV reports new explosion at Natanz nuclear facility
Iran’s state TV has reported new explosion at the Natanz nuclear facility following the Israeli attack.
Earlier black smoke was seen rising over the enrichment facility on state TV. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel targeted the site in Friday’s attack.
Despite criticism from some US lawmakers, many other congressional leaders are offering full throated support for Israel’s actions.
Democratic senator John Fetterman said “our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack.”
We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran.”
Senator Tom Cotton says “We back Israel to the hilt, all the way.”
Iran is the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, has the blood of thousands of Americans on its hands, and is rushing to build not only nuclear weapons, but also missiles that can strike the United States. We back Israel to the hilt, all the way.
And if the ayatollahs harm…
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) June 13, 2025
Republican senator John Cornyn has said he is “proud to stand with Israel.”
Israel has an unquestionable right to defend itself.
I am proud to stand with Israel.#AmYisraelChai
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) June 13, 2025
US senator Chris Murphy has said the attack on Iran is “clearly intended to scuttle the Trump Administration’s negotiations with Iran” and “risks a regional war that will likely be catastrophic for America”.
The democratic senator said a war between Israel and Iran “may be good for Netanyahu’s domestic politics” but will likely be disastrous for “the rest of the region.”
Iran would not be this close to possessing a nuclear weapon if Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu had not forced America out of the nuclear agreement with Iran that had brought Europe, Russia, and China together behind the United States to successfully contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”
My full statement:
Israel’s attack on Iran, clearly intended to scuttle the Trump Administration’s negotiations with Iran, risks a regional war that will likely be catastrophic for America and is further evidence of how little respect world powers – including our own allies -…
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 13, 2025
Black smoke has been shown rising over Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz on state TV. It’s not clear how bad the damage is.
Iranian state television briefly showed the live picture with a reporter.
Natanz is partially above ground, partially below ground, with multiple halls of centrifuges spinning uranium gas for its nuclear program.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said Israel targeted the site in Friday’s attack.
Images showing the destruction after the strikes.
Here is some of the video that is coming into the Guardian showing explosions around Tehran on Friday morning.
US president Donald Trump will attend a National Security Council meeting on Friday morning, the White House said late on Thursday.
Earlier, Donald Trump warned that a “massive conflict” could break out in the Middle East soon if talks over an Iranian nuclear deal break down.
Trump said on Thursday he was worried that an Israeli strike could “blow” the negotiations, and he confirmed he had ordered some US personnel to evacuate from the Middle East in case of an Iranian counterattack that could include “missiles flying in their buildings”.
