Israel Bombs Iran’s Nuclear, Military Sites, Stoking Middle East War

In an escalation of tensions in the Middle East, Israel has unleashed a wave of strikes on Iran on Friday, targeting around 100 sites including nuclear facilities and military command centers.

The attacks, which involved 200 fighter jets, killed several senior Iranian military figures, including the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists.

According to Iranian media, the strikes killed Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami.

Six nuclear scientists were also reported to have been killed in the attacks.

The Israeli military said the strikes were aimed at the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program” and were necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation would “continue as many days as it takes” to achieve its goals.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Israel that it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attacks, while the Iranian military said there were “no limits” to its response.

The Iranian armed forces later launched around 100 drones in retaliation, which were intercepted by Israeli air defenses outside Israeli territory.

The attacks have sparked a regional crisis, with neighboring Jordan intercepting drones and missiles that violated its airspace.

Air raid sirens sounded in Amman, and the country’s military said it was on high alert. Iraq and Jordan also closed their airspace and suspended flights, while Gulf airlines cancelled flights to and from Iran, as well as Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News that he had prior knowledge of the Israeli strikes, but stressed that the United States was not involved in the operation.

Trump warned Iran that it “cannot have a nuclear bomb” and said that the US would not tolerate any attacks on its personnel or interests.

However, Tehran said that Washington would be “responsible for consequences” as Israel’s operation “cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States”.

The US has underlined that it is not involved in the Israeli action, but the Iranian statement has raised concerns about the potential for further escalation.

The strikes have also had a significant impact on global markets, with oil prices surging and stocks sinking.

The Israeli strikes came after Trump’s warning of a “massive conflict” in the region, and have raised fears of a wider war.