In the pre-dawn hours of Friday, Israel launched a major aerial assault on Iran, targeting “dozens” of nuclear sites, missile facilities and military command centers, including the Natanz uranium-enrichment plant and Revolutionary Guards headquarters near Tehran.
Reports confirm the deaths of several senior IRGC officials, including Major General Hossein Salami and General Mohammad Bagheri, along with prominent nuclear scientists like Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. Iranian state media has said the strikes also injured civilians, including at least 35 women and children, and damaged civilian infrastructure.
Announcing the operation as “open-ended,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli Knesset that Tel Aviv would “act with all necessary force until the Iranian threat is permanently dismantled.” He claimed the strikes were not only a response to Iran’s increasing nuclear brinkmanship but also a preemptive move to dismantle a so-called “axis of terror stretching from Tehran to Beirut.”
Netanyahu emphasized that this was the start of a prolonged campaign to ensure Iran could never threaten Israel “with annihilation or a nuclear weapon.” The speech drew widespread domestic support but also raised international alarm about the risk of long-term regional destabilization.
Iran has indicated it believes the U.S. supported Israel’s aggression, especially as the two states were due to continue talks on a nuclear deal on Sunday. Trump told Fox News he was aware of Israel’s plans, seemingly validating the concerns, asserting that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear bomb.”
Washington was quick to deny any involvement, however, labeling the operation a “unilateral Israeli action.” In a statement Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington “was not involved in strikes against Iran” and emphasized its focus on protecting U.S. personnel in the region. President Trump, who had previously cautioned Israel against acting too soon, stated that while diplomatic efforts were ongoing, he had sought restraint: “I don’t want [Israel] going in… that could blow” the nuclear talks.
Drone strikes
Iran’s leadership has vowed severe retaliatory action, with Supreme Leader Khamenei warning Israel should expect a “bitter and painful fate.” IRGC spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi has promised coordinated responses targeting both Jerusalem and U.S. interests, indicating Tehran does not believe Washington’s denials regarding its involvement.
Within hours, Iran launched over 100 drones toward Israel, with Israeli defenses scrambling to intercept them. Tehran reportedly plans a mix of missiles and drone strikes, possibly extending to U.S. bases in the Gulf if diplomatic avenues with Washington collapse.
Global implications
The confrontation marks a dramatic escalation between long-standing adversaries. Iran’s potential deployment of proxy forces in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, plus disruption of global shipping, threatens to spill the conflict across the region. The rising energy prices, strained supply lines, and regional proxy battles create a volatile mix with direct consequences for European, Asian, and global economies.
Indications of the economic fallout were evident within minutes of the Israeli strikes. Oil surged sharply—Brent crude jumped over 12%, while the U.S. benchmark WTI climbed about 10%—marking the largest single-day spike since May 2022. Markets and futures also slumped, reflecting fears of prolonged Middle East instability, threats to supply routes like the Strait of Hormuz, and rising insurance costs for shipping. Analysts warn these disruptions could push global fuel prices higher, causing global inflationary pressures.