LIVE BLOG: Israeli strikes kill at least 78 Iranians, US forces in action

4:06 PM MSTResidents say that Iranian air defence batteries are firing non-stop in Tehran's Pastour neighbourhood. This area includes the compounds of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian.3:55 PM MST Air raid sirens activated in Eilat, Israel’s southern Red Sea port city, after a hostile aircraft entered the area, according to the Israeli military. The military did not specify whether the aircraft was a drone or a conventional airplane.3:37 PM MSTIran’s ambassador to the UN said that during Israel's attacks 78 people were killed and over 320 wounded.3:18 PM MST"Talks to address Iran’s nuclear program were planned for Sunday. Instead Netanyahu launched illegal strikes on Iran, killing a top ceasefire negotiator, undermining U.S. diplomatic efforts & putting countless innocent lives at risk. We can’t be dragged into another Netanyahu war," tweeted US Senator Bernie Sanders..3:13 PM MSTIsraeli firefighters responded to multiple serious incidents caused by an Iranian missile attacks. Their crews tackled several major fires, mostly around Tel Aviv in the Dan region, according to a service statement.Firefighters worked to rescue people trapped inside a high-rise building and put out a blaze there. Teams also responded to two other sites suffering significant damage.3:05 PM MSTAt least 40 people are hospitalized in Israel after the Iranian strikes. Medical officials report two patients are in critical condition.The injuries involve different types, including shrapnel wounds, smoke inhalation, and shock. Earlier images showed missiles hitting areas in and around Tel Aviv during the attack.3:00 PM MSTIranian authorities informed Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that Israel targeted Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment facility. Grossi reported this during an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting. “At this moment, we do not have enough information beyond indicating that military activity has been taking place around these facilities,” said Grossi.Along with the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre, a major research site, both of Iran’s known nuclear enrichment facilities were targeted in these attacks. Fordow’s location deep inside a mountain may make it harder for Israel to successfully bomb that specific facility..2:54 PM MSTIn downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Hezbollah supporters are celebrating the Iranian missiles that hit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv..2:49 MSTIt appears Israel may be attacking Iran yet again.Government officials have vowed Irn will pay a heavy price for targeting civilians in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem..2:29 PM MSTCNN is reporting "that Israel is expected to escalate its strikes against Iran, destroying economic and infrastructure targets, such as oil and natural gas facilities as well as ports, in response to tonight’s Iranian ballistic missiles attack, which appears to have mainly targeted population centers in Israel.".2:00 PM MSTIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a recorded message and addressed the Iranian people directly. "Israel’s fight is not with you," said Netanyahu.“The Islamic regime which has oppressed you for almost 50 years threatens to destroy my country, the State of Israel. As we achieve our objectives, we are also clearing the path for you to achieve your freedom.”.1:53 PM MSTIran fired missiles “at civilian population centers in Israel” on Friday, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.Katz stated this action crossed a red line.Katz warned Iranian leaders would pay “a very heavy price.”.1:37 PM MSTIn a Friday interview with Fox News, Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Leiter stated Israel plans to target Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment facility. "The entire operation really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow," said Leiter.Fordow is one of Iran's two known sites for enriching nuclear material. These facilities are used to produce purified uranium. This fuel can power civilian nuclear reactors but also has potential applications for nuclear weapons. The other enrichment site, Natanz, suffered damage during Israeli strikes on Friday.1:08 PM MSTIsrael has confirmed the United States is aiding its defence, Axios reports. This US assistance is in response to ballistic missiles fired by Iran.12:53 PM MSTEarly reports indicate Iran launched approximately 100 ballistic missiles at Israel. Of these, about seven reportedly penetrated Israeli defences and struck their targets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with emergency services reporting seven people were injured in central Israel during the attack.12:37 PM MSTIranian Supreme Leader Khamenei said "Let history record that it was they who started this war.""The Zionist regime has made a big mistake, a grave error, and committed a reckless act. By God’s grace, the consequences of this will bring that regime to ruin."12:34 PM MSTIsrael has threatened to strike Iranian oil refineries and natural gas facilities in the Persian Gulf if Iran targets Israeli population centres during any retaliatory attack, according to Channel 12 television.Also, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States told CNN that seven missiles struck Tel Aviv.IDF says more ballistic missiles launched by Iran towards Israel.12:24 PM MSTIranian missiles hit Tel Aviv as Israeli military tells citizens to go to shelters..12:16 PM MSTIsrael's military announced it detected approximately 100 missiles fired from Iran toward Israel. Defence systems are now intercepting the missiles, the military added. Residents were also instructed to immediately enter bomb shelters. They must stay there until further notice..12:00 PM MSTIsraeli forces struck the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre, military spokesperson Effie Defrin stated in a news briefing. The Isfahan site functions as a multipurpose research centre. It employs about 3,000 scientists, according to the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative.This strike follows Israel’s confirmed earlier attack on the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Both actions are part of current Israeli operations..11:49 AM MSTA ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Iran-supporting Houthis struck near the West Bank town of Sa'ir, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).The IDF confirmed the missile, aimed at central Israel, was not intercepted. Israeli defences did not launch against it, the military says. This occurred despite at least five minutes of advance warning.The Israeli Air Defence Command is now investigating the incident..11:38 AM MSTAccording to Hillel Fuld, an Israeli official said the Iran attack "was 20 years in the making.".11:33 AM MSTEntire Iranian airforce command killed in bombing..11:29 AM MSTIsraeli strikes on Friday that killed two senior Iranian nuclear scientists were not the first attacks linked to Israel against key Iranian nuclear officials, according to state media.11:17 AM MSTThe Times of Israel reports President Trump knew about the strikes since Monday, and played dumb..11:10 AM MSTUS President Donald Trump tells CNN that nuke negotions with Iran and now dead, and notes the Iranian casualties didn't "die from COVID".11:06 AM MSTAir raid sirens are going off around Israel after a missile launch from Yemen..Israel bombed an oil refinery in Tabriz, Iran, and destroyed it..10:54 AM MSTFriday morning saw Israeli strikes apparently directed at an underground missile base in Kermanshah, western Iran. Three columns of dark smoke rising near the base's mountain location were captured on witness videos from a nearby highway, verified by The New York Times. The targeted area also contains an Iranian army aviation base and an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps facility.10:30 AM MSTOngoing Israeli attacks in Iran continued on Friday night. Multiple explosions rocked Tehran around 7:20 pm local time, according to residents. People rushed to gas stations to fill up and leave the capital, one woman described.10:10 AM MSTThe IDF has announce the completion of a series of air force raids into Iran targeting missile site..10:08 AM MSTThe Israeli secret service, the Mossad, has released images of operators inside Iran putting drones in place to use in the attack..10:03 AM MSTThe New York Times reports Israel has resumed attacks on Iran. Fordo, one of the main underground nuclear sites, is now under attack. Natanz has also been badly damaged in the strikes. Multiple locations in Tehran also report explosions.9:53 AM MSTAccording to Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, the strikes against Iran represented the largest attack on the country since the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s.“Israel’s unprecedented strikes across Iran overnight were designed to kill President Trump’s chances of striking a deal to contain the Iranian nuclear program,” said Geranmayeh..9:30 AM MSTThis morning's Israeli Air Force strike on an underground command bunker beneath the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Aerospace Forces headquarters reportedly killed more than 20 senior commanders..8:42 AM MSTConservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner ripped into Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand's neutral statement for not supporting Canada's ally Israel. "Canada is grateful to Israel for surgically neutering the nuclear capacity of the genocidal regime that recently shot down a plane carrying 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.".8:20 AM MSTMinister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand statement:"Canada is closely following the escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran.Further action risks triggering a broader regional conflict with devastating consequences. De-escalation must be the priority. We urge all parties to refrain from actions that further destabilize the region. The protection of civilians must be paramount.Canada remains deeply concerned by the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program.Importantly, Canadians in the region are advised to exercise a very high degree of caution, monitor developments closely, and follow the advice of local authorities.".8:05 AM MST“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ’just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done,” said President Donald Trump on Truth Social. “I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come — And they know how to use it."“Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,” said Trump. “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction. Just do it, before it is too late.”.6:58 AM MSTMultiple explosions struck sites in Iran, including Tehran and the Natanz nuclear facility. According to Iran's Tasnim News Agency, the Israeli attacks killed three senior military commanders and two nuclear scientists.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the operation aimed "to damage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, its ballistic missile factories, and military capabilities." Netanyahu made that statement in a televised address.In response, Iran launched more than 100 drones, the Israel Defence Forces reported. An Israeli military official said Israel began intercepting them outside Israeli territory.Leaders across the Middle East and Europe urged both nations to attempt to de-escalate the situation. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "maximum restraint," his spokesperson confirmed. The international community seeks to prevent further escalation..JUNE 8:00 PM MSTIsrael has launched a series of strikes against Iran and declared a state of emergency out of fear the Islamic regime may retaliate.IDF Spokesperson BG Effie Defri described the strikes as "preemptive and precise."."The Iranian regime has called for the destruction of the state of Israel, planning and advancing concrete military plans to do so," IDF Spokesperson BG Effie Defrin in a video posted to X. "Over the past few months, intelligence has shown Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. This morning, the IDF began preemptive and precise strikes targeting the Iranian nuclear program in order to prevent the Iranian regime's ability to build a nuclear bomb in the immediate time frame."Defrin said Israel had "no choice," describing Iran as an "imminent and existential threat." He added the Iran obtaining nuclear weapons presented a danger not just to Israel, but "the entire world.".According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "Operation Rising Lion" will "continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat."United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that Washington was not involved.."Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran," Rubio wrote. 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 self-defense."He added that President Donald 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," Rubio concluded. "Iran should not target US interests or personnel.".Israeli forces targeted nuclear facilities, senior military officials, and ballistic missile stockpiles in the western regions of Iran, including sites in Bushehr, Isfahan, Natanz, and Tehran..Footage posted to X appears to show buildings in Tehran on fire..It has not yet been confirmed who was hit, nor whether any civilians were hurt in the process, though it was reported that Iran's chief of staff, Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, the secretary of Iran's National Security Council, and nuclear scientists were killed..Israel's air defense is reportedly at "100% operational capacity" in anticipation of imminent strikes from Iran.

LIVE BLOG: Israeli strikes kill at least 78 Iranians, US forces in action

Related Stories