Iran Launches Massive Missile Attack on Israel Following IDF Strikes on Nuclear Sites

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Explosions rock Tel Aviv as IDF warns citizens to take shelter – Iran vows ‘gates of hell will open’ after top commanders killed in Israeli strikes

Iran has launched dozens of ballistic missiles towards Israel in a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, after Israeli airstrikes killed top Iranian military commanders and targeted the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.

Explosions were heard across Tel Aviv on Friday evening as air raid sirens wailed throughout Israel, with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) confirming it had identified incoming missiles from Iran and ordering the public to enter protected spaces immediately.

“Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the IDF said in a statement. The public is instructed to enter a protected space and remain there until further notice.

The Iranian response came hours after Israel launched what it called “Operation Rising Lion” – unprecedented strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program that killed several of the country’s most senior military leaders.

IRAN CONFIRMS RETALIATION

The Islamic Republic News Agency confirmed: “Iran’s response to Israel has begun.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel had “unleashed its wicked and bloody hand” and would suffer “a bitter fate”, declaring that Israel “will not be allowed to do a ‘hit and run’ attack.

The IDF reported that Iran had launched around 100 drones towards Israeli territory on Friday, though Iran denied this claim and there were no immediate reports of drones reaching Israeli targets.

TOP COMMANDERS KILLED

Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin confirmed that the strikes had killed Iran’s most senior military leadership, including:

• Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Hossein Salami
• Head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Gholam Ali Rashid
• IRGC Aerospace Forces commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh
• Nine nuclear scientists

Major General Mohammad Pakpour was swiftly promoted to replace Salami as Guards commander and vowed retaliation in a letter to the Supreme Leader: “The gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime.”

NUCLEAR SITES TARGETED

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded address that the military operation had “struck at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program”, confirming strikes on:

• The main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz
• Nuclear facilities in Isfahan
• Ballistic missile production sites
• Over 200 targets across Iran

This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat,” Netanyahu declared, invoking the failure to halt the Holocaust in World War Two.

MARKETS IN TURMOIL

The strikes sent shockwaves through global markets:

• Oil prices surged as much as 13%, with Brent crude surpassing $78 a barrel
• Asian and European stocks fell sharply
• Dow futures dropped around 500 points
• Gold prices spiked as investors rushed to safe havens

REGIONAL IMPACT

The escalation has prompted widespread closures and warnings across the region:

• Jordan, Israel, Iran and Iraq closed their airspace to civilian traffic
• Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was shut down
• Schools were closed and major events cancelled, including the Tel Aviv Pride Parade
• Jordan reported intercepting several missiles and drones overflying the country
• A missile fired from Yemen landed in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, wounding three Palestinian children

TRUMP WEIGHS IN

US President Donald Trump revealed he knew about Israel’s attack in advance, telling Reuters: “We knew everything.

The President warned Iran to agree to a nuclear deal “before there is nothing left”, though it remains unclear if scheduled nuclear talks between the US and Iran will proceed.

Trump added: “I tried to save Iran humiliation and death.

CIVILIAN PANIC

Tehran residents described scenes of panic as people crowded gas stations trying to flee the capital.

People on my street rushed out of their homes in panic, we were all terrified,” said Marziyeh, 39, who was awakened by a blast in Natanz.

Supermarkets in Israel were packed with people stocking up on water and supplies as the country braced for further escalation.

INTERNATIONAL REACTION

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “maximum restraint” to avoid “descent into deeper conflict.

European leaders urged both sides to de-escalate, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warning against steps that could “destabilise the whole region.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the situation was “not close” to nuclear conflict but stressed this was a “unilateral action by Israel” requiring urgent de-escalation efforts.

The dramatic escalation marks the most serious direct confrontation between Israel and Iran since their brief exchange of missile strikes last year, raising fears of a wider regional war that could draw in global powers.