Seven injured as rockets slam into buildings near IDF headquarters – Netanyahu tells Iranians ‘this is your opportunity’ to rise up against regime
Israelis took cover as Tel Aviv was hit by a wave of missiles after Iran vowed to ‘open the gates of hell’ following devastating Israeli strikes that killed top military commanders and targeted nuclear facilities.
Seven people were injured in the blast – two severely and two moderately – after a ‘limited number’ of buildings were struck in Tel Aviv, including a tower near the IDF’s headquarters, HaKirva, local authorities said.
In the nearby town of Ramat Gan, terrified residents were evacuated from a building hit by a missile as explosions and rumbling noises echoed across the city while Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system intercepted nearly 100 Iranian rockets fired in two waves.
The dramatic escalation came hours after Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion” – unleashing more than 200 fighter planes on Iran in strikes that killed the country’s highest-ranking military leaders and heavily damaged its main nuclear enrichment facility.
NETANYAHU CUT SHORT BY ATTACK
In an extraordinary moment, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s televised address to the nation was cut short by an alert indicating an incoming Iranian attack, with sirens sounding at around 9pm local time across Israel.
Before being interrupted, Netanyahu had vowed to remove both the nuclear and ballistic missile ‘threats’ from Iran, saying this would ‘clear the path’ for the freedom of Iranian citizens from an ‘evil, repressive regime.
This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard,” he told Iranian citizens directly.
He had earlier warned that Israel’s operation “will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.
NUCLEAR FACILITIES DEVASTATED
Israeli army spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin confirmed that an attack was still ongoing at the nuclear technology site in Isfahan, some 215 miles southeast of Tehran, that employs thousands of nuclear scientists.
Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz was heavily damaged, the Iranian atomic energy agency admitted.
The strikes, which began early Friday morning, saw more than 200 fighter planes unleashed on Iran as part of ‘Operation Rising Lion’, targeting “dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran.
TOP COMMANDERS KILLED
The strikes claimed the lives of Iran’s most senior military leadership:
- Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the country’s highest-ranking military officer
- General Hossein Salami, leader of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard
- Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC Aerospace Forces
- Gholam Ali Rashid, head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters
- Nine nuclear scientists
Major General Mohammad Pakpour was swiftly promoted to replace Salami as Guards commander and vowed retaliation: “The gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime.”
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
Tragically, civilians – including children – were among those killed in Tehran during the Israeli strikes, though exact casualty figures remain unclear as the situation continues to develop.
Tehran residents described scenes of panic as explosions rocked the capital, with people crowding gas stations trying to flee the city.
‘DECLARATION OF WAR’
Iran called Israel’s ongoing deadly strikes on its military and nuclear facilities a ‘declaration of war’ and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the United Nations to “immediately address this issue” after Netanyahu’s promise that attacks would continue “for days.”
At tonight’s emergency UN Security Council meeting, calls were made for ‘dialogue and diplomacy’ to de-escalate the situation.
Iran’s representative Amir-Saeid Iravani accused Israel of a “chilling display of calculated aggression” and said that the US was “complicit” in providing “aid and assistance.
US INVOLVEMENT
Two US officials confirmed that American military forces had helped shoot down Iranian missiles tonight, with two additional warships being moved to the eastern Mediterranean.
President Donald Trump had earlier revealed he knew about Israel’s attack in advance, telling Reuters: “We knew everything.
SUPREME LEADER’S WARNING
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had earlier warned that Israel had “unleashed its wicked and bloody hand” and would suffer “a bitter fate.
He declared that Israel “will not be allowed to do a ‘hit and run’ attack,” setting the stage for the missile barrage that followed.
MARKETS IN TURMOIL
The escalation sent shockwaves through global markets:
- Oil prices surged as much as 13%
- Asian and European stocks fell sharply
- Gold prices spiked as investors rushed to safe havens
- Airspace closed across multiple Middle Eastern countries
REGIONAL IMPACT
The crisis has prompted widespread disruption across the region:
- Jordan reported intercepting missiles and drones
- Yemen’s Houthis fired a missile that landed in Hebron, wounding three Palestinian children
- Schools closed and major events cancelled across Israel
- Ben Gurion Airport shut down
As the situation continues to escalate, fears are growing of a wider regional conflict that could draw in global powers, with both sides showing no signs of backing down from what is rapidly becoming the most serious direct confrontation between Israel and Iran in recent history.
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[…] dramatic escalation comes after weeks of mounting tensions and US intelligence warnings that Israel was preparing to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, even as the Trump administration pursued diplomatic negotiations with […]
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