Iran Reports Casualties and Damage After Israeli Airstrikes
The Iranian regime has reported a significant number of fatalities and injuries following a series of airstrikes in the country, which were attributed to Israel. According to the state-run Tasnim news agency, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, was among those killed in the attack, along with several other high-ranking military officials and a nuclear scientist.
The Iranian military claims that the airstrikes also caused damage to several residential buildings in the capital, Tehran, resulting in civilian casualties. The international airport in Imam Khomeini was closed and flights were suspended.
In a statement, the Iranian military spokesperson vowed that the country would take “firm and decisive action” against the US and Israel in response to the airstrikes. Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, in a televised address, described the Israeli attack as a “grave mistake” and stated that the Iranian military was prepared to retaliate.
Reports from the state-run Press TV indicated that the Natanz nuclear facility was also targeted in the Israeli airstrikes, in addition to several other cities, including Tabriz, Isfahan, Arak and Kermanshah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a “defining moment” in the country’s history and it appears that the Israeli military carried out the strikes in multiple waves, with a third wave reported hours after the initial attack.
The US State Department, in a statement, characterized the Israeli actions as a “unilateral move” and urged Iran not to target US interests or personnel in the region. US President Donald Trump had earlier hinted at the possibility of an Israeli strike, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that the US was not involved in the attack.