Israel, Iran conduct mutual strikes with attacks on Tehran, Tel Aviv

The live blog has now ended and will be back at 9 am BST. Read more about on the ongoing exchange of strikes between Israel and Iran here.

Iran launched a fresh wave of attacks on Israel early Saturday, state media said, after Israel's military reported it detected inbound missiles from Iran.

"New round of Honest Promise 3 attacks," state television reported, referring to the name of the Iranian military operation against Israel, following deadly Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.

China condemns Israel's violations of Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and urges Israel to immediately stop all risky military actions, China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong said, state media Xinhua News Agency reported.

"China opposes the intensification of contradictions and the expansion of conflicts, and is deeply concerned about the consequences that may be brought about by Israel's actions," Fu was quoted as saying at a meeting held by the UN Security Council on the Middle East situation on Friday.

China is seriously concerned about the negative impact of the current developments on diplomatic negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue, said Fu.

Israel launched large-scale strikes against Iran early on Friday, saying it was the start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

Iran launched retaliatory airstrikes on Friday night, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the country's two largest cities.

China has issued advisories to its citizens in Israel and Iran of the "complex and severe" security situation in those countries, adding a warning to those in Israel to prepare for possible missile and drone attacks. 

Air raid sirens sound in Tel Aviv as the Israeli army says it is intercepting missiles fired by Iran. The military added that Israeli civilians are instructed to remain in shelters until further notice.

(Reuters)

The Israeli military briefly called on residents Saturday to take shelter after detecting fresh missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.

"A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles from Iran toward the State of Israel," the military said on Telegram at 4:40 am (0140 GMT), adding that the air force was "operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat".

About 10 minutes later, the military said: "it is now permitted to leave protected spaces and to remain near them" following a "situational assessment".

An unnamed Iranian official speaking with CNN has threatened that any country that defends Israel from Iranian attacks would themselves be subject to attacks.

"Iran reserves the right - under international law - to respond decisively to this regime," he said, adding "any country that attempts to defend the regime against iran's operations will, in turn, see its regional bases and positions become new targets." 

Iranian media is reporting that explosions have been heard in the Vardavard area west of Tehran's Mehrabad international airport.

The UN chief called Friday for Israel and Iran to halt their escalating conflict, after the two countries exchanged a barrage of missiles.

"Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail," Antonio Guterres said on X after Israel's "preemptive" strikes on Iran and Tehran's counter-attack.

Iran has reported that a key aboveground component of its uranium enrichment facility in Natanz was destroyed, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday.

"At Natanz, the aboveground part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, where Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60 percent U-235, has been destroyed," IAEA nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council.

An Israeli official rejected reports that Iran had shot down two Israel fighter jets as "fake news" after Israel carried out a wave of air strikes on the Islamic republic's military and nuclear sites Friday.

"The reports circulating about two Israeli warplanes being shot down are fake news," the official said on condition of anonymity after Iranian state media reported that Iran's forces had downed the two jets in Iranian skies.

Israel's military said in a statement Friday that it had struck two air bases in Iran's west, dismantling one of them.

"Earlier today (Friday), the (Israeli military) struck the military bases belonging to the Iranian Airforce 'Hamadan' and 'Tabriz' throughout western Iran, the 'Tabriz' base was dismantled as a result of the strike," the military said.

Fire and heavy smoke billowed from Mehrabad airport in the Iranian capital early Saturday, an AFP journalist said, as local media reported a blast in the area.

The local ISNA news agency shared a video showing columns of heavy smoke rising from the area of the airport in western Tehran while Mehr news agency reported a "blast" there.

Five people were wounded in the latest barrage of ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Israel, according to Haaretz, which added that several buildings were hit in central Israel.

The Israeli military's Home Front Command said Saturday that citizens can leave shelters across the country but to remain near them after the army intercepted a new wave of Iranian missile attacks on Israel.

"It is now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas across the country and to remain near them," the Home Front Command said.

In a separate statement the military said dozens of missiles had been fired in the latest salvo from Iran.

"Some of the missiles were intercepted. Search and rescue forces are currently operating in a number of locations across the country in which reports of fallen projectiles were received," it added.

Iran will immediately hit Israel's economic and energy infrastructure if its own vital facilities are hit in future attacks, a Revolutionary Guards source told Iran's Fars news agency on Friday.

(Reuters)

The Israeli army on Saturday called on Israelis to take shelter after detecting new missile launches from Iran toward Israel.

"Sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles from Iran toward the state of Israel," the military said in a statement.

"At this time, the IAF is operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat," it said, instructing citizens to seek shelter as AFP journalists heard numerous explosions in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Iran launched a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early Saturday after numerous sites had been struck across the Islamic republic, state media said.

"A new round of Iranian missile attacks on the Zionist regime begins from Tehran and Kermanshah", a city in western Iran, state TV reported.

Israel's strikes on Iran have killed 78 people, including top military commanders, and wounded more than 320, the Islamic republic's ambassador to the United Nations said Friday.

"So far, 78 people, including senior military officials, have been martyred and over 320 other injured. The overwhelming majority of them (are) civilians, including women and children," Iran's ambassador to the UN Amir Iravani told the Security Council.

 Air defences in Iran's capital Tehran were activated early on Saturday to intercept fresh Israeli strikes, state media IRNA reported a day after Israel initiated a number of attacks on Iran's nuclear programme and military command.

Iran fired less than 100 missiles on Israel on Friday, most of which have either been intercepted or fallen short, the Israeli military said.

"A limited number of buildings were affected, some of them as a result of shrapnel from the interception operations," the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X

Iran's airspace will remain closed until Saturday after Israel launched a large scale attack that hit multiple cities, state media reported.

"The Civil Aviation Organization... has announced in aviation notices (NOTAM) that the country's airspace will be closed until tomorrow, Saturday," the official IRNA news agency reported.

Iran's atomic energy agency said Friday there was limited damage to the Fordo nuclear site south of Tehran and another site in the country's centre after Israeli attacks.

"The damage was limited to areas that did not cause any urban damage in the case of Fordo... In Isfahan, there were also attacks on several points, which were related to warehouses that caught fire," said agency spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, adding that "the damage was not extensive and there is no cause for concern in terms of contamination".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Iranians Friday to unite against what he described as an "evil and oppressive regime", telling them Israel was engaged in "one of the greatest military operations in history".

"The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from the evil and oppressive regime," Netanyahu said in a video statement after Israel struck over 200 military and nuclear sites in the Islamic republic.

"We are in the midst of one of the greatest military operations in history, Operation Rising Lion."

Netanyahu also released details of the operation, saying: "In the past 24 hours, we have taken out top military commanders, senior nuclear scientists, the Islamic regime's most significant enrichment facility and a large portion of its ballistic missile arsenal."

He added: "More is on the way. The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker.

Meanwhile, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Iran crossed "red lines" Friday when its missiles targeted civilian areas after Israel launched a wave of attacks on the Islamic republic.

"Iran has crossed red lines by daring to fire missiles at civilian population centres in Israel," Katz said in a statement. "We will continue to defend the citizens of Israel and ensure that the Ayatollah regime pays a very heavy price for its heinous actions."

Iranian authorities said that nuclear sites at Fordow and Isfahan have been struck in attacks, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday.

"At present, the Iranian authorities are informing us of attacks on two other facilities, namely the Fordow fuel enrichment plant, and at Isfahan, (where a) fuel plate fabrication plant, a fuel manufacturing plant, a uranium conversion facility... are located," IAEA nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council.

The military said Friday Israelis could leave protected spaces but urged them to stay nearby after Iran fired a salvo of missiles which Israeli first responders said left several injured.

"Following the situational assessment, the Home Front Command published that it is now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas across the country and to remain near them," the military said in a statement.

The US military has helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed toward Israel, two US officials said on Friday.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not provide further information, including whether fighter jets or warships carried out the defensive operation.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday amid escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, a White House official said.

Israel's firefighting service said its teams were responding to several "major" incidents resulting from an Iranian missile attack, including efforts to rescue people trapped in a high-rise building.

"Firefighting crews are handling several major incidents, mainly in the Dan region" around Tel Aviv, a statement said, adding that "firefighters are working in a high-rise building to rescue trapped individuals and extinguish a fire, as well as responding to two additional destruction sites."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday rejected calls on Tehran to show restraint following Israel's large-scale deadly attack on the Islamic republic.

Araghchi "rejected calls for Iran to show restraint in the face of Israeli aggression" in call with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, according to an Iranian foreign ministry statement.

The United States is helping Israel intercept Iranian missiles, Axios reported on Friday, citing a senior US official.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday that Israel's deadly attacks on his country will "bring it to ruin", vowing retaliation.

"The armed forces of the Islamic republic will inflict heavy blows upon this malevolent enemy," Khamenei said in a televised speech, adding that the consequences of the Israeli attack "will bring it to ruin".

Israeli rescuers said that seven people were injured on Friday in the centre of the country, shortly after Iran fired a salvo of missiles at Israel.

Speaking on Israel's Channel 12, Eli Bin, the spokesman for the Magen David Adom rescue service, said that seven people were lightly injured in central Israel. Images on Channel 12 showed what appeared to be a building hit by a missile.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday they launched an attack on dozens of targets in Israel after its large scale attack on the Islamic repiblic.

"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps... has executed its decisive and precise response against tens of targets, military centres and airbases of the usurping Zionist regime in the occupied territories," the Guards said in a statement carried by state media.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is aware of reports concerning the Isfahan and Fordow nuclear facilities and is seeking information from Iranian authorities regarding any potential impact, the agency said in an X post on Friday.

(Reuters)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to US President Donald Trump emphasizing the importance of de-escalating the Iran-Israel conflict, saying he respected Israel's right to self-defence, The Times editor Steven Swinford said in an X post on Friday.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement on Friday that Israel initiated a war and said it will not be allowed to do "hit and run" attacks without grave consequences.

"The Zionist regime (Israel) will not remain unscathed from the consequences of its crime. The Iranian nation must be guaranteed that our response will not be half-measured," Khamenei said in a statement.

(Reuters)

A thick plume of smoke billowed over the coastal Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Friday after Iranian missile fire, an AFP journalist reported, following a wave of Israeli attacks on Iran.

The smoke towered over the city's skyscrapers as blasts echoed across the city, the journalist said.

Hundreds of ballistic missiles were launched from Iran towards Israel, marking the start of Tehran's response to intensive Israeli strikes, Iranian media reported.

An Israeli military official also said Iran launched on Friday dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, as sirens sounded and AFP journalists reported loud blasts heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

"Dozens of Iranian ballistic missiles are en route to Israel. The people of Israel have been instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice," the official said in a statement delivered to journalists on condition of anonymity.

(Reuters & Agencies)

Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi on Friday called on the United Nations to act against Israel's "warmongering", following a wave of massive Israeli attacks on the Islamic republic.

"Araghchi emphasised the need for the United Nations to take immediate action to confront the Zionist regime's aggression and warmongering," said a readout of his phone call with UN chief Antonio Guterres released by the Iranian foreign ministry.

Meanwhile, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday that Tehran did not seek nuclear weapons, in a phone call after a wave of Israeli strikes.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always maintained that it does not seek to acquire nuclear arms and that it is always ready to provide guarantees on this issue to the competent international authorities," Pezeshkian told Putin, according to a statement from the Iranian presidency.

The Israeli military said its strike on Iran's nuclear facility in Isfahan on Friday dismantled infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium.

Israeli "fighter jets completed a strike on the Iranian regime's nuclear site in the Isfahan area," a military statement said, adding that "the strike dismantled a facility for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium, laboratories, and additional infrastructure."

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Effie Defrin told journalists: "So far we have struck more than 200 targets and we are continuing to strike".

British foreign minister David Lammy said on Friday he had spoken to his Iranian counterpart to urge calm after Israel launched a barrage of strikes against Iran, in what Lammy described as a "unilateral act".

"I spoke to my Iranian counterpart today to urge restraint at this time, and calm. I recognise that this is a moment of grave peril in the Middle East," he told Sky News.

In a later post on X, Lammy said the government was "advising British nationals to avoid all but essential travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories".

A televised briefing from Israel's military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin was stopped on Friday, with an Israeli official saying it was due to an incoming Iranian attack.

"The live feed of BG Defrin's statement was cut due to an incoming Iranian attack on central Israel," the official said, after the army ordered Israelis to stay near protected spaces and avoid gatherings as it continued to attack targets in the Islamic republic.

Defrin had said during the briefing that Iran is capable of "significantly" harming Israel, whose forces earlier struck dozens of targets across the Islamic republic.

"Iran has the ability to significantly harm the Israeli home front."

Meanwhile, Israel's army chief on Friday said the military was keeping up "full force" to achieve its goals after launching a wave of strikes on military and nuclear sites in Iran.

"We are continuing with full force, at a high pace, in order to meet the goals we have set for ourselves," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement.

"There will be difficult moments, we need to be prepared for the range of scenarios we have planned for, very high readiness and discipline are required on the home front."

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said three children were injured by shrapnel on Friday, after Israel said a missile from Yemen landed near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

"Three children, aged six, seven and 12, were injured by shrapnel from a missile that fell in the town of Sair near Hebron", the Red Crescent said in a statement.

The Israeli military said that "a missile launched from Yemen fell in the area of Hebron, no interceptors were launched."

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that Iran bore a heavy responsibility for destabilisation in the Middle East and that it had pushed ahead with an unjustified nuclear programme, but he also urged restraint after Israel struck Iran.

Macron, speaking at a news conference, said he regretted that Iran had not taken up the overtures by the United States to find a diplomatic solution to its nuclear programme and hoped that these talks could resume.

(Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned Israel's wave of strikes launched at Iran, the Kremlin said on Friday, as he held separate phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

"Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia condemns Israel's actions, which violate the UN Charter and international law," the Kremlin said in a statement, adding that Putin told Netanyahu of his "readiness to provide mediation" to prevent further escalation.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is due to deliver televised remarks on Friday, his office said in a statement, after a wave of Israeli strikes.

"The televised message from the leader of the Islamic Revolution to the nation will be broadcast in a few minutes," it said.

A "massive explosion" was heard Friday in Isfahan, a major city in central Iran, in a province that is home to several nuclear facilities, Mehr news agency said.

"A few minutes ago, a massive explosion was heard in Isfahan," said Mehr, without immediately elaborating.

The Israeli military said on Friday a missile that was launched from Yemen towards Israel fell to earth inside the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, adding that no interceptors were involved.

(Reuters)

Iran's nuclear programme cannot be completely destroyed by means of a military campaign, Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said on Friday after Israel launched large-scale attacks against its arch-foe.

But the military campaign could "create the conditions for a long-term deal, led by the United States, that will completely thwart the nuclear program", Hanegbi said in comments to Israel's Channel 13 TV.

Hanegbi also told Israel's Channel 12 that Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali "Khamenei and his people... there is currently no plan to kill them".

(Reuters & agencies)

Iranian air defences intercepted "projectiles" over the capital Tehran on Friday, state media said, as Israel vowed to keep up pressure after a wave of strikes on military and nuclear sites.

"Enemy projectiles were intercepted by the Tehran air defence," state news agency IRNA said, with another agency, ISNA, reporting that "the air defence systems of Tehran successfully shot down targets".

Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem on Friday, AFP journalists reported, as the military said it had detected a projectile launched from Yemen.

"The [Israeli military] has identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory," the military said in a statement, with AFP journalists reporting booms over Jerusalem, similar to those heard during past interceptions.

The Swiss ambassador to Iran, who represents U.S. interests in Teheran, was summoned by officials from the Islamic republic on Friday following Israeli strikes against Iran overnight, the Swiss government said.

Speaking at a press conference, Alexandre Fasel, a state secretary in the foreign ministry, said the ambassador was summoned in the context of the mandate that Switzerland holds for Washington, but did not give further details.

Iraq filed a complaint on Friday with the United Nations Security Council over Israel's "violation of Iraqi airspace" in a major attack on Iran, Baghdad's foreign ministry said.

"These practices constitute a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty," the ministry said, calling on "the Security Council to assume its responsibilities" and act to "prevent the recurrence of such violations".

Early Friday, three missiles were found in Iraqi desert areas, one of them not yet exploded in the central Diyala province and two others in the southern province of Dhi Qar, according to two security sources.

The sources said the missiles in Dhi Qar gouged a four-metre (13-feet) deep crater in the ground.

The Iraqi government has denounced the "military aggression" launched by Israel against Iran, describing it as "a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law".

Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the highest religious authority for millions of Shiite Muslims in Iraq and around the world, also condemned "the crime committed by the entity occupying Palestine".

He called on on "the international community to pressure this aggressor and its allies to prevent the repetition of such attacks".

The U.S. State Department on Friday also warned of missiles, drones or rockets flying over Iraq in a security warning that said Iraq has suspended air traffic at all airports and closed its airspace.

"Due to regional events, there are indications there may be missiles, drones, or rockets flying over Iraqi airspace. In the event of such an incident seek overhead cover and shelter in place. Do not expose yourself to falling debris," the department said in a security alert issued after Israel launched attacks on Iran.

Iran’s Nour News reports explosions and smoke in Alborz province, west of Tehran.

Further details are awaited.

Israel's military said on Friday it had begun deploying reservists "to all combat arenas throughout the country" after launching a wave of strikes on military and nuclear sites in Iran.

The military said in a statement that it "began to deploy reservists from different units to all combat arenas throughout the country", calling it part of "preparations for defence and offence across all arenas".

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Friday at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) following Israel's wave of airstrikes on neighboring Iran, current Council presidency Guyana announced.

The meeting was requested by Iran, and supported by Russia and China, a diplomatic source told AFP.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned on Friday Israel's "cowardly" attack on his country, in a phone call with his Kuwaiti counterpart.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, with full determination, will take action to defend its sovereignty, people and national security, and will respond decisively to the Zionist regime's illegal and cowardly aggression," Araghchi told Kuwait's Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, according to a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry.

A United Nations conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia aimed at forging a roadmap towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed after Israel launched a military attack on Iran, two sources told Reuters on Friday.

A Western diplomatic source in Riyadh said that the Saudi-French conference would be postponed partially due to the attacks on Iran.

A second source familiar said some delegations from the Middle East would not or could not come due to developments.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken with several world leaders, his office said Friday after Israel's strikes on Iran, adding that more calls are planned with the US and Russian presidents.

A statement from Netanyahu's office said that since late Thursday he had held calls with the leaders of Germany, India and France, and is expected to speak later with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that the Iron Dome air defence system intercepted two Iranian drones over northern Israel.

According to the report, debris from the drones caused a fire in an open area in the occupied Golan Heights, where firefighters are currently working to contain the blaze.

However, Israeli newspaper Haaretz and Army Radio have reported that only a single drone was intercepted.

Italy's foreign minister called on his Iranian and Israeli counterparts Friday to come back to the negotiating table after Israeli airstrikes hit military and nuclear facilities in Iran.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke on the phone Friday with Iran's Abbas Araghchi after earlier speaking with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, the Italian ministry said in a statement.

During the conversation with Araghchi, "Tajani called on Iran to avoid a military escalation in the conflict with Israel, a dynamic that would be extremely dangerous for the entire region," the ministry said.

"We need to return to negotiation and diplomacy as soon as possible," Tajani told his Iranian counterpart, saying it was the same message he gave Sa'ar earlier Friday, according to the statement.

Earlier Friday, Tajani also spoke with the general director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, and the foreign minister of Oman, Badr al-Busaidi.

Lebanese group Hezbollah condemned Israel's wave of strikes on its backer Iran on Friday, warning that they threaten to "ignite the region".

"This enemy adheres to no logic or laws and knows only the language of killing, fire, and destruction," Hezbollah said in a statement that condemned the strikes as a "brutal" aggression.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem expressed his support for Iran "in all the steps and measures it takes to defend itself and for its choices".

The Lebanese foreign ministry condemned Israel's attack, and said it was "continuing its contacts" to spare the country from being dragged into any conflict.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel's strikes "did not target the Iranian people alone, but also targeted all international efforts being made to maintain stability in the Middle East and neighbouring countries".

Aoun called on the international community to "take effective and swift action to prevent Israel from achieving its goals, which are no longer hidden from anyone".

Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed that its aerospace commander had been killed with fellow officers in an Israeli air strike on their command centre on Friday.

"Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps aerospace force Major General Amirali Hajizadeh... along with a group of brave and dedicated fighters of this force, were martyred" in an Israeli attack on their command centre, the Guards said in a statement.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday that Iran will make Israel "regret" its deadly attack which targeted multiple areas including nuclear sites.

"The Iranian nation and the country's officials will not remain silent in the face of this crime, and the legitimate and powerful response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act," Pezeshkian said in a video statement aired on state TV.

Israel is shutting its embassies around the world and has urged citizens to stay alert and not display Jewish or Israeli symbols in public places, statements posted on embassy websites said on Friday after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran.

The statements said Israel would not be providing consular services and urged citizens to cooperate with local security services if faced with hostile activity.

No timeframe was given for how long the embassies would be closed. A person picking up the phone at the embassy in Berlin gave no further details.

"In light of recent developments, Israeli missions around the world will be closed and consular services will not be provided," the statement said.

Britain on Friday updated its travel guidance to Israel, saying the situation could escalate quickly following Israeli strikes against nuclear and military facilities in Iran.

"The situation could escalate quickly and could pose significant risks, including missile fire," an update on the government's website said.

The same warning was added to its advice for the occupied Palestinian territories.

Britain also re-issued its travel advice for other countries including Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria to include a warning on the risk of wider escalation.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said Israel had the right to protect itself and called for "maximum restraint" from all parties following Israel's wave of strikes on Iran.

"France reaffirms Israel's right to defend itself and ensure its security," Macron said in English on X. "To avoid jeopardizing the stability of the entire region, I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate."

France has repeatedly condemned Iran’s ongoing nuclear program and has taken all appropriate diplomatic measures in response.

In this context, France reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and ensure its security.

To avoid jeopardizing the stability of the entire region,…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 13, 2025

Fire broke out at Tabriz airport in northwestern Iran on Friday after an Israeli strike, Iranian media reported.

Mehr news agency published a video showing fire and smoke billowing from the airport in East Azerbaijan province with the caption: "Tabriz airport now."

Israel's defence ministry said Friday that Israeli air strikes across Iran had "neutralised" most of the senior leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Air Force.

"The defence minister was informed that most of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force leadership was neutralised while convening at their underground headquarters," the ministry said in a statement.

The Revolutionary Guards are involved in overseeing Iran's airspace and controlling the country's ballistic missile arsenal.

The leaders of France, Britain and Germany are currently holding a phone call about the situation in Iran, said a German government spokesperson on Friday.

Syria said Friday it had closed its airspace in a "temporary" measure after Israel pounded Iran with a wave of strikes on its military and nuclear facilities.

Civil Aviation Authority chief Ashhad al-Salibi told the official SANA news agency that Syrian airspace would be "temporarily closed until 3 pm (1200 GMT), as part of precautionary measures we are taking to ensure the safety of civil aviation amidst the current regional developments".

The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been a failure from a humanitarian standpoint of view, the United Nations said Friday.

"GHF, I think it's fair to say, has been, from a principled humanitarian standpoint, a failure. They are not doing what a humanitarian operation should do, which is providing aid to people where they are, in a safe and secure manner," Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, told a press briefing in Geneva.

A fresh round of explosions was heard in northwestern Iran on Friday, state television reported, after Israel carried out a wave of strikes on multiple cities.

"A few minutes ago, new explosions were heard in East Azerbaijan," the broadcaster said, as the Tasnim news agency said an earlier wave of strikes had hit 10 sites in the province, killing at least three people.

The Israeli military said it hit the underground uranium enrichment centrifuges at Iran's vast Natanz facility as part of the wave of strikes it carried out on Friday.

"The underground area of the site was damaged. This area contains a multi-storey enrichment hall with centrifuges, electrical rooms and additional supporting infrastructure," the military said in a statement.

"In addition, critical infrastructure enabling the site's continuous operation and the Iranian regime's ongoing efforts to obtain nuclear weapons were targeted," it added.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday urged both Israel and Iran to avoid any "further escalation" after Israel launched a wave of strikes on the Islamic republic.

Both sides should refrain from steps that could "destabilise the entire region," said Merz, adding that he had been briefed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the raids and had convened a meeting of Germany's security cabinet.

"Germany stands ready to use all diplomatic means at our disposal to influence the parties to the conflict. The goal must remain that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons," Merz said.

The Kremlin on Friday condemned and expressed concern over the "sharp escalation" between Israel and Iran, Russian state media reported, as its embassies urged Russians to stay away.

"Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies.

The Russian embassy in Tel Aviv pressed Russians in Israel to leave the country if they could and said it "strongly recommends" against travelling there until the "situation normalises."

Moscow's mission in Tehran issued a similar warning, saying it was recommending citizens to "refrain from visiting Iran", to avoid going near military facilities, and not to take photos or videos anywhere in the country.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei swiftly appointed new Revolutionary Guards and armed forces chiefs to replace those killed in targeted Israeli strikes on Friday.

In separate decrees, Khamenei named Mohammad Pakpour to replace Hossein Salami as commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Abdolrahim Mousavi to replace Mohammad Bagheri as chief of the armed forces general staff.

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation has confirmed that its Natanz nuclear facility sustained damage in an Israeli strike earlier today. However, it stated there is no indication of any radioactive or chemical contamination outside the site.

In an official statement, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran added that, so far, no casualties have been reported at Natanz, the country's primary uranium enrichment centre.

Investigations are currently underway to assess the full extent of the damage.

Iran sharply criticised the UN nuclear watchdog on Friday, accusing it of "silence" over Israel's strikes on its nuclear facilities and scientists.

In a statement, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said it considers the "silence" from the International Atomic Energy Agency "as a form of cooperation with the Zionist regime," adding that the Israeli attack was a "defeat for the IAEA resulting from its unjustifiable shortcomings".

Shortly afterwards, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi issued a statement saying nuclear facilities "must never be attacked".

 Britain will not protect Israel as Iran retaliates against overnight Israeli strikes, the defence editor of the Times newspaper said on X, without citing sources.

In October 2024, when Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, Britain said two of its fighter jets and an air-to-air refuelling tanker played a part in attempts to prevent further escalation, but that the jets did not engage any targets.

Britain was not involved in Israel's strikes against Iran overnight and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged both sides to use restraint and return to diplomacy.

Britain's foreign office and Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment on any potential British involvement in protecting Israel.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami, who was killed in an Israeli air strike on Tehran Friday, was a veteran officer close to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei known for his tirades against Israel and its US ally.

"If you make the slightest mistake, we will open the gates of hell for you," the white-beared general warned Tehran's arch foes during a tour of an underground missile base in January.

Born in 1960 in central Iran, Salami joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1980 at the start of the devastating eight-year war launched by then Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

He spent most of his career in the Guards, a parallel military set up after the 1979 overthrow of the Western-backed shah to defend the goals of the Islamic revolution.

The force is now 125,000-strong strong, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, although Iran has never released any official figure.

Salami rose through the ranks to become head of the Guards' aerospace division, and was placed on Washington's sanctions blacklist.

He served as the corps' deputy commander for nine years before being promoted to the top job in 2019 as part of a major reshuffle.

At least six nuclear scientists were killed Friday in Israel's attacks on Iran, local media reported.

"Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feqhi, Motalleblizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi were the nuclear scientists martyred" in Israel's attack, Tasnim news agency said.

Emirates airline said flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran had been cancelled, after Israel launched strikes on Iran on Friday, sparking concerns of a wider escalation.

Several flights scheduled for Friday and one Tehran flight on Saturday were listed as cancelled on the airline's website, with the Dubai international airport also reporting that "some flights at @DXB and DWC - Al Maktoum International have been cancelled or delayed due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria" in a statement on X.

Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi rebels condemned on Friday a wave of Israeli strikes on Iran, adding that the Islamic republic had the right to defend itself and develop its nuclear programme.

"We support Iran's full and legitimate right to defend itself and to develop its nuclear programme," the Houthis' political bureau said in a statement on Telegram, adding "we strongly condemn the brutal Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and affirm its full and legitimate right to respond by all possible means".

Among the targets in Iran confirmed are sites across Tehran and the countryside, Natanz, where an Iranian nuclear site is, and Tabriz, which hosts another nuclear facility and military bases.

Other places confirmed by Al Jazeera are the cities of Arak, Isfahan, Tabriz and Kermanshah.

Top military commanders and nuclear scientists have also been assassinated in the strikes.

The assault on Iran is on an unprecedented scale,  far bigger than previous Israeli attacks on the country during the war on Gaza.

The head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Hossein Salami was reportedly killed in the strikes, along with other senior military officers.

Iranian authorities has said civilians were killed in the strikes on residential strikes on Iran along with other cities.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that Israel faces a “bitter and painful” response to the strikes.

Tehran has reportedly launched around 100 drones towards Israel in response to a wave of Israeli attacks on Iran on Thursday night.

Israeli military spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin said his forces were working to intercept "approximately 100 UAVs [heading] towards Israeli territory".

A national emergency in Israel has been announced in anticipation of Iranian retaliation as Israelis head to bomb shelters this morning.