Trump aware of Israeli plans to strike Iran, says he will defend Israel as it goes into lockdown

The Israeli military said on Friday that significant damage was caused to Iran's uranium enrichment site in Natanz after they targeted it in a series of strikes, adding that the facility's underground infrastructure was hit. 

Since the strikes, Iran has started appointing successors to prominent military leaders killed at dawn today, with army commander Abdolrahim Mousavi being selected as chief of general staff of Iran's armed forces.

This came after US President Donald Trump said that he knew of the Israeli strikes against Iran before they happened and vowed to defend Washington and support Israel if needed.

According to Fox News’ chief political correspondent, Bret Baier, Trump said he was waiting to see Iran’s response to the strikes before doing anything.

Baier also said that Trump had informed allies in the Middle East of the attacks, reiterating that the US should not be involved in any confrontations, but noted, citing senior sources, that the US had replenished Israel’s Iron Dome missile stockpile in the past few weeks.

In a statement, US secretary of state Marco Rubio confirmed that Washington will not be taking part in strikes against Iran, and the priority was to protect its forces in the Middle East.

Surprise Israeli attack on Iran

Israel’s attack on Iran sent shockwaves around the region, with senior Revolutionary Guards and nuclear scientists killed.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported that mostly women and children were wounded in the Israeli attack, with at least 50 people transferred to the hospital.

The Israeli attacks have affected several military bases in Tehran, as well as two nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Arak, and residential neighbourhoods in the capital.

Iran's Fars News Agency, run by the Revolutionary Guards, said that Iranian Army Chief of Staff Mohammad Baqeri was killed in the strikes and that Major General Gholamali Rashid, Commander of Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters, was also killed. 

Iran has since vowed that there will be a heavy response. Israel has gone into lockdown, with citizens advised to stock up on food and go into shelters.

Experts have raised concerns over Palestinians living in the West Bank, particularly those near illegal Israeli settlements, who have no shelters to seek safety in and have not had instructions on what to do.

"The dangerous and far-reaching effects and consequences of the Zionist regime’s aggression against our beloved homeland of Iran will be the responsibility of this regime and its supporters," Iran’s foreign ministry said.

An Israeli military spokesperson announced a ban on all gatherings at schools and commercial centres.

Israel expects more attack drones to come from Iran as an initial retaliation, and anticipates that the back-and-forth of strikes will last two weeks.

Israel’s Brigadier General Effie Defrin said interception efforts are ongoing, and confirmed Tehran launched the attacks after Israel’s early morning attack on Iran with about 200 planes. 

The Israeli military also said it has already started intercepting Iranian drones since the attack early on Friday, while Israeli Channel 12 saying that UAVs were intercepted by Israel over Saudi Arabia.

In Iraq, the Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee (IRCC), which is made up of Iran-backed armed groups, said they were holding a meeting to discuss their response to the strikes, local media reported.

A spokesperson for IRCC was quoted by local media as saying that the factions had "unanimously agreed to directly engage in any war targeting Iran", while acknowledging "political and governmental pressure" on faction leaders to avoid involvement in any escalation.

Meanwhile, Israeli news site Walla said that as part of the operations, Mossad agents have taken major steps to introduce special weapons in large quantities, deploying them throughout Iran to be used against targets. Israeli officials reportedly said that three different and complex operational intelligence systems are operational.

Global condemnations

 The attacks on Iran have been widely condemned, including by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE.

The Palestinian group Hamas called it a "dangerous escalation," and "brutal aggression," while the UK urged for "all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently".

Oman, which has been mediating nuclear talks between the two countries in recent months, called the strikes on Iran "reckless," noting it "violates the principles of international law".

The attacks have caused countries in the region to close their airspace.

Jordan said it had closed its airspace "in anticipation of any dangers resulting from the escalation happening in the region".

Iraq’s Ministry of Transportation said they have implemented a complete suspension of all flights across Iraq’s airports and closed the airspace temporarily, especially as explosions had been heard in Baghdad, as well as areas north and south of the city.