What we learn about Israel's assaults on Iran's nuclear websites and navy commanders

[ad_1] Lana Lam and Sofia Ferreira Santos BBC Information

Watch: Footage reveals explosions and broken buildings ablaze in Iran's capital Tehran

Israel launched strikes throughout Iran on Friday, saying they focused the "coronary heart" of Iran's nuclear programme.

The strikes killed Hossein Salami, chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards - a strong department of the nation's armed forces - different senior navy figures and nuclear scientists, Iranian state media reported.

Civilians, together with youngsters, have been additionally amongst these killed, state media reported.

The BBC shouldn't be capable of independently confirm these experiences.

The Israeli navy mentioned Iran launched about 100 drones in direction of Israel on Friday morning, which the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned it was intercepting. A state of emergency was declared in Israel.

The US mentioned it was not concerned within the strikes. A number of strikes have been reported, together with on Iran's major nuclear enrichment facility.

When and the place did the strikes occur?

Explosions have been reported in Iran's capital Tehran round 03:30 native time (01:00 BST).

Iranian state TV mentioned residential areas in Tehran have been hit, with blasts additionally heard north-east of the capital.

In Israel, residents have been woken by air raid sirens across the identical time and obtained emergency telephone alerts.

Israel's navy mentioned it had struck "dozens of navy targets, together with nuclear targets in several areas of Iran".

Hours after the preliminary strikes, an explosion was reported on the Natanz nuclear facility, which is positioned about 225km (140 miles) south of the capital, in response to Iranian state media.

The IDF later confirmed it had struck the location and mentioned its assault had resulted in important injury.

The worldwide nuclear watchdog, the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company (IAEA), mentioned it was knowledgeable by Iranian authorities that there was no enhance in radiation ranges on the Natanz plant.

IAEA head Rafael Grossi mentioned nuclear amenities "mustn't ever be attacked" and such strikes have "severe implications for nuclear security, safety and safeguards, in addition to regional and worldwide peace and safety".

In an announcement to board members, he referred to as "on all events to train most restraint to keep away from additional escalation", saying "any navy motion that jeopardises the protection and safety of nuclear amenities dangers grave penalties for the individuals of Iran, the area, and past".

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/bb25/live/e87ce090-4835-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/bb25/live/e87ce090-4835-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/bb25/live/e87ce090-4835-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/bb25/live/e87ce090-4835-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/bb25/live/e87ce090-4835-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/bb25/live/e87ce090-4835-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/bb25/live/e87ce090-4835-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/bb25/live/e87ce090-4835-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp" loading="eager" alt="A map showing locations of Israeli strikes on Iran" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> How did we get so far?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned the strikes - referred to as Operation Rising Lion - have been "a focused navy operation to roll again the Iranian risk to Israel's very survival".

He mentioned the operation would "proceed for as many days because it takes to take away the unfold".

Netanyahu mentioned Iran has taken steps to "weaponise" in latest months and that, "if not stopped, Iran may produce a nuclear weapon in a really brief time".

An Israeli navy official advised the BBC that Iran had sufficient nuclear materials to create nuclear bombs "inside days".

In his tackle, Netanyahu additionally thanked US President Donald Trump for "confronting Iran's nuclear weapons programme".

The strikes come as US talks over Iran's nuclear programme, which started in April, seem to have stalled in latest days. The subsequent spherical of talks was scheduled for Sunday.

US President Donald Trump had hoped to strike a deal to cease Tehran growing a nuclear weapon.

Earlier this week, Trump reportedly held a "tense" telephone name with Netanyahu, who has lengthy argued for a navy moderately than diplomatic strategy to Iran's nuclear talents.

Final 12 months, Iran and Israel launched a variety of airstrikes in opposition to one another in April and October - although Israel's strikes final 12 months weren't believed to have been as wide-ranging as its present operation.

Watch: Netanyahu says Israel focused Iran's nuclear and navy websites

Iran vows to 'defend sovereignty'

Iran launched round 100 drones in direction of Israel on Friday morning, the IDF mentioned. The navy mentioned it was intercepting the drones.

Iran's overseas ministry mentioned its armed forces wouldn't "hesitate to defend Iran's sovereignty with full power and within the method they deem applicable".

In an announcement, the ministry referred to as Israel's operation "acts of aggression" and mentioned "the US authorities, as the first patron of this regime, may also bear accountability".

Trump requires Iran deal 'earlier than it is too late'

Reacting to the strikes, Trump mentioned he gave Iran "probability after probability" to make a deal, however "they only could not get it carried out".

Sure Iranian officers "spoke bravely, however they did not know what was about to occur," Trump wrote in a social media put up, including: "They're all DEAD now."

"There has already been nice loss of life and destruction, however there may be nonetheless time to make this slaughter, with the following already deliberate assaults being much more brutal, come to an finish.

"Iran should make a deal, earlier than there may be nothing left, and save what was as soon as generally known as the Iranian Empire. No extra loss of life, no extra destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned the US was not concerned with the strikes and didn't present any help.

He mentioned the highest precedence for the US was to guard American forces within the area.

In different worldwide response, Oman, which has been mediating US-Iran nuclear talks, mentioned it held Israel liable for "this escalation and its penalties".

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned experiences of the strikes are "regarding" and urged for de-escalation, as did France.

Australia's International Minister Penny Wong mentioned the strikes risked "additional destabilising a area that's already unstable".

The strikes have been additionally condemned by Japan, Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

China mentioned it was "deeply apprehensive in regards to the extreme penalties" that the strikes might deliver.

UN Secretary-Common António Guterres requested each side for "most restraint" to keep away from "in any respect prices a descent into deeper battle", his spokesperson mentioned.

Who has been killed?

Iranian state media reported that these killed included Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Gholamali Rashid, the commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, and the chief of workers of Iran's armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri.

The IDF additionally mentioned the three have been "eradicated within the Israeli strikes throughout Iran".

The Israeli navy mentioned its in a single day assault centered on "over 100 targets, together with senior figures of the Iranian Common Employees and leaders of the nuclear program".

IRGC-affiliated information company Tasnim reported six nuclear scientists have been additionally killed within the strikes, of whom 5 have been named:

Fereydoon Abbasi, former head Iran's Atomic Vitality OrganizationMohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, who was concerned in Iran's nuclear weapons programmeAbdulhamid Minouchehr, head of nuclear engineering at Iran's Shahid Beheshti UniversityAhmad Reza Zolfaghari, a nuclear engineering professor at Shahid Beheshti UniversityAmirhossein Feqhi, one other nuclear professor at Shahid Beheshti College Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was additionally reported to have been severely injured, in response to Iranian experiences.

State media reported civilians, together with youngsters, have been additionally amongst these killed.

The BBC shouldn't be capable of independently confirm these experiences.

What's Iran's nuclear programme?

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/5504/live/5c5c32c0-4838-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/5504/live/5c5c32c0-4838-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/5504/live/5c5c32c0-4838-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/5504/live/5c5c32c0-4838-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/5504/live/5c5c32c0-4838-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/5504/live/5c5c32c0-4838-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/5504/live/5c5c32c0-4838-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/5504/live/5c5c32c0-4838-11f0-84b6-6bf0f66205f1.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="A map showing the location of the main nuclear facilities in Iran broken down by their function including the research facilities in Tehran and Bonab, uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, uranium enrichment plants in Fordow and Natanz. Most of the sites are in the top half of the country except the Bushehr power plant and Bandar Abbas mine in the south on the Persian Gulf." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Iran has lengthy maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian functions solely. It has a number of amenities round Iran, no less than a few of which have been focused within the Israeli strikes.

However many international locations - in addition to the worldwide nuclear watchdog, IAEA - will not be satisfied Iran's programme is for civilian functions alone.