Iran strikes Israel with missiles in retaliation, mostly intercepted

Iran strikes Israel with missiles in retaliation, most intercepted — Israeli missiles intercept Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 13, 2025. Photo: AP video

TEL AVIV,— Iran launched a series of missile strikes at Israel late Friday, following Israel’s biggest-ever military operation against its longstanding enemy, which included an attack on a key nuclear facility. Sirens blared across Israel as explosions echoed over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Israeli authorities confirmed missile salvos were intercepted across central areas, with visible traces over the Tel Aviv skyline. Iran reportedly fired two waves of ballistic missiles in response to Israel’s overnight air assault on the Natanz underground nuclear plant.

The Israeli military stated that the majority of Iran’s missiles were intercepted or failed to reach their targets.

Meanwhile, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Tehran had launched hundreds of missiles and accused Israel of killing senior Iranian commanders in the earlier attack.

The U.S. Department of Defense said American forces assisted Israel by intercepting several incoming Iranian missiles. Two U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed the U.S. was involved in the joint missile defense operation.

Five people were injured by missile fragments in the Tel Aviv region, according to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical service. One critically injured woman was taken to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, a hospital representative reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, defending the airstrike as necessary to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He declared that military operations would continue “for as long as it takes” to eliminate threats.

“Our goal is to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state,” Netanyahu said in a televised message. “This campaign will not end until that danger is fully removed.”

In a video message released by his office, Netanyahu appealed directly to the Iranian public. “We are with you,” he said. “History will remember that we acted in time to secure the future.”

Tehran maintains its nuclear program is civilian in nature. However, the U.N. nuclear watchdog recently ruled that Iran was breaching its non-proliferation commitments.

U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal was still possible if Iran halted its aggression. Trump, who withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, said talks with Tehran remained scheduled.

“I tried very hard to avoid this outcome,” Trump said in a phone interview. “It’s not too late for Iran to come back to the table.”

Iranian state television showed damaged residential buildings and claimed that at least 80 civilians had been killed and over 300 wounded in Israeli strikes.

Tehran also reported the deaths of top military officials, including Major General Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC commander Hossein Salami. Six nuclear scientists were also reported killed.

Iran’s newly named Revolutionary Guards commander, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, vowed retribution in a letter broadcast on state television. “The gates of hell will open to the Zionist regime,” he warned.

In Isfahan, officials confirmed another Iranian nuclear site had been struck. Israel’s military said it targeted missile and drone launch facilities as part of a broader campaign.

Iranian reports that a downed Israeli jet and captured pilot had been secured were denied by the Israeli Defense Forces.

Residents in cities including Natanz and Qom described panic as missiles struck near civilian areas. “The whole street came outside in fear,” said one woman in Natanz. Others expressed anger and nationalistic defiance.

“I will fight and die to defend our right to nuclear energy,” said a member of the Basij militia in Qom.

Iran’s capacity to retaliate through its network of regional proxies appears diminished. Its influence in Syria has waned, while allied groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza have sustained heavy losses from previous Israeli campaigns.

Israel reported that a missile fired from Yemen struck the Hebron area in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian Red Crescent officials said three children were wounded by shrapnel.

Iran’s letter to the U.N. Security Council accused Israel of “cowardly” and illegal aggression, demanding accountability. The council was expected to meet at Tehran’s request.

As markets reacted, crude oil prices spiked over fears of wider unrest in the oil-rich region. OPEC said there were no immediate disruptions in supply and no plans for policy changes.

Israeli officials, speaking on background, said Mossad teams had operated inside Iran in the days leading up to the strike. One source claimed an attack drone base was established near Tehran.

The military added that Iranian air defenses, including dozens of radar stations and missile batteries, were destroyed in coordinated bombings.

Iranian media later reported additional explosions near Fordow and on both outskirts of Tehran. These included activity near Qom, where another nuclear installation is located.

(With files from Reuters)