9 Iranian nuclear scientists killed in strikes on Iran : NPR
Israeli safety forces on Saturday examine destroyed residential buildings that have been hit in a single day by a missile fired from Iran, in Ramat Gan, close to Tel Aviv, Israel.
Ariel Schalit/AP
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Ariel Schalit/AP
Israel’s army says it killed 9 of Iran’s high nuclear scientists Friday as a part of its strikes geared toward crippling the nation’s nuclear capabilities.
The Israeli army mentioned the scientists had performed key roles in advancing Iran’s nuclear program, and known as their deaths a “important blow” to Iran’s capacity to pursue weapons of mass destruction.
The assault adopted intelligence from Israel’s Mossad spy company, which Israel says advised Iran was near creating a nuclear weapon — which Israel thought of a direct risk to its nationwide safety.
The strikes got here a day after the U.N. nuclear watchdog declared that Iran wasn’t complying with nuclear nonproliferation agreements geared toward halting the unfold of nuclear weapons. Iran reacted saying it could create a brand new uranium enrichment facility. Iran says its uranium enrichment program is for peaceable functions.
Iran responded to the Israeli strikes with a barrage of missiles, killing a minimum of three individuals and injuring dozens extra. Iranian state media mentioned there could be “heavy and damaging assaults in opposition to Israel” Saturday evening as nicely
The escalation has raised fears of a wider regional battle, one that might rope in neighboring nations and threaten to destabilize international power markets.
Israelis search shelter as Iran retaliates
Sirens blared all through Tel Aviv late Friday and smoke billowed within the sky as individuals ran for shelter as Iran fired lots of of missiles at Israel in retaliatory strikes, which continued into Saturday morning.
Most Iranian missiles have been intercepted by Israel’s highly effective air protection system, however some hit neighborhoods round Tel Aviv.
The Mizrahi household was of their residence’s bomb shelter when a missile hit shut by of their suburb of Rishon LeZion, exterior Tel Aviv.
Shoshanah Mizrahi, 43, mentioned the explosion was terrifying. “All the home was shaking, there was smoke, the window within the shelter was broke,” she mentioned.
Their house is destroyed. Glass blown out from home windows was strewn all around the flooring and a gap gaped within the roof.
Exterior the home, dozens of individuals stood to watch the harm. Windshields of automobiles have been shattered, bulldozers have been eradicating rubble.
A U.S. official confirmed to NPR that U.S. ground-based air protection programs helped shoot down the Iranian missiles focused at Israel. The U.S. official spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk publicly.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that extra assaults on Iran have been on the way in which.
Chatting with the U.N. Safety Council on Friday, Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani accused Israel of making an attempt to “kill diplomacy” and known as the nation “essentially the most harmful and terrorist regime on the earth.” He urged the Safety Council to carry Israel accountable.
Iravani mentioned 78 individuals have been killed and over 320 individuals — largely civilians — have been injured. Iran’s state tv reported {that a} residential constructing in Tehran was additionally hit, and the dying toll was anticipated to rise.
Israeli emergency companies group Magen David Adom mentioned three individuals have been killed and dozens extra injured. The Palestinian Pink Crescent mentioned that kids have been among the many Palestinians injured by shrapnel close to the town of Hebron within the occupied West Financial institution.
Israeli Protection Minister Israel Katz mentioned Iran “crossed pink strains” by firing missiles at “civilian inhabitants concentrations,” and warned it could would pay a “very heavy value,” the Instances of Israel reported.
In a video assertion on Friday night, Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned the assault on Iran was within the works for months since September, following Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, chief of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, in Beirut.
Netanyahu warned that when the area’s “Iranian axis” was damaged, Iran would speed up its nuclear program. The assault on Iran was imagined to happen in April but it surely was postponed, Netanyahu added.
Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are canceled
The U.S. and Iran have been planning to start the sixth spherical of talks about Iran’s nuclear program on Sunday in Oman. The U.S. was making an attempt to strike a take care of Iran to restrict its uranium enrichment in change for lifting sanctions, which have crippled Iran’s economic system.
Firefighters and other people clear up the scene of an explosion at a residence compound after Israeli assaults in Tehran on Friday.
Vahid Salemi/AP
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Vahid Salemi/AP
On Saturday, the Omani overseas minister mentioned on social media that the assembly was canceled. However he mentioned “diplomacy and dialogue stay the one pathway to lasting peace.”
A lady pushes a stroller full with items as individuals top off with provides, at a store in Jerusalem, on June 13, 2025.
John Wessels/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
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John Wessels/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
President Trump mentioned he had been urging Iran to succeed in a nuclear deal.
“Two months in the past I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They need to have achieved it!” he wrote on Fact Social. “Now they’ve, maybe, a second likelihood!”
In a separate publish earlier on Friday, Trump warned Iran that “it would solely worsen” and urged Tehran to “make a deal, earlier than there’s nothing left.”
Trump mentioned he was giving the nation “likelihood after likelihood to make a deal” on its nuclear program and mentioned that the choice “could be a lot worse than something they know, anticipated, or have been instructed.”
NPR’s Tom Bowman and Michele Kelemen contributed reporting.
