Iran launches retaliatory missile attack on Israel

The Israeli military's Home Front Command says civilians can leave bomb shelters after Iran's third barrage of ballistic missiles on Israel.

But they should remain close to them until further notice, it said.

In a separate statement, the IDF 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.

Israel's emergency service, Magen David Adom, said that one of its mobile units was hit by shrapnel in the Tel Aviv area, and two crew sustained minor injuries.

Sirens and explosions were heard over Jerusalem early on Saturday morning as Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles on Israel.

"Once again, millions of Israelis are currently running for shelter as sirens sound all over Israel following another missile launch from Iran, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on X. 

Israel's defense systems were operating to intercept the missiles, it said. 

Iranian state media also announced the new strikes on Israel. 

"A new round of Iranian missile attacks on the Zionist regime begins," Iran's state TV said, adding that the attacks were being launched from the capital Tehran and Kermanshah, a city in western Iran.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations has said that Israeli strikes on Friday have killed at least 78 people and injured more than 320.

"So far, 78 people, including senior military officials, have been martyred and over 320 others injured," Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Iravani added that "the overwhelming majority of them (are) civilians, including women and children," describing Israel's strikes as a "barbaric and criminal attack."

He also said Israel was engaging in "acts of aggression" that targeted civilian and military sites in several cities.

Iran's authorities, meanwhile, have activated air-defense systems of the capital Tehran to counter potential further Israeli strikes, according to Iranian state media.

The official IRNA news agency said "Tehran's defenses reactivated minutes ago ... to confront Zionist regime projectiles."

Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that a section of a uranium enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed by Israeli strikes.

"At Natanz, the above ground part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, where Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60%" has been destroyed IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told a meeting of the UN Security Council.

According to the World Nuclear Association, nuclear reactors for civilian use require uranium to be enriched from 0.7% to 3-5%. Uranium needs to be enriched to 90% to reach weapons-grade levels.

The Natanz facility is Iran's largest uranium enrichment site, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The IDF also said "the underground area of the site" was also damaged. 

According to the Associated Press news agency, large parts of the Natanz facility are built deep underground so that they are out of reach from missile attacks.

Grossi said all the electrical infrastructure and emergency power generators had been destroyed.

He added that the nuclear watchdog does not have any further information about damage or casualties at this stage.

The head of the IAEA warned against any attacks on nuclear facilities, warning of potential serious radiation consequences.

Two US officials have said that the US military helped shoot down missiles fired by Iran towards Israel on Friday.

One of the officials, who spoke to Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity, said that the interception had been done by defense systems on the ground and that fighter jets and warships had not yet been used.

AFP news agency also cited an unnamed US official who said Washington was "assisting" Israel in "shooting down missiles" fired by Iran. 

It was unclear from where the US interceptions had taken place.

There are nearly 40,000 American troops in the Middle East region, in addition to air defense systems, warships and fighter jets that equipped to down missiles.

The US military has used jets and warships to help down Iranian missiles fired at Israel during previous escalations.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Iran had crossed "red lines" by targeting civilian areas in its missile strikes on Israel on Friday evening.

Iran launched a barrage of missiles and rockets after Israel had fired a wave of strikes on a series of targets in 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," the defense minister added.

Israel's military has said its attack on an Iranian nuclear facility dismantled infrastructure used to reconvert enriched uranium.

In a post on Telegram on Friday evening, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Israeli fighter jets had "completed a strike on the Iranian regime's nuclear site" near Isfahan, which is about 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.

"The strike dismantled a facility for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium, laboratories, and additional infrastructure," the IDF said.

The "reconversion" stage comes "after uranium enrichment in the nuclear weapons production process," the Israeli military added.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it is aware of reports surrounding nuclear facilities at Isfahan and Fordow and is "seeking information from Iranian authorities about any impact."

Iran's atomic agency has acknowledged there had been damage to the nuclear site at Fordow south of the capital and Isfahan.

"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," Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said.

"The damage was not extensive and there is no cause for concern in terms of contamination," he added.

The Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's medical, ambulance and emergency service, said five people were injured in central Israel following the Iranian strikes.

One of the injured is in "moderate condition" and four were "lightly injured by shrapnel," MDA said on X.

The injured have been moved to two hospitals, it added. 

Israel's firefighting service said it was responding to "several scenes" in the Dan region as a result of the missiles fired by Iran.

The Fire and Rescue Authority said "firefighters are working in a high-rise building" in Tel Aviv to "rescue trapped people and extinguish the fire."

The statement on Facebook added that the service was also responding to fires in northern Israel, in Jerusalem and in the south after rockets landed in open areas.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to "destroy" Israel following Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

In a televised address that played out while Iran was firing retaliatory missiles toward Israel, the Iranian religious leader said, "They started the work and started the war."

"We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed," he said.

He added Iran's armed forces "will act with determination and destroy" Israel. 

A large plume of smoke was rising over Tel Aviv, though it remains unclear whether it was caused by incoming missiles or their interception.

The Israeli military stated that Iran had launched missiles toward Israel.

This was confirmed by Iranian state media, which reported that hundreds of ballistic missiles were fired from Iran, marking the beginning of Tehran’s response to intensive Israeli airstrikes.

The Israeli military has instructed the public to seek shelter in a protected space and remain there until further notice.

Air raid sirens have gone off over Jersulem and Tel Aviv and the military said missiles were fired from Iran.

The military defense systems are currently active and working to intercept the threat.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a United Nations conference scheduled for next week on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed.

"While we have to postpone this conference for logistical and security reasons, it will take place as soon as possible," Macron said.

The gathering, originally set for June 17–20, was delayed due to logistical issues, as members of the Palestinian Authority were unable to travel to New York.

Macron, who had planned to attend on June 18, has previously suggested that France could recognize a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territories during the conference—a move opposed by Israel.

Earlier this week, the administration of US President Donald Trump sent a diplomatic cable urging governments around the world not to attend the conference.

Iranian air defense systems intercepted unidentified projectiles over Tehran late on Friday, according to state media reports.

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

But even as state media reported interceptions, there were reports of explosions in Tehran and surrounding areas.

Iranian state media reported explosions on the northern and southern outskirts of the capital and at Fordow, near the holy city of Qom, a second major nuclear site which had been spared in the first wave of attacks.

The Israeli military said that it struck an Iranian nuclear site in Isfahan. 

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this [existential] threat." 

Israel's military on Friday advised citizens to remain close to protected areas and avoid public gatherings nationwide as it continued operations targeting sites in Iran.

"The Home Front Command has now instructed residents across the country to remain close to protected spaces... public gatherings must be avoided," the military said in a statement that also went out as an alert over Israeli cellphone networks. 

An Israel military televised briefing cut, official says due to incoming Iran attack.

US President Donald Trump told the Reuters news agency it was unclear if Iran still has a nuclear program following Israeli strikes on the country.

"Nobody knows. It was a very devastating hit," Trump said.

Trump had said he was working to delay an Israeli attack to give diplomacy more time, but he now appears to be fully supporting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions.

He said he spoke to Netanyahu on Monday and the US "knew everything, and I tried to save Iran humiliation and death."

Seperately, Trump told news site Axios he believes Israel's strike likely improved the chances of a US-Iran nuclear agreement

"Maybe now they will negotiate seriously," he said.

The US and Iran began talks on a possible new nuclear agreement in mid April.

Iran insists on being allowed to continue enriching uranium for civilian purposes, while the US insists on a complete halt to enrichment.