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Iran hits Israel with a second wave of missiles. See how Friday unfolded.

Traces of projectiles are seen over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Saturday. Israel’s ongoing attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, generals and scientists killed 78 people and wounded more than 320 on Friday, according to officials.Leo Correa/Associated Press

Israel’s ongoing attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, generals, and scientists killed 78 people and wounded more than 320 on Friday, Iran’s ambassador told the U.N. Security Council, but he said “the overwhelming majority” of victims were civilians.

The ambassador spoke shortly after Iran retaliated with a barrage of long-range missiles targeting Israel’s commercial capital, Tel Aviv, wounding at least 34 people, Israel’s paramedic service said.

Israel launched the attacks on Iran amid simmering tensions over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. For years, Israel had threatened such a strike and successive American administrations had sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran’s dispersed and hardened nuclear program.

As Iranian projectiles and Israeli interceptor rockets left trails of smoke and flame across the night sky, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to let Israel “escape safely from this great crime.”

See how Friday unfolded.

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UN conference on Palestinian state postponed because of Middle East tensions — 10:00 p.m.

By the Associated Press

A top-level U.N. conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians scheduled for next week has been postponed amid surging tensions in the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday.

France and Saudi Arabia were due to co-chair the conference hosted by the U.N. General Assembly in New York on June 17-20, and Macron had been among leaders scheduled to attend. The Palestinian Authority hoped the conference would revive the long-defunct peace process.

After Israel’s strikes on Iran on Friday, Macron said that France’s military forces around the Middle East are ready to help protect partners in the region, including Israel, but wouldn’t take part in any attacks on Iran.

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Macron told reporters that the two-state conference was postponed for logistical and security reasons, and because some Palestinian representatives couldn’t come to the event. He insisted that it would be held “as soon as possible” and that he was in discussion with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about a new date.

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UN chief calls for escalation to stop, saying ‘peace and diplomacy must prevail’ — 9:58 p.m.

By the Associated Press

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Iran to halt their attacks on one another, while calling for diplomacy.

“Israeli bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites. Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv. Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail,” Guterres wrote on X on Saturday.


Iranian media reports a fire at Tehran’s airport — 8:14 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency is reporting a fire at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport, posting a video on X of a column of smoke and orange flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport.


A handful of light injuries reported from second wave of Iranian missiles — 7:14 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv said it has treated seven people hurt by the second Iranian barrage; six had light injuries and the seventh was moderately wounded.


US official warns Iran and its proxies not to target Americans or US interests — 7:03 p.m.

By the Associated Press

McCoy Pitt, the senior official in the U.S. State Department Bureau of International Organization Affairs told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council Friday that “the consequences for Iran would be dire.”

“Let me be crystal clear,” he said, “no government, proxy, or independent actor should target American citizens, American bases, or other American infrastructure in the region.”

He said Trump wants an end to violence and for Iran to reach a nuclear deal.

“The United States will continue to seek a diplomatic resolution that ensures Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon or post a threat to stability in the Middle East,” he said. “Iran’s leadership would be wise to negotiate at this time.”

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Iran fires a second wave of missiles at Israel — 6:23 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Sirens and a round of explosions, possible from Israeli interceptors, could be heard booming in the sky over Jerusalem and the Israeli military said another Iranian missile attack was taking place.

The Israeli military urged civilians, already rattled by an earlier wave of missiles, to head to shelter.

The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a fresh wave was being launched.


Iran and Israel say a new wave of Iranian attacks has begun — 6:13 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Sirens and explosions could be heard in Jerusalem and the Israeli military said another attack was taking place.


How the militaries of Israel and Iran compare — 6:10 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Although roughly equal in the number of troops, the two militaries bring strikingly different tactics and firepower.

Iran boasts a large standing force but also relies on proxies and undercover operations that have been severely disabled in recent months by U.S. and Israeli actions.

Israel, meanwhile, relies on both subterfuge and robust regular ground and air forces that are apparently unmatched in the region.

It’s unclear how long Iran could keep up firing hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel. However, according to Israeli media reports, the cost of a single Iron Dome interception is about $50,000, while the other systems can run more than $2 million per missile.


Iranian missiles penetrated Israel’s air defenses Friday. How ironclad is the system? — 5:55 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Iran’s long-range missile attack was a stiff challenge for Israel’s air-defense system, which has intercepted projectiles fired from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.

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Those have ranged from short-range rockets to medium-range missiles to attack drones to ballistic missiles like those fired Friday night.

Over the decades, Israel has developed a sophisticated system capable of detecting incoming fire and deploying only if the projectile is headed toward a population center or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders say the system isn’t 100% guaranteed, but credit it with preventing serious damage and countless casualties.


Iranian air defenses are firing against Israeli attacks — 5:28 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets are echoing across the center of the capital, Tehran. Additionally, an Associated Press reporter could hear air raid sirens near their home.


Iranian missiles wounded 34 people in Israel — 5:22 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Israel’s paramedic services said 34 people were wounded in the rocket attacks on the Tel Aviv area, including a woman who was critically injured after being trapped under rubble.


Iran says most of its casualties were civilians, including women and children — 5:11 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday that Israel’s “barbaric and criminal attack” and targeted killings were against senior military officials and nuclear scientists — but “the overwhelming majority” of victims were civilians, including women and children.

The ambassador said 78 people were killed and over 320 injured in the Israeli attacks.

He said Israel is conducting more “acts of aggression” targeting multiple civilian and military sites across several Iranian cities.

“These atrocities constitute clear acts of state terrorism and flagrant violation of international law,” Iravani said.


Israelis wounded by Iranian missiles — 5:01 p.m.

By the Associated Press

In Ramat Gan, rescuers were trying to get out 15 people from a house they were trapped in after it was hit by a missile. The city is east of Tel Aviv.

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Yossi Griver from Israel’s home front command said authorities were trying to free them. He said people were eating Friday night dinner when their house was struck, and many are older adults.

The area was badly hit Friday night. The AP saw at least three damaged houses, one where the front was nearly entirely torn off, as well as burnt out cars.


Putin talks with Israeli and Iranian leaders — 4:43 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged de-escalation during his separate calls with the leaders of Israel and Iran earlier Friday.

To Iran, Putin condemned the Israeli attacks and offered condolences for the casualties, including civilians, according to the Kremlin.

In his conversation with Netanyahu, Putin said the Iranian nuclear issue should be solved “exclusively through political and diplomatic means” and urged both sides to return to negotiations, even offering to help mediate.


What Israel’s attack destroyed at the main Iranian nuclear facility — 4:46 p.m.

By the Associated Press

U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Israeli strikes destroyed the above-ground section of Iran’s main nuclear facility at Natanz.

He said all the electrical infrastructure and emergency power generators were destroyed as well as a section of the facility where uranium was enriched up to 60%.

The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged the infrastructure there, he said.


Multiple people in Tel Aviv injured by Iranian strikes — 4:38 p.m.

By The New York Times

At least 40 people have been wounded in Tel Aviv and the surrounding area, according to a tally from three hospitals. Most patients are moderately injured, but a few are in critical condition.


Iran rejects Britain’s call for restraint — 4:34 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Iranian state TV reported that the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told British Foreign Secretary David Lammy that Iran does not accept calls for restraint in the face of Israeli aggressions.

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Araghchi emphasized that Iran’s response to the Israeli attacks will be “decisive and definite based on the United Nations Charter.”


Lebanon and Syria close airspace to commercial flights — 4:30 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Lebanese officials announced Friday evening that the country’s airspace would be closed overnight to commercial aircraft. Before the announcement, national air carrier Middle East Airlines had continued to operate flights while many other airlines canceled theirs.

Syria’s civil aviation authority also announced that “some air corridors” in Syrian airspace would remain closed overnight.

Also in Syria, what appeared to be several Iranian drones fell in the southern provinces of Daraa and Quneitra after being shot down by Israeli air defenses. An Associated Press photographer in the area saw one of the fallen drones and nearby houses that had suffered minor damages as a result.


Two older adults wounded east of Tel Aviv, hospital says — 4:26 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Israeli military said an Iranian missile landed in Ramat Gan, a city about halfway between the coast and Ben Gurion International Airport.

Sheba Hospital says it’s treating 15 people wounded by Iranian missiles, one critically.

Projectiles hit buildings as Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 13, 2025.Tomer Neuberg/Associated Press

Oil prices leap and stocks fall — 4:19 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Markets are worried that escalating violence following Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear and military targets could damage the flow of crude around the world, along with the global economy.

The strongest action was in the oil market, where crude prices jumped 7.3% and returned to where they were early this year. Iran is one of the world’s major producers of oil, and escalating fighting could limit its flow. Markets worry that rising oil prices could push inflation higher.

The S&P 500 fell 1.1% Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.8%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.3%.


Jerusalem’s Old City is shuttered — 4:10 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Israeli police have closed entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem, which is often a flashpoint for protests during times of increased tensions. The limestone passageways of the Jewish Quarter were empty and quiet Friday evening except for a few stragglers. Shops were closed.

People walk in an nearly empty alley in Jerusalem's Old City as Israel's Home Front Command banned public gatherings on Friday, June 13, 2025.Mahmoud Illean/Associated Press

Trump spoke to Netanyahu — 4:06 p.m.

By the Associated Press

A US official, speaking on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that the conversation took place.


US is helping Israel intercept Iran’s missiles — 3:37 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The US official did not say how the US provided assistance, however both US Air Force fighter aircraft and destroyer-based missile defenses have intercepted missiles in previous attacks.

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)Leo Correa/Associated Press

The U has been moving assets nearer to Israel to assist in missile intercepts and to provide better protection of US bases in the region.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.


How is Israel protecting its critical sites from Iranian retaliation? — 3:21 p.m.

By The New York Times

Iran fired its first barrage of dozens of missiles at Israel on Friday night, about 18 hours after Israel’s attacks on Iran began. Israel’s emergency services said they were searching seven sites where missiles or debris hit in the greater Tel Aviv area, the military said. As Israel braces for further retaliation for its attack on Iran’s nuclear program, here are some of the most critical sites, which are likely to be heavily protected:

  • Israel’s nuclear reactor in Dimona, in the southern Negev desert. Israel has long maintained ambiguity about its nuclear capabilities, but is widely believed to have nuclear weapons. A recently declassified U.S. intelligence report from December 1960, by the Joint Atomic Energy Intelligence Committee, stated that the Dimona project included a reprocessing plant for plutonium production. The report concluded then that the project was related to nuclear weapons. Israel has not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
  • The country’s main ports, Haifa and Ashdod, on the Mediterranean coast. Israel also has offshore natural gas platforms, part of its energy infrastructure. In a statement on Friday, Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said it could order the temporary closure of some of the offshore gas fields, citing security concerns given the escalating tensions in the region.
  • Ben Gurion, Israel’s international airport. The airport was shut down on Friday morning, and all incoming and departing flights were canceled as Israel closed its airspace to civilian traffic. Last month, a ballistic missile launched from Yemen by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia struck near Ben Gurion’s main terminal, close to Tel Aviv, after the military failed to intercept the projectile.
  • Military bases. The Israeli military is also likely take measures to protect its headquarters and air bases around the country.
The flight information board at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport shows flight cancellations on Friday, June 13, 2025.Ariel Schalit/Associated Press

Trump has finished his meeting with national security aides — 3:11 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump’s meeting with National Security Council principals to discuss Israel’s operations has finished, according to the White House. Officials did not provide details on any specific aspects of Trump’s talks with top aides in the White House Situation Room or how long it went.


Witnesses post videos of Iranian missile attack — 3:10 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Iranian missiles could be seen from as far away as Beirut, leaving behind yellow streaks like comets as they descended on Israel.

And in other videos posted on social media, the missiles burned fast through the air above Jerusalem’s Old City.

Associated Press journalists reported the rumbling of explosions sounded like a thunderstorm.

Traces are seen over Jerusalem during a missile attack alert, Friday, June 13, 2025.Ohad Zwigenberg/Associated Press

An explosion in Tel Aviv — 3:08 p.m.

By the Associated Press

An explosion is seen during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 13, 2025.Tomer Neuberg/Associated Press

5 wounded in Israel by Iranian attack — 3:05 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Israeli paramedics report five people injured in the Tel Aviv area — one in moderate condition and four lightly injured by shrapnel.


Iranian missiles and Israeli interceptor rockets light up the night sky — 2:57 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The glow of missiles as Israeli air defenses in Ashkelon, Israel, work to defend from a missile attack from Iran seen in the northern distance over the waterfront of Gaza City, on Friday, June 13, 2025.SAHER ALGHORRA/NYT

Israel’s Iron Dome intercepts missiles over Tel Aviv — 2:41 p.m.

By the Associated Press

This picture shows rocket trails in the sky above Jerusalem on June 13, 2025.AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Iran’s supreme leader vows revenge for Israeli attacks — 2:32 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed revenge for Israeli attacks in a recorded message to the nation delivered as Iranian missiles flew toward Israel. Khamenei said the military was prepared to counterattack.

“Don’t think that they hit and it’s over. No. They started the work and started the war. We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed,” he said.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves to the crowd as he arrives for a ceremony outside Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, June 4, 2025.Uncredited/Associated Press

Iranian missile attack reaches Israel — 2:22 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Sirens sounded across Israel and loud booms shook the air as Israeli interceptors could be seen arcing up toward the Iranian missiles. An Israeli military official said dozens of incoming missiles were detected.

Smoke rises after a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 13, 2025.Leo Correa/Associated Press

US lawmakers are divided over the Iranian strikes — 2:17 p.m.

By The New York Times

Israel’s overnight missile strike against Iran divided Congress, drawing praise and strong support from members of both parties,but some lawmakers, most of them Democrats, expressed concern about regional instability and the risk the United States might be drawn directly into the conflict.

Many members of Congress were quick to cheer Israel’s actions and framed them as a justified response to Tehran’s refusal to abandon its ambition to obtain nuclear weapons. Others, including several leading Democrats, urged restraint, warning about the potential for escalation.


Israel says Iran has launched missiles — 2:09 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Israeli military’s Home Front Command has instructed people to move into shelters ahead of an expected Iranian missile attack.

The army says Iran has launched missiles, and the safety order applies to the entire country.

Israel’s Channel 13 TV says the missiles are expected to take about 10 minutes to arrive.


Israeli checkpoints choke movement inside the West Bank, stranding medical patients — 2:06 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Ghassan Hamdan, a doctor and the director of medical relief in the central West Bank area of Nablus, said Israel’s closure of checkpoints in the area had prevented ambulances from being able to ferry patients to the hospital all day.

He said that the portion of the Nablus population living in rural areas outside the city were not able to get to the hospital. In one case, he recounted that an ambulance was unable to reach a woman with health complications from diabetes who needed to be picked up from the village of Duma.

“The gates are closed and there are no soldiers to open them,” he said.

An Israeli military official confirmed earlier in the day to The AP that Israel had closed crossings into the territory.


UN chief tells Iran’s foreign minister to show maximum restraint and return to diplomacy — 2:03 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to Abbas Araghchi Friday morning and also told him “we need to avoid, at all costs, a deadly confrontation that might get out of control,” U.N. associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said.

Guterres reiterated his condemnation of any military escalation in the Middle East, which the region “can hardly afford,” she said.

Israel had long threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear sites, and successive American administrations had sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran’s dispersed and hardened nuclear program.


Israel’s next target is Fordo, a nuclear site hidden in a mountain — 1:57 p.m.

By The New York Times

After striking sites critical to Iran’s nuclear weapons program early on Friday, Israel indicated it would next set its sights on the enrichment facility known as Fordo, Iran’s second-largest and most fortified nuclear complex.

The Fordo facility, built deep underground to thwart such an attack, is where Iran has stockpiled weapons-grade uranium and could quickly produce a bomb, experts said. Fordo, they added, is Israel’s most formidable impediment to halting Iran’s nuclear program altogether.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran on Jan. 24, 2025.Uncredited/Associated Press

Israeli military briefing cut short by possible incoming Iranian attack, official says — 1:53 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Israel’s military spokesman said that despite Israel’s attack, Iran remains capable of striking Israel. “Iran has capability to hurt Israel’s civilian front in a meaningful way,” said Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.

Defrin’s briefing was cut short. An Israeli military official says this was due to an incoming Iranian attack on central Israel. The official spoke on condition pending a formal announcement.


Israel strikes another Iranian nuclear site — 1:51 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The facility in Isfahan, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of Tehran, employs thousands of nuclear scientists. It also is home to three Chinese research reactors and laboratories associated with the country’s atomic program.


France says conference is postponed on two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — 1:39 p.m.

By the Associated Press

French President Emmanuel Macron says a top-level U.N. conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed because of renewed tensions in the Mideast.

France and Saudi Arabia were due to co-host the conference in New York next week, and Macron had been scheduled to attend.

Macron said Friday it was postponed for logistical and security reasons and because some Palestinian representatives couldn’t come to the event.


UK urges Iran to show restraint after deadly Israeli attacks — 1:35 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Britain’s top diplomat says he has spoken to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to urge restraint and calm at “a moment of grave peril in the Middle East.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy told reporters that the U.K.’s message is “Let’s step back. Let’s have restraint. Let’s return to diplomacy.”

He stressed that Britain has not been involved in the strikes, saying “this is a unilateral act by Israel.”


3 Palestinian children under 12 injured from missile shrapnel in the West Bank — 1:18 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Palestinian Red Crescent said that shrapnel from a missile injured three children, ages 6, 7 and 12 in the Palestinian village of Sa’ir, in the south of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The children were being transferred to the hospital.

The report came shortly after Israel’s military said it had intercepted a missile launched at the country from Yemen.


Iran reports explosions at another nuclear site — 1:16 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Fordo nuclear enrichment facility is buried hundreds of meters underground.

Nour News, which is close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that two explosions were heard from the area nearby.

Separately, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that a radar site near Tabriz was attacked, according to an official in the East Azerbaijan province.

Majid Farshi told IRNA that 11 military sites in East Azerbaijan province have been attacked, and that 18 people were killed, including one Red Crescent aid worker.


US fighter jets take flight to protect personnel and installations in Middle East — 1:06 p.m.

By the Associated Press

American fighter jets are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, according to a U.S. official. The official spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.

It comes at the same time as the Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean. A second destroyer also has begun moving forward so it can be available if requested by the White House.


Ongoing Israeli attacks in Iran’s capital — 1:02 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The sound of air defense systems and the sight of bright lights in the sky over central Tehran indicate engagement by the capital’s air defense.


Public spaces in Israel are largely deserted after nation’s attack on Iran — 12:55 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, stands nearly empty as Israel's Home Front Command banned public gatherings following an Israeli military strike on Iran, in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, June 13, 2025.Mahmoud Illean/Associated Press

Israel detects a missile launch from Yemen, setting off sirens in Jerusalem — 12:51 p.m.

By the Associated Press

A loud boom could be heard in the Holy City, possibly from Israeli interceptor fire.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen did not immediately claim the attack.


Israel’s UN ambassador says the attack on Iran showed his country’s intelligence capabilities — 12:46 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Ambassador Danny Danon told U.N. reporters the Israeli government is still assessing the results from the attacks involving more than 200 aircraft and over 100 targets. He said Israel had intelligence on the nuclear and missile facilities in Iran and the whereabouts of individuals targeted.

Danon said Iran’s nuclear threat escalated dramatically in recent months toward developing a nuclear weapon, forcing Israel to act now.

“Intelligence obtained by Israel revealed a secret program to develop all necessary parts of a bomb — uranium enrichment, triggering mechanisms, and warhead delivery systems,” he said, without providing any evidence.

Danon said, also without providing evidence, that Iran was planning a surprise attack on Israel “in coordination with their proxies” that involved an invasion of the country from all sides and the use of thousands of projectiles.


Iran reports explosions at the Fordo nuclear site — 12:41 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Nour News, which is close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that two explosions were heard moments ago from the area near the Fordo nuclear facilities site, and two ground points in the Fordow area were targeted.

The Fordo nuclear site is located hundreds of meters (yards) underground.


French and British leaders say they spoke to Netanyahu — 12:27 p.m.

By the Associated Press

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron both say they’ve spoken to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu by phone.

Macron’s office did not immediately provide details about the discussions.

Starmer’s office said he “was clear that Israel has a right to self-defense and set out the UK’s grave concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.”

It said he “reiterated the need for de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution, in the interests of stability in the region.”

British officials have declined to say whether the U.K. government was informed of the strikes in advance.


Netanyahu says Israel’s attack on Iran was months in the making — 12:24 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Netanyahu said he ordered an attack plan in November 2024, shortly after the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah — one if Iran’s strongest proxies. That’s when Israel forecasted Iran would start rapidly advancing its nuclear program.

In a video statement circulated to journalists Friday evening, Netanyahu said the attack was supposed to happen in April but was postponed.


A new wave of attacks appears to have begun in Tehran — 12:17 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Civilian witnesses told The Associated Press they heard what sounded like loud explosions in neighborhoods in the capital’s east, west and center, while an AP journalist in the city’s north also heard a blast.

Iranian state media has not yet provided information on these developments.


The US is positioning warships to help protect Israel and American forces from Iranian strikes — 12:12 p.m.

By The New York Times

The Pentagon is positioning warships and other military assets in the Middle East to help protect Israel, and American troops, from possible Iranian retaliation to Israeli strikes, U.S. officials said on Friday.

The naval destroyer U.S.S. Thomas Hudner was directed to move to the Eastern Mediterranean, and a second destroyer may soon follow, the officials said. The Air Force will most likely move additional fighter aircraft to the region soon, one official said.

The military assets are not being moved to take part in any offensive against Iran, one Defense Department official said. He said that Pentagon officials are still waiting on decisions that might come out of President Trump’s meeting with senior national security officials on Friday morning at the White House. Until then, the official described much of American military posture in the region as still to be determined.

The repositioning of the naval destroyers, first reported by The Associated Press, could supplement Israel’s ability to shoot down ballistic missiles fired as part of an Iranian retaliation.

While U.S. military officials said Friday that Israel has good air defenses, there was some worry that it would need assistance if Iran tried to overwhelm those defenses with a coordinated, large-scale attack.

Last October, United States forces helped Israel thwart a large barrage of missiles and drones launched by Iran after Israel killed a high-ranking a Hamas leader as he visited Iran and then assassinated the leader of Hezbollah in Libya.

There are around 40,000 American troops in the region.


Netanyahu says Israel informed US before attacking Iran — 11:55 a.m.

By the Associated Press

In a video statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel told the U.S. about its plans to attack Iran in advance. “They knew about the attack. What will they do now? I leave that to President Trump.”


Iran summons Swiss ambassador over Israeli attacks — 11:51 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Since Tehran and Washington don’t have diplomatic relations, Switzerland has looked out for America’s interests in Iran since the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.

Isa Kameli, an assistant to foreign minister, told the Swiss ambassador that Friday’s Israeli attacks were a crime and said, “It is not possible to imagine that invasion acts by the Zionist regime have taken place without cooperation and coordination and at least green light from the U.S.”


Israel seals off the West Bank — 11:36 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Israel closed all checkpoints to the Israeli-occupied West Bank Friday as the country attacked Iran, a military official said Friday.

The move sealed off entry and exit to the territory, meaning that Palestinians could not leave without special coordination.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military recommendations.

Around 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank under Israeli military rule. With the world’s attention focused on Gaza, Israeli military operations in the West Bank have grown in size, frequency and intensity.

The crackdown has also left tens of thousands unemployed, as they can no longer work the mostly menial jobs in Israel that paid higher wages.


Iran says Israel will ‘deeply regret’ its attack — 11:24 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Israel’s targeted killings of officials and scientists were “clear instances of state terrorism,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council requesting an emergency meeting.

In the letter obtained by The Associated Press, he said Iran affirms its right to self defense under the U.N. Charter.

“This right is non-negotiable,” Araghchi said. “Israel will come to deeply regret this reckless aggression and the grave strategic miscalculation it has made.”

The Iranian minister urged the Security Council, which will meet at 3 p.m. in New York, to “take urgent and concrete measures to hold the Israeli regime fully accountable for its crimes.”


Israel’s military begins stationing troops in ‘all combat arenas’ — 11:14 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The military said it was calling up reservists from different military units as “part of preparations for defense and offense” as its attack on Iran continues.

The move comes as Israel braces for further counterattacks from Iran or Iranian proxy groups on Israel’s borders.


Trump: US was aware of Israeli attack ahead of time — 10:55 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The U.S. president said Friday morning that “we know what’s going on” when asked what sort of advance warning he got from Israel about its attack on Iran.

“Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, we know what’s going on,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

He again used the Israeli attack as a warning to Iran to make a nuclear deal.


China says it’s ‘deeply worried’ about consequences of Israeli attack — 10:51 a.m.

By the Associated Press

China’s spokesperson Lin Jian on Friday called on all parties to avoid further escalation of tensions, saying it was “deeply worried about the serious consequences” that may result from recent actions.

“China opposes any infringement on Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and opposes actions that escalate tensions and expand the conflict” he said. China also offered to “play a constructive role” in de-escalating the situation.

In 2023, China brokered an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to reestablish diplomatic relations — a leading role in Middle Eastern politics previously reserved for longtime global heavyweights like the U.S. and Russia.


Iraq’s prime minister meets with US diplomatic and military chiefs — 10:03 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani complained to the top U.S. officials that Israel’s attacks on Iran were a “flagrant violation of international law,” according to a statement from his office.

Al-Sudani met Friday with U.S. Embassy Charge D’Affaires Steven Fagin and Gen. Kevin Leahy, commander of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group.

Sudani also complained of Israel’s use of Iraqi airspace to carry out the attacks.

Fagin and Leahy “affirmed the United States’ stated position of not participating in the attack in any way, noting their country’s commitment to not dragging Iraq into the conflict,” the statement said.


In Tel Aviv, an eerie quiet and a cancelled Pride Parade — 9:59 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Many Israelis are hunkered down close to home in Tel Aviv, the country’s economic hub on the Mediterranean coast.

Shops were open but the streets, beaches, and parks were mostly deserted. Earlier Friday, many people had rushed to supermarkets to buy bottled water and other supplies.

The city canceled its annual Pride Parade, which normally draws tens of thousands of people for a march and street party.

A man rode a bicycle along the empty promenade on Tel Aviv's beachfront on Friday. Leo Correa/Associated Press
A man loaded groceries in the back of his car as he stocks up with supplies in Tel Aviv on Friday. MAYA LEVIN/AFP via Getty Images

Iran is restricting the internet after Israeli attacks — 9:51 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Internet usage in Iran dramatically declined Friday after Iranian authorities restricted access in the country following the Israeli attacks, according to internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org.

The group shared the information in a graph posted to X Friday, saying their data corroborated “user reports of poor service.”

The top floor of an apartment building damaged in an Israeli army strike is seen in Tehran, Iran's capital on Friday.Vahid Salemi/Associated Press
A man took a picture of a building damaged in an Israeli strike on Tehran on Friday. MEGHDAD MADADI/TASNIM NEWS/AFP via Getty Images

Expert says Iran poses a bigger threat to US military than Israel — 9:48 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Iran’s current capabilities are potentially “more threatening to the U.S. military than to Israel,” said Fabian Hinz, an air warfare expert at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London.

That’s because there are multiple U.S. military bases in the region and Iran has a “huge arsenal” of shorter range missiles developed specifically to target U.S. bases as well as “lots of anti-ship capabilities,” Hinz said.

While Iran fired around 300 ballistic missiles at Israel last year, Hinz said, Tehran did not fire any of their short range missiles which could be used to attack U.S. bases.

“Think of the Iranian shipping threat as similar in quality to the Houthi threat, but much larger in quantity,” Hinz said.


US shifts military resources in Middle East, including ships, after Israel’s attack — 9:46 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The U.S. military resources are being moved in response to Israel’s strikes on Iran and a possible retaliatory attack by Tehran, according to two U.S. officials Friday.

The Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner to begin sailing toward the Eastern Mediterranean and has directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward, so it can be available if requested by the White House.

One of the officials says Trump is meeting with his National Security Council principals to discuss the situation. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public.

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