Israel says it has struck Iranian nuclear and military targets to block Tehran from developing atomic weapons, and has declared a state of emergency as it braces for retaliation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation, called ‘Rising Lion’, was aimed at hurting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, its ballistic missile factories and many of its military capabilities.

“We are at a decisive moment in Israel’s history,” he said in a recorded video message.

“This operation will take as long as is needed to complete the task of fending off the threat of annihilation against us,” he added.

It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq, with multiple sites around the country hit.

The Israeli Air Force has conducted “five waves of strikes” a military official told The Times of Israel, with “hundreds” carried out in total.

Explosions were reported across the capital, including at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami was killed in a strike, Iranian state TV reported.

Nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were also listed as among the dead.

Israel’s PM said the operation would ‘take as long as is needed to complete the task of fending off the threat of annihilation against us’ (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran vows retaliation

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel had “unleashed its wicked and bloody” hand in a crime against Iran and that it would receive “a bitter fate for itself”.

The Revolutionary Guards also said Israel would pay a heavy price for killing top commander Salami.

“The Israeli attack was carried out with full knowledge and support of the wicked rulers in the White House and terrorist US Regime,” the Guards’ statement said.

“The Israeli attack was carried out with full knowledge and support of the wicked rulers in the White House and terrorist US Regime,” it added.

The US says it had no involvement in Friday’s strikes.

Firefighters and people clean up the scene of an explosion in a residence compound in Tehran (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

‘Pre-emptive strikes’

Israel’s Mossad spy agency also led a series of covert sabotage operations inside Iran, Axios reported, citing a senior Israeli official.

Israel’s defence minister said the military had launched “pre-emptive strikes” against Iran and said “a missile and drone attack against Israel was “expected in the immediate future”.

Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israel’s air defence units stood at high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran.

Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said tens of thousands of soldiers had been called up and “prepared across all borders”.

“We are amidst a historic campaign unlike any other. This is a critical operation to prevent an existential threat, by an enemy who is intent on destroying us,” he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said America was not involved in the operation.

“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” he said in a statement.

The US State Department said the US Embassy in Jerusalem has directed all government employees and their family members to shelter in place until further notice.

Smoke rises over Tehran after Israel said it had launched ‘pre-emptive’ strikes (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Israel said it was declaring a state of emergency in anticipation of a missile and drone strike by Tehran. Here, Israelis gather in a shelter following sirens in Tel Aviv (Photo: Itay Cohen/Reuters)

Trump to hold security meeting

Donald Trump will attend a National Security Council meeting on Friday at 11am Washington time (1500 GMT), the White House said.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Israel has an ongoing dialogue with Washington but its determination to strike Iran was an independent Israeli decision.

When asked in a CNN interview if Israel expected the US to assist Israel in case of an Iranian response, Ambassador Danny Danon said: “Don’t think we should go into speculation.” He added: “This decision was a decision of the Israeli leadership.”

US and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran’s escalating uranium enrichment program in Oman on Sunday, but after Israel’s strikes it was unclear if those would proceed.

Trump said earlier on Thursday an Israeli strike on Iran “could very well happen” but reiterated hopes for a peaceful resolution.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the US was hoping to get back to the negotiating table.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see. There are several people in leadership that will not be coming back,” Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin quoted Trump as saying in a post on X.