Israel attacks Iran Highlights: Israel launches fresh attack on Iranian capital Tehran, says report

A "massive explosion" was heard Friday in Isfahan, a major city in central Iran, in a province that is home to several nuclear facilities, Mehr news agency said.

"A few minutes ago, a massive explosion was heard in Isfahan," said Mehr, without immediately elaborating.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held talks with world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron. During the talks, the leaders showed understanding for Israel's defence needs in the face of the "Iranian threat of annihilation", Israel Prime Minister's Office stated.

Iran's nuclear programme cannot be completely destroyed by means of a military campaign, Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said on Friday after Israel launched large-scale attacks against Tehran.

Delta Air Lines said on Friday it has paused flights to Tel Aviv from New York through August 31 due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East after Israel launched a huge wave of airstrikes across Iran.

Israeli military has said that it has identified launch of missile from Yemen toward Israel, adding that it is working on intercepting it.

The US State Department had informed a number of regional allies in the Middle East of Israel's looming strike on Iran hours before the attack took place, Reuters reported quoting sources. Qatar was among one of the countries that were informed.

Israel military chief says Tel Aviv using 'full force' to achieve goals after Iran strikes

As per a BBC report, Israel has launched a fresh attack on the Iranian capital of Tehran, at around 18:32 local time.

Iranian air defences shot down an Israeli drone in the vicinity of the country's Fordow nuclear facility, Iranian media reported on Friday.

Earlier, Iranian media reported two explosions heard in the area of the nuclear site.

President Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone interview on Friday that it was unclear if Iran still has a nuclear programme following Israeli strikes on the country.

Trump told Reuters the US still has nuclear talks planned with Iran on Sunday but that he is not sure if they will still take place. He said it was not too late for Iran to make a deal.

Israel attacks Iran LIVE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel had informed the United States about its plans to attack Iran before carrying them out.

According to a Reuters report, Netanyahu said in a recorded video message, “I leave the American position to the Americans. We updated them ahead of time. They knew about the attack. What will they do now? I leave that to President (Donald) Trump. He makes his decisions independently.”

"I am not going to speak for him (Trump). He does that very convincingly and assertively. He said that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, they cannot have enrichment capabilities."

Israel attacks Iran LIVE: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had to change his trip in the Middle East, dropping a stop in Israel, after the country launched a barrage of strikes across Iran earlier on Friday.

Speaking in Cairo after talks with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, Wadephul said that he would travel from Egypt to Saudi Arabia for further talks on Saturday, a Reuters report said. 

He initially had planned to visit Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well. The foreign ministry left open on Friday if he would still make stops at those locations.

Iran's foreign ministry summoned on Friday the ambassador of Switzerland, which represents US interests in Tehran, state media said, following a wave of deadly strikes by Washington's ally Israel.

"During the meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran conveyed its deep outrage and strong protest over this act of aggression by Israel and the support extended to it by the United States," said the official news agency IRNA.

US President Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Friday that he and his team had known about Israel's plans to attack Iran.

The Wall Street Journal said that, when asked what kind of a heads-up the United States received before the attack, Trump said in a brief phone interview: "Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, we know what's going on."

The United States is moving military resources, including multiple missile destroyers, toward the eastern Mediterranean Sea so they can be available for use, multiple US officials told the Associated Press, who also said President Donald Trump is meeting with the National Security Council to discuss the situation.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday vowed a "decisive" response to Israeli strikes that killed senior officers and scientists, his office said.

"Iran's response to the Israeli regime's aggression will be decisive and certain," the foreign ministry said in a statement, quoting Araghchi in a call with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani.

Israeli strikes on Friday killed at least eight people and wounded 12 others in Iran's northwestern Tabriz city and its surroundings, the provincial governor told Iranian news agency ISNA.

“At least eight people... were killed following the attacks of the Zionist regime,” said Majid Farshi, governor of East Azerbaijan province, of which Tabriz is the capital.

A loud blast was heard in the western Iranian province of Hamedan, near a military airbase, the state news agency said. "A few hours ago, a loud blast was heard near Hamedan," which is locatedmore than 300 kilometres from the capital Tehran, the IRNA state news agency said. The blast was heard near the Nojeh airbase", it added.

Iran's Nournews says 78 killed and 329 injured in Israeli attacks on residential areas in Tehran.

The United Nations Security Council will meet later on Friday over Israel's strikes on Iran, diplomats said, at the request of Tehran.

Israel is shutting its embassies around the world and has urged citizens to stay alert and not display Jewish or Israeli symbols in public places, statements posted on embassy websites said on Friday after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran.

The statements said Israel would not be providing consular services and urged citizens to cooperate with local security services if faced with hostile activity.

Iran's Fars news agency, citing security source, denied Israeli reports that Tehran has launched drones towards Israel on Friday, adding that Iran's revenge "will take place in the near future".

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said Israel had the right to protect itself and called for "maximum restraint" from all parties following Israel's wave of strikes on Iran.

"France reaffirms Israel's right to defend itself and ensure its security," Macron said on X. "To avoid jeopardizing the stability of the entire region, I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate."

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday that Iran will make Israel "regret" its deadly attack which targeted multiple areas including nuclear sites.

"The Iranian nation and the country's officials will not remain silent in the face of this crime, and the legitimate and powerful response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act," Pezeshkian said in a video statement aired on state TV.

Israel's military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said on Friday that Israel intercepted "most" drones launched from Iran in response to air strikes on military and nuclear sites.

"Earlier, we alerted about a large-scale drone launch targeting our territory. Most of the targets were intercepted", Defrin said during a press briefing after the army said Iran had launched about 100 drones towards Israel.

In an interview with ABC News, US President Donald Trump on Friday said the Israeli attack on Iran has been "excellent" and warned there was much more to come.

"I think it's been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn't take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come. A lot more," Trump was quoted as saying by an ABC reporter on X.

"I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to "just do it," but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn't get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner's spoke bravely, but they didn't know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All," Donald Trump said on Truth Social.

“The enemy will deeply regret its foolish act — our response will be powerful,” says Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran has confirmed that Israel killed Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's missile programme.

Iranian state television made the acknowledgment Friday afternoon.

Israel a short time earlier said it killed Hajizadeh.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed that its aerospace commander had been killed with fellow officers in an Israeli air strike on their command centre on Friday.

"Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps aerospace force Major General Amirali Hajizadeh... along with a group of brave and dedicated fighters of this force, were martyred" in an Israeli attack on their command centre, the Guards said in a statement.

Israel launched a fresh attack on a key underground uranium enrichment facility in central Iran on Friday, Iranian state media reported.

"Minutes ago, the Zionist regime targeted Natanz again," state media said.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has replaced two top military commanders killed in a wave of Israeli strikes on Friday.

State TV said he tapped Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new head of the armed forces, replacing Gen. Mohammad Bagheri. Mousavi was previously the top army commander.

Khamenei chose Mohammad Pakpour to lead the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, replacing Gen. Hossein Salami.

As many as 13 Air India flights were cancelled, and four of them were diverted mid-air due to the Israel-Iran conflict, the airline said on Friday. Six arrival and seven departure flights of Air India were cancelled. Meanwhile, eight flights were check in hold due to air space constraint and eight others flights were diverted to other stations due to air space issue.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday urged the Ministry of External affairs to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students in Iran after Israel launched a major attack on the country, including nuclear and military sites and killing many.

In a post on X, Abdullah said that India stands with Kashmiri students and their families in this “difficult time”.

“Requesting @MEAIndia to urgently ensure the safety and well-being of Kashmiri students currently stuck in Iran. Their families are deeply worried, and we stand with them in this difficult time,” Abdullah said.

Tagging External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Jammu and Kashmir CM said, “Every step must be taken to safeguard our students.” Read more

Iran on Friday sharply criticised the “silence” from UN nuclear watchdog following Israel's attack on the country and its nuclear scientists.

In a statement, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said it considers the "silence" from the International Atomic Energy Agency “as a form of cooperation with the Zionist regime,” adding that the Israeli attack was a “defeat for the IAEA resulting from its unjustifiable shortcomings”.

Air France suspends Tel Aviv flights 'until further notice', reported AFP.

The Israeli military says it has completed a widespread attack on air defences in western Iran. (AP)

Air raid sirens sounded over Jordan's capital Friday as Iranian drones were inbound to target Israel in retaliation for Israel's strikes on Iran, AP reported.

Air India on Friday announced that several of its international flights were either diverted or sent back to their origin due to the emerging situation in Iran and the closure of its airspace.

In a post on social media platform X, the airline stated, "Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers, the following Air India flights are either being diverted or returning to their origin:

AI130 from London Heathrow to Mumbai has been diverted to Vienna

AI102 from New York to Delhi diverted to Sharjah

AI116 from New York to Mumbai diverted to Jeddah

AI2018 from London Heathrow to Delhi diverted to Mumbai

AI129 from Mumbai to London Heathrow, returning to Mumbai

AI119 from Mumbai to New York, returning to Mumbai

AI103 from Delhi to Washington, returning to Delhi

AI106 from Newark to Delhi diverting to Vienna

AI188 from Vancouver to Delhi diverting to Jeddah

AI101 from Delhi to New York, diverting to Frankfurt/Milan

AI126 from Chicago to Delhi diverting to Jeddah

AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru diverted to Sharjah

AI2016 from London Heathrow to Delhi diverted to Vienna

AI104 from Washington to Delhi diverted to Vienna

AI190 from Toronto to Delhi diverted to Frankfurt

AI189 from Delhi to Toronto, returning to Delhi."

"Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feqhi, Motalleblizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi were the nuclear scientists martyred" in Israel's attack, Tasnim news agency said. (AFP)

India on Friday said it is "deeply concerned" over the recent developments between Iran and Israel and "closely monitoring" the evolving situation.

"We are deeply concerned at the recent developments between Iran and Israel. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation, including reports related to attacks on nuclear sites," the MEA said in the statement. (PTI)

"We can now confirm that the Chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Commander of the IRGC and the Commander of Iran’s Emergency Command were all eliminated in the Israeli strikes across Iran by more than 200 fighter jets. These are three ruthless mass murderers with international blood on their hands. The world is a better place without them," said IDF in a post on X.

With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared for itself a bitter, painful fate, which it will definitely see, said Khamenei in a post on X.

“The IAEA is closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation in Iran. Agency can confirm Natanz site among targets. The Agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country.” - DG," IAEA said in a post on X. 

IAEA says on X, No increase in radiation levels observed at Natanz nuclear site targeted by Israel."

Iran launches about 100 drones towards Israel, army working to intercept, says Israeli military. (AFP)

Israel Iran attacks LIVE: Fifty people including women and children wounded in Israel attack, says state TV, AFP reported.

Netanyahu tells Israelis they may need to spend extended periods in bomb shelters

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Israeli public on Friday that they may have to spend prolonged periods in bomb shelters ahead of an anticipated retaliatory strike by Iran, Reuters reproted.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that a wave of Israeli strikes on Iran had been "very successful," warning they were only the opening salvos in a broader campaign against the Islamic republic, AFP reported. 

Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers, the following Air India flights are either being diverted or returning to their origin:

AI130 – London Heathrow-Mumbai – Diverted to Vienna

AI102 – New York-Delhi – Diverted to Sharjah

AI116 – New York-Mumbai – Diverted to Jeddah

AI2018 – London Heathrow-Delhi – Diverted to Mumbai

AI129 – Mumbai-London Heathrow – Returning to Mumbai

AI119 – Mumbai-New York – Returning to Mumbai

AI103 – Delhi-Washington – Returning to Delhi

AI106 – Newark-Delhi – Returning to Delhi

AI188 – Vancouver-Delhi – Diverting to Jeddah

AI101 – Delhi-New York – Diverting to Frankfurt/Milan

AI126 – Chicago-Delhi – Diverting to Jeddah

AI132 – London Heathrow-Bengaluru – Diverted to Sharjah

AI2016 – London Heathrow-Delhi – Diverted to Vienna

AI104 – Washington-Delhi – Diverted to Vienna

AI190 – Toronto-Delhi – Diverted to Frankfurt

AI189 – Delhi-Toronto – Returning to Delhi

“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption and are making every effort to minimize it, including providing accommodation for passengers. Refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling is also being offered to guests who opt for it. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly passengers to their destinations. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority,” said Air India in an official statement.