Iran will make Israel “regret” its deadly attack that targeted several locations, including nuclear sites, according to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s statement on Friday.
Pezeshkian stated in a video statement that was shown on state television that “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.”
Iran has formally declared Israel’s wave of Friday’s airstrikes a “declaration of war,” while U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran of “even more brutal” attacks should it fail to reach an agreement on its nuclear program. The strikes mark a severe escalation in the long-standing regional rivalry.
Israel asserted that its aerial bombardments successfully neutralized most of the senior leadership within the Revolutionary Guards’ air force, striking approximately 100 targets, which reportedly included both nuclear and military sites. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the operation specifically targeted the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme,” including nuclear scientists and the main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. Netanyahu vowed that the strikes would “continue as many days as it takes,” as the Israeli military claimed intelligence indicated Iran was nearing a “point of no return” on its nuclear development.
Responding to the attacks, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a dire warning to Israel, promising a “bitter and painful” fate. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi subsequently characterized the assault as a “declaration of war.” Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported the deaths of the country’s highest-ranking military officer, armed forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami. Khamenei swiftly appointed new commanders to replace those reportedly killed, while state media also indicated a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader had been wounded. The Israeli military claimed its attacks had killed most of the senior chain of command of the IRGC Air Force, who had assembled in an underground command center. Iran confirmed the death of the Guards aerospace commander along with “a group of brave and dedicated fighters.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to Fox News on Friday, urged Iran to “make a deal,” cautioning that failure to do so would result in more “death and destruction” following the deadly strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. While the United States underscored its non-involvement in the Israeli action and warned Iran against targeting U.S. personnel or interests, Tehran countered by stating Washington would be “responsible for consequences.”
Earlier, the Israeli military had reported that Iran launched approximately 100 drones, which air defenses successfully intercepted outside Israeli territory. Neighboring Jordan also confirmed intercepting drones and missiles that violated its airspace.
AFP images from Tehran showed a gaping hole in the side of a residential building, indicative of a localized, targeted strike. Iranian state media reported civilian casualties, including women and children, with an emergency services official stating 95 people had been wounded. The Tasnim news agency added that six nuclear scientists were among the fatalities. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz affirmed that the “precise targeting of senior commanders… sends a strong and clear message: those who work toward Israel’s destruction will be eliminated.”
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