President Donald Trump has urged Iran to agree to United States demands to restrict its nuclear programme, as Tehran promised a strong response to Israeli air strikes targeting its nuclear sites and military facilities that killed at least two senior military commanders and several nuclear scientists.
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump warned that the “next already planned attacks” on Iran would be “even more brutal” and urged Iranian officials to “make a deal before there is nothing left”.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left… JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” he said.
In another post on his social media platform, the US president later said that Iran may have a second chance after claiming he gave Tehran 60 days to make a deal two months ago.
“I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
Separately, Trump praised Israel’s attacks on Iran in a series of brief telephone interviews with media outlets.
“I think it’s been excellent,” Trump told ABC News. “And there’s more to come. A lot more.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier said that the US had no part in the Israeli attacks and urged Iran not to target American interests or personnel in the region in retaliation, but Tehran said Washington would be “responsible for consequences”.
Natanz nuclear site damaged
Iran promised a harsh response against Israel, and the Israeli military said early on Friday that it was trying to intercept about 100 drones launched towards Israeli territory in retaliation. The country’s public broadcaster and Channel 12 reported that Israel also intercepted drones over Saudi Arabia.
Some 200 Israeli warplanes took part in overnight air strikes on Iran, hitting more than 100 targets in the country, according to Israeli army spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin.
Iranian media reported explosions, including some at the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation said Natanz had sustained damage, but no casualties had been reported. The organisation added that contamination – whether chemical or radioactive – has been detected inside the Natanz nuclear site, but not outside the complex, after this morning’s Israeli attack.
On Friday afternoon, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said a new Israeli attack in the city of Tabriz, northwest of Iran. Later, Nour news agency said explosions were heard and smoke was seen coming from Alborz province, west of Tehran. On Friday evening, Fars news agency reported that two explosions were heard near the Fordow nuclear site, and Mehr news agency said a “massive explosion” was heard in Isfahan, a city home to several nuclear facilities. Several explosions were also heard in Tehran and surrounding areas, state media said.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the UN Security Council that at least 78 people were killed and more than 320 others were injured in the day’s attacks, including women and children.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck at the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme”, aiming for the main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. The attacks would “continue as many days as it takes”, he said.
Separately, there were reports that the US might move military assets into the Middle East. Two US officials told The Associated Press that the US is shifting military resources, including ships.
The US Navy directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner to begin sailing toward the Eastern Mediterranean and directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward, so it can be available if requested by the White House.
One of the officials has said that President Trump is meeting with his National Security Council principals to discuss the situation.
‘Severe punishment for Israel’
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel that it “must expect severe punishment” after the assault. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that Tehran has a “legal and legitimate” right to respond.
Iranian state media has reported that Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, were both killed in the attacks. Nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi were also killed.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Israel would “regret” its attacks.
“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 broadcast on state television.
Later on Friday, Netanyahu said in a video message that he expects “several waves of Iranian attacks” in response to the operation that had been initially planned for April. Hours later, Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel.
In the Iranian city of Qom on Friday, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Jamkaran Mosque to demand a “severe punishment” for Israel in response to the strikes.
Mohammad Eslami, a research fellow at Tehran University, said Iranian leaders are preparing an imminent strike on Israel targeting military and nuclear facilities.
“The Iranian military were thinking about this scenario for many years, and also in recent days, we have heard lots of statements by the Defence Ministry of Iran that they are ready for any strike by the Israelis,” he told Al Jazeera from Tehran.
“Most Iranian political parties support defending the country because all Iranians [know] the history of Iraq attacking Iran. This is not about political points of view,” he added.
Nuclear talks
US and Iranian officials are due to attend a sixth round of talks over Iran’s nuclear programme in Oman on Sunday, but some observers say this is unlikely to proceed.
“The only thing that the Israeli attack destroyed totally was the diplomatic solution that was under way between the Iranian [diplomats] and the Americans,” Eslami said.
In an interview with the Reuters news agency on Friday, Trump said it was unclear if Iran still had a nuclear programme following Israeli strikes.
The president said the US still had nuclear talks plans with Iran, but was unsure if they would still take place. Yet, he said, it was not too late for Iran to make a deal.
“I tried to save Iran humiliation and death,” Trump said, adding he was not concerned about a threat of a regional war breaking out.
Washington and Tehran have been negotiating over Iran’s enrichment of uranium, with Trump stating recently that “zero” enrichment should be allowed in Iran. He has also said repeatedly that Iran will not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. Tehran has consistently said that its nuclear programme is only for civilian purposes.
Iran said in a statement that Israel’s “cowardly” attack showed why Iran had to insist on enrichment, nuclear technology and missile power.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors on Thursday declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years.
