Israeli forces launched strikes against Iranian nuclear sites late Thursday. The strikes reportedly killed top military officers and raised concerns globally, as well as among U.S. officials, of an all-out war between the two countries.
President Donald Trump responded in posts online, urging Iran to make a deal over its nuclear capabilities and warning of the destruction Israel could bring to the region.
“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,” Trump said Friday morning on Truth Social.
Trump said he told Iranian leaders that an attack would be “much worse” than anything they anticipated because Israel “has a lot” of U.S. military equipment, “with much more to come.”
“Certain Iranian hardliners 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,” he said.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,” his post concluded. “No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
Israel’s attack: ‘No choice’
Israel’s military defended its military action, saying it “had no choice” because Iran is a global threat and an “existential threat” to Israel.
Israel’s military said about 200 jets completed strikes on “dozens of military targets,” including Iranian nuclear sites.
The Israeli army confirmed that several of Iran’s top military leaders, including the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and the senior chain of command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, were killed due to the attack.
“Over the past several months, intelligence has shown that Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. This morning, the IDF began preemptive and precise strikes, targeting the Iranian nuclear program to prevent the Iranian regime’s ability to build a nuclear bomb in the immediate timeframe,” Israeli army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said.
The Israeli army shared an illustration that showed the “range of Iran’s missiles,” that extended as far out to Ukraine to the northwest and China to its east.
The Israeli army said its fighter jets struck Iran’s uranium site overnight. It’s the country’s largest uranium site that has operated to give Iran nuclear weapons capability and it was damaged as a result of the attack.
Israel was also able to get explosive drones inside Iran ahead of its attack and activate them to target Iran’s missile launchers. Precision weapons were also smuggled into the country to strike vehicle systems and Iran’s air defense systems when the attack began, The Associated Press reported.
United States weighs in
Shortly after Israel began its attack, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the United States was not involved.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio’s statement said.
Rubio did not say whether the U.S. knew Israel was going to launch the strikes, but said Israel advised the U.S. that it believed the action was necessary for self-defense.
“President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners,” Rubio’s statement said. “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
While Rubio’s statement can be viewed as a warning to Iran not to engage with the U.S., Trump highlighted the tension between the countries.
“Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it!” Trump posted Friday. “Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
Khamenei also confirmed the deaths of several top military leaders, which is a significant blow to its forces and its response.
He claimed Israel “opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to a crime in our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers,” the AP reported.
While there’s concern that the attacks could spark a larger regional war between the countries, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah condemned the attack but did not threaten to join Iran in retaliation. Hezbollah reached a ceasefire with Israel last November after several of its top leaders were killed in a battle.
Future of talks between U.S. and Iran unclear
The strike comes just days before the next round of talks between the United States and Iran over its nuclear program were set to take place.
Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed the meeting was planned to take place Sunday in Muscat, Oman. It would be the sixth round of talks as the U.S. tries to secure a deal over Iran’s uranium and nuclear power and looks to find an agreement to replace the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which Trump withdrew the U.S. from during his first term.
While it’s not known if the U.S. was aware Israel would be launching an attack, it was reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth scaled back the number of personnel in the Middle East as tensions rose ahead of the planned talks.
On Friday, the Pentagon began positioning warships and military assets in the Middle East to help protect Israel and American troops from a possible retaliation from Iran. They will not participate in any offensive against Iran, officials said, according to The New York Times.
Trump will attend a meeting with the National Security Council on Friday, the White House said.
Iran’s response
Iran fired more than 100 drones at Israel as its first response to the attack, but Israel said the drones were being intercepted.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel would face “severe punishment” for the attack.
On Friday afternoon, sirens sounded in Jerusalem. The IDF said all of Israel was under fire from dozens of Iranian projectiles. Iranian media later said hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel.
The AP reported at least one explosion was heard in Israel as the IDF’s Iron Dome intercepted missiles. Paramedics reported at least 5 people were wounded.
Global impact
Israel’s attacks shook up global markets as concern spread about the strikes setting off a larger war.
Oil prices surged as a result of concerns over what a broader war could mean for the region’s oil production
Prices of Brent crude oil jumped 7% to more than $74 a barrel, the largest spike of the year, the Times reported.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.9%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.34% and the Nasdaq fell 0.4%. Markets in Europe and Asia also fell, Reuters reported.