Israel has launched dozens of air strikes against Iran targeting its nuclear programme, military facilities and senior commanders in a large scale attack that pushed the Middle East closer to a renewed war.
Massive explosions were heard across Tehran at about 3.30am local time on Friday, and initial videos and photos shared by Iranians on social media showed smoke rising from various parts of Tehran.
Iranian state television said that Natanz, one of Iran’s two main nuclear plants, was struck and that several senior military and nuclear figures were killed in the strikes, including Major General Hossein Salami, head of the powerful Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a prominent physics professor and Fereydoon Abbasi, a former head of Iran’s atomic organisation.