Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities, kills top commanders; Trump administration emphasizes 'we are not involved'

Israel repeatedly attacked nuclear facilities and military sites across Iran Thursday night, neutralizing elements of the country's nuclear program, air defense systems, and military leadership.

The strikes, which the Trump administration stressed were undertaken unilaterally, have prompted condemnations from Arab nations in the region and a mixed response from American politicians.

The strikes

"Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday evening. "This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat."

Over 200 Israel Air Force jets hit targets in the Iranian cities of Tabriz, Kermanshah, Arak, Isfahan, and Natanz, as well as in the capital city of Tehran, where a residential apartment building collapsed, another large building was set ablaze, and military command housing was hit.

'The world is a better place without them.'

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the target in the Natanz area was a uranium enrichment site, "which has operated for years to achieve nuclear weapons capability and houses the infrastructure required for enriching uranium to military-grade levels."

The strikes allegedly damaged the underground area of the site, which contains an enrichment hall home to centrifuges, electrical rooms, and supporting infrastructure.

Israel also targeted dozens of radar and surface-to-air missile launchers, crippling the air defense system in the west of the country.

Both Israeli and Iranian authorities confirmed that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami was killed in the strikes. The Israel Defense Forces said they also killed Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces and the second-highest commander after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters.

"These are three ruthless mass murderers with international blood on their hands," said the IDF. "The world is a better place without them."

RELATED: Rubio not taking guff from ICC — hammers foreign judges over targeting of US and Israel

Photo by OHAD ZWIGENBERG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Mohammad Pakpour, the brigadier general who commanded the IRGC ground forces, has reportedly taken Salami's place.

Iranian state media indicated that at least two nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, were also killed in the attacks, reported Reuters.

The American geopolitical intelligence platform Stratfor indicated in an assessment ahead of the attacks that Israel had destroyed most of Iran's S-300 air defense capabilities in its October 2024 strikes, which afforded it an ever-shrinking window of opportunity to destroy parts of Tehran's nuclear program without great risk to its attack aircraft.

Additionally, in recent months, Iranian proxies in the neighborhood have been thinned out — including the Assad regime, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and Hezbollah in Lebanon — meaning less opposition in the aftermath.

The day before the strikes, the U.S. State Department issued orders for personnel to depart from embassies and diplomatic offices overseas.

American response

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement shortly after the attacks began, "Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region."

"Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense," continued Rubio. "President Trump and the administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners."

'They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!'

"Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel," added Rubio.

Rubio's threat comes just days after Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh indicated that in the event of a new conflict, "all U.S. bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries."

RELATED: Liberals freaked out over Vance's Munich speech. Just wait till they read the State Department's Substack.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Photo by John McDonnell/Getty Images

President Donald Trump, who was engaged in on-again, off-again negotiations with Tehran, underscored Thursday that he didn't want another conflict in the region.

After noting that "there's a chance of massive conflict," Trump told reporters, "I don't want them going in because that would blow it. Might help it, actually, but also could blow [a potential deal with Iran]."

On Friday morning, Trump stated on Truth Social, "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," continued the president. "And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner's [sic] spoke bravely, but they didn't know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!"

'Retaliation for this aggression is Iran's legitimate right.'

"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!" added Trump.

Whereas House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other lawmakers rallied behind Israel, reiterating that it has a right "to defend itself," some in Washington criticized the move.

Democratic Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.) called the strikes a "reckless escalation." Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wrote, "A war with Iran would make Iraq look like a skirmish. If your goal were to bankrupt America and destabilize the world, dragging us into another endless Middle East war would be the way to do it."

Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck emphasized the surgical nature of the strikes, tweeting:

Israel is incredible. Like surgeons. They must have had people on the ground with targeting. The world would have cheered if we could have taken out the scientists and military leadership in Germany. Same genocidal evil, but watch the media of the world take the side of the mullahs.

Iran responds

The Iranian government claimed that the attacks were a "blatant violation of international law and a terrorist attack" that "resulted in the martyrdom of citizens, commanders, and nuclear scientists."

"Defending Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty is the undeniable responsibility of the government and the armed forces," continued the government. "Retaliation for this aggression is Iran's legitimate right, and with the 'powerful hand of the armed forces' and under the command of the Leadership, severe punishment will be inflicted upon Israel."

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose senior adviser was reportedly wounded in the overnight attack, emphasized that the "powerful arm of the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces won't let them go unpunished."

Early Friday, Iran reportedly launched around 100 drones toward Israeli territory in retaliation, which Israeli authorities said they were working to neutralize.

This is a developing story.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!