Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel in a counter-strike Friday, after an unprecedented onslaught hammered the Islamic republic’s top military brass and targeted its nuclear facilities and bases.
Fire and smoke rise from a building, reportedly hit by a missile fired from Iran, in central Tel Aviv on June 13, 2025.
Air raids sirens and explosions rang out across Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to the airways to issue a word of caution, saying he expected “several waves of Iranian attacks” in response.
Smoke could later be seen billowing above the skyscrapers in downtown Tel Aviv, according to an AFP journalist, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it attacked dozens of targets in Israel.
Several people were trapped in a high-rise building in central Israel, the firefighting service said.
The salvo came hours after Israel said its wide-spread air raids had killed several top Iranian generals, including most of the senior leadership of the Revolutionary Guards’ air force, following several rounds of strikes that hit about 200 targets including nuclear facilities.
As the two sides traded blows, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to bring Israel “to ruin” during a televised address.
“The armed forces of the Islamic republic will inflict heavy blows upon this malevolent enemy,” Khamenei told the nation.
This picture shows a rocket trail in the sky above Jerusalem on June 13, 2025. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)
In the onslaught’s wake, Trump urged Iran on Friday to “make a deal” on its nuclear programme, warning of “even more brutal” attacks to come.
The United States underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action and warned Iran not to attack its personnel or interests, but Tehran said Washington would be “responsible for consequences”.
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