Israel is prepared for the possibility of a full-scale war with Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday.
Tel Aviv appears ready to attack Iran
“Israel is prepared for any development,” said Dmitry Gendelman, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister’s office, when asked about the possibility of a full-scale armed conflict with Iran. According to him, Israel is primarily relying on its own armed forces.
The IAEA reported that radiation levels at the nuclear facility in Natanz had not exceeded normal levels and that nuclear facilities in Fordow (where uranium enrichment also takes place), Isfahan and the Bushehr nuclear power plant had not been damaged during the night’s events. However, Israeli authorities believe that they managed to significantly damage the facility in Natanz.
Earlier, Netanyahu said that the goal of Israel’s military operation was to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missile production facilities. He called the start of the operation a success.
Iran vows harsh response to Israel
Israel and the US will “receive a strong slap in the face” because of the Israeli strikes on Iran, Iranian Armed Forces spokesman General Abolfazl Shekarchi said on state television.
According to him, the Iranian armed forces are preparing and will soon launch retaliatory strikes. Shekarchi noted that the Israeli strikes targeted the homes of officials and military commanders, and some of them were killed.
A red flag of vengeance was raised over the Jamkaran Mosque in Iran after Israeli attacks on targets in the republic.
Footage on social media shows a red banner flying over the dome of the religious building.
The red flag was previously raised on January 4, 2020 in response to an air strike on Baghdad International Airport, as well as after the death of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in September 2024.
Israeli Air Force planes have launched an operation to shoot down drones launched by the Iranian military, the Jerusalem Post reported on Friday. The military is trying to shoot down the drones before they reach Israeli airspace. The UAVs are expected to reach Israel within the next couple of hours.
US reaction
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for his part, said that Washington did not participate in Israel’s strikes on Iran, but that Israel had informed the US that “these actions were necessary for self-defence.”
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not participating in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is the safety of American troops in the region,” Rubio explained.
US President Donald Trump also acknowledged that he knew about Israel’s plans and that the strikes did not come as a “surprise” to him.
On Friday morning, Middle Eastern media outlets, citing Iranian state television, reported that Tehran would not participate in Sunday’s planned talks with the US on its nuclear programme. Reports indicate that the suspension applies not only to this round of talks, but to any other talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Oil prices jump amid Israeli attack on Iran
Brent crude jumped more than 6% to $73.56 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude prices also rose more than 6%. The price of Brent continued to rise, exceeding $77 per barrel for the first time since late January.
At the same time, US indices began to lose value, as did Asian indices. Meanwhile, prices for so-called safe havens, the Swiss franc and gold, are rising.
