Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes on Iran and has declared an emergency as it braces for retaliation.

Its military said a “pre-emptive, precise, combined offensive based on high-quality intelligence” had been launched – called Operation Rising Lion.

“Dozens of IAF jets completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran,” said a statement.

Get live updates on the strikes

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel‘s very survival” and would last for “as many days as it takes to remove the threat”.

Iranian state media reported the head of the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, had been killed.

Mehr News said nuclear scientist Fereydoun Abbasi was also dead, as was theoretical physicist Dr Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi and Major General Gholam Ali Rashid.

State media reported explosions northeast of capital Tehran early on Friday, and said buildings belonging to the armed forces were hit in the Mahalati complex north of the city.

A “special state of emergency” is now in effect in Israel, according to its defence minister, who warned a “missile and drone attack… is expected in the immediate future”.

Israelis were woken in the early hours by air raid sirens and a phone alert warning there could be “severe retaliation”, said Sky’s Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall.

An IDF statement said authorities are “prepared for a wide range of scenarios in defense and offense that may be needed”.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said America was not involved and Israel believed the strikes were necessary for its self defence.

He said “necessary steps” had been taken to protect US forces in the region.

“Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” Mr Rubio warned.

The attack comes amid fears over Iran’s nuclear programme, with a warning this week the country is breaking its obligations for the first time in 20 years.

Israel and the US have long feared Iran is plotting to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has repeatedly denied this and insists its programme is for civilian purposes.

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Mr Netanyahu’s video statement on Friday claimed Iran had in recent years developed enough highly enriched uranium for “nine atom bombs”.

“In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before – steps to weaponize this enriched uranium,” said the prime minister

He added: “If not stopped, it could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year, it could be a few months.

“This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”

US and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran’s escalating uranium enrichment
programme in Oman on Sunday.

A plane carrying 242 people, including 53 British nationals, to London Gatwick has crashed in India.

A fireball can be seen in footage as the Air India flight crashed into a residential area near Ahmedabad Airport shortly after take-off.

More than 100 bodies have been brought to hospital in the north-western city in Gujarat state, according to police.

India plane crash latest: Follow live updates

Video circulating on social media shows massive plumes of thick black smoke rising into the sky near the airport after the crash.

Other footage shows debris at the scene on fire and people being moved in stretchers and taken away in ambulances.

Air India said flight AI171, which departed from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick at 1.38pm local time, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members.

They include 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.

“The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals,” the airline said.

Ahmedabad Airport said in a statement all flights were suspended after the plane crashed “shortly after take-off, outside the airport”.

In a statement, London Gatwick said the flight was due to land at 6.25pm UK time on Thursday.

Flight tracking website Flightradar said a signal was last received from the aircraft less than a minute after take-off.

It is the first ever crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

The model, a widebody, twin-engine plane, has made five million journeys in the 14 years since its first passenger flight.

Read more: What we know so far

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said “the scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating”.

He said he was being kept updated as the situation develops, while Buckingham Palace said the King was also being kept informed.

The foreign office said the UK is “working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved” and advised British nationals who require consular assistance to call 020 7008 5000.

India’s prime minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us.

“It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

India’s civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “shocked and devastated” to learn about the crash.

“We are on highest alert,” he said. “I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.

“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site.”

Aviation expert Julian Bray told Sky News he understands the pilot managed to make a mayday call, meaning the crew was aware of a problem before the crash.

Air India was acquired by Tata Group from the Indian government in January 2022 after racking up billions of pounds of losses.

The group now operates more than 8,300 weekly flights on 312 routes, connecting more than 100 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of 300 aircraft.

The airline’s chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the incident as a “tragic accident” and a “devastating event” and said emergency response teams were at the site.

“At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families,” he said.

“We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.”

A Boeing spokesperson said: “We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.”

An Air India flight which was en route to London Gatwick has crashed in India.

At least 242 people were on board the flight when it crashed shortly after take off in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad.

More than 50 of the passengers are British nationals.

India plane crash latest: Follow live updates

Here is what we know so far.

Where did the plane crash?

Air India flight AI171 took off from Ahmedabad Airport at 1.38pm local time on Thursday.

According to flight tracking website Flightrader, the aircraft had reached a height of 625ft before crashing. Its last signal was received less than a minute after take off.

The aircraft crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press.

More than 100 bodies have been brought to hospital in Ahmedabad, police said.

At least 30 bodies were recovered from a building at the site of the crash, Reuters reported, citing rescue workers at the site.

More people were trapped inside the building, the workers said.

Images from the scene showed people being moved in stretchers and taken away in ambulances. The exact number of casualties is not known.

The tail of the plane has been pictured protruding from a building, while the wings were ripped completely from the main body of the aircraft.

Who was on board?

Air India said of the 242 passengers and crew on the plane, 53 are British nationals, 169 are Indian nationals, seven are Portuguese and one person is Canadian.

Those that have been injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.

The airline said it has also “set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information”.

The flight had been due to land at London Gatwick at 6.25pm local time.

What caused the crash?

It is unknown at this stage what caused the crash.

The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The American aircraft manufacturer which makes the plane, said it is “aware of initial reports” and is working to gather more information.

Aviation expert Julian Bray told Sky News that he understands the pilot of flight AI171 managed to make a mayday call before the crash.

This would mean the crew was aware of a problem before the incident happened.

A mayday call is an internationally recognised distress signal used in radio communication. It indicates an imminent danger and the need for immediate assistance.

Sky News’ science correspondent Thomas Moore said investigators will now be studying the video and the two black boxes recording cockpit conversations and technical data to try to understand why the crash occurred.

“It’s possible there was an engine failure of some kind, perhaps caused by a catastrophic mechanical fault. But the plane is designed to be able to fly with one engine, even at take-off, so something else would have to go wrong too,” he said

“Both engines could have failed if they sucked in a flock of birds as the plane took off. It’s happened in other air crashes.”

How has the UK responded?

Sir Keir Starmer said the scenes emerging from the site of the crash in Ahmedabad are “devastating”.

The prime minister said he is being kept updated as the situation develops. Buckingham Palace said King Charles is also being briefed on the crash.

Foreign Minister David Lammy said that he is “deeply saddened by news”.

In a statement on X, Mr Lammy wrote: “My thoughts are with all those affected. The UK is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support.”

The UK’s Foreign Office said it is currently “working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved”.

Britons who have concerns may call 0207 008 5000, the Foreign Office added.

What has India said?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the plane crash was “heartbreaking beyond words”.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” he said.

“In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

The country’s civil aviation minister said he is “shocked and devastated”.

“I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said.

“My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.

Previous Air India crashes

Air India, which started operations in 1932, and its subsidiary Air India Express has suffered several fatal crashes, two of which were caused by acts of terrorism.

According to Aviation Safety Network (ASN) the most recent fatal crash was in August 2020, when Boeing 737-800 (Air India Express) overshot the runway in Karipur, India, rolled down an embankment and broke up, killing 21 people.

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Non-fatal incidents have happened most recently as April this year, when an Air India Express Boeing 737-8HG made contact with an object on the runway during landing in the United Arab Emirates.

Boeing shares fell nearly 8% in premarket US trading on Thursday, after the crash in Ahmedabad.