What you need to know as Israel launches strikes against Iran

Published

2 months ago

June 14, 2025

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Israel has launched a major attack on Iran and declared a state of emergency over retaliation fears.

The operation, called “Rising Lion”, killed a number of Iranian commanders, scientists and the head of the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, according to Iranian state media.

Iran launched more than 100 drones towards Israel after the country vowed retaliation, an Israeli military spokesperson said.

Israel-Iran live: Follow the latest updates

Here is what we know so far.

What has happened?

Shortly after 1am UK time on Friday, Israel launched what it called “pre-emptive strikes” against targets in Iran.

Explosions were heard in Iran’s capital, Tehran, while Iranian state TV broadcast footage of blown-out walls, burning roofs and shattered windows in residential buildings across the city.

It reported that blasts had set the Revolutionary Guard’s headquarters on fire.

Iranian local media site, Nournews, reported 78 people were killed and 329 were injured in the strikes in Tehran.

Bracing for retaliation, Israel closed its airspace and said it was calling up tens of thousands of soldiers to protect the country’s borders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation “will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat”.

The Israeli military said all of its pilots involved in the strike on Iran returned home unharmed, as the country’s armed forces continued assessing the results of the operation.

Flights around the Middle East were cancelled as a result of the strikes, with passengers in Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Iran and Dubai facing delays.

Where and who was targeted?

In a video announcing the military operation, Mr Netanyahu said the strikes hit Iran’s main nuclear enrichment site, the Natanz atomic facility.

An IDF spokesperson said the site has been “significantly harmed” adding the strikes hit an underground facility and other crucial infrastructure.

The international atomic watchdog (IAEA) said it was in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels at the Natanz facility – which is in the central Isfahan province – adding later that there had been no increase in levels.

The IDF said the strikes eliminated several senior military commanders of the Iranian regime.

Six nuclear scientists were also killed, according to Iranian state media.

Scroll through the slider below to see who was killed and what we know about them. For more information, read our full explainer here.

Why has Israel launched strikes now?

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

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

Mr Netanyahu claimed on Friday that if Iran wasn’t stopped, “it could produce a nuclear weapon within a very short time”.

He went further to claim Iran had in recent years developed enough highly-enriched uranium for “nine atom bombs”.

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

Israel previously launched strikes on Iran in October 2024.

Sky News’ Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said last year’s strikes eliminated much of Iran’s air defences, giving the Israeli air force some freedom of movement in Iran’s skies.

But Iran has been rebuilding those defences, Bunkall adds, so Israel’s window to operate was closing.

Has Iran responded?

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, warned of “severe punishment”, claiming Israel targeted “residential areas”.

“In the enemy’s attacks, a number of commanders and scientists were martyred. Their successors and colleagues will immediately continue their duties,” he said in a statement reported by the Tasnim news agency.

Hours after Israeli strikes, Iran launched more than 100 drones in retaliation, an Israel Defence Force (IDF) spokesperson said.

The IDF confirmed Israel had begun intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) which it said had been fired from Iran.

A second volley of more than 100 drones were then launched towards Israel, which will take several hours to make the journey.

Strikes over the past year

Tensions between Iran and Israel have boiled over in the past year.

Iran has backed, funded and trained several proxy groups across the Middle East region to varying degrees, including Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and a number of other factions based in Syria and Iraq.

Israel accuses Iran of backing militant attacks against it, while Iran says Israel has carried out a number of killings of Iranian officials and scientists – which Israel has not commented on. 

Below are some of the attacks that have happened since April 2024:

How has the world reacted?

US President Donald Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform that he gave Iran “chance after chance” to make a deal, but they “couldn’t get it done”.

He wrote: “I told them [Iran] 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 – And they know how to use it.

“Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!”

Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, said earlier that America was not involved in the attack and warned Iran not to retaliate against American interests in the region.

Mr Rubio added that America believes the strikes are necessary for Israel’s self defence.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged “all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently”.

Read analysis from Sky correspondents:
The consequences for the region could be massive
Israel defied Trump and chose to act now

The UK is not currently helping to defend Israel from Iranian drone attacks, Sky News’ security and defence editor, Deborah Haynes, said. The government will, however, hold an emergency COBRA meeting on Friday, Sky News understands.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said it is paying close attention to the attacks and called on the relevant parties to act in ways that will lead to regional peace and stability.

Russia called the Israeli strikes “unprovoked” and in “breach of the United Nations charter”.

In the Middle East, the UAE condemned Israel’s strikes against Iran “in the strongest terms” and expressed “deep concern” over the repercussions on regional security. Saudi Arabia also condemned the Israeli attack.

Neighbouring Qatar called Israel’s attack a “flagrant violation” of Iran’s sovereignty and security.

World

Powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake causes tsunami in Russia’s Far East – with warnings issued for Japan, Hawaii and Alaska

Published

3 hours ago

July 30, 2025

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Powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake causes tsunami in Russia's Far East - with warnings issued for Japan, Hawaii and Alaska

A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake has struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, causing a tsunami.

A tsunami of up to four metres (13 feet) was recorded in Kamchatka Peninsula, leading to evacuations and damaging buildings, officials said.

Tsunami warnings have been issued for Japan, the Philippines, Hawaii and parts of Alaska in the US.

The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management in Hawaii has called for the evacuation of some coastal areas, writing on X: “Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected.”

The first waves in Hawaii are expected to hit at 7pm local time (6am UK time).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said waves of one to three meters (three to 10 feet) above tide level were possible along some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov had earlier said: “Today’s earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors.”

Follow latest: Tsunami live updates

Several people in the region sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister told Russia’s Tass state news agency.

“Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,” Mr Melnikov said.

Russia’s Tass news agency reported from the biggest city nearby, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, that many people ran out into the street, while cabinets toppled inside homes, mirrors were broken, cars swayed on roads and balconies on buildings shook noticeably.

Power outages and mobile phone service failures were also reported in the capital of the Kamchatka region.

The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko.

He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.

A regional branch of Russia’s geophysical service has said that “significant, noticeable” aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 7.5 after expected to continue for at least another month.

Japan issued a tsunami warning, saying it expects waves as high as three metres to arrive along large coastal areas along the Pacific Ocean.

It has ordered the evacuation of some areas.

The National Tsunami Warning Center, based in Alaska, issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Alaska Aleutian Islands.

A tsunami warning also was extended to the US state of Hawaii, with the National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center saying a tsunami from the quake had been generated that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.

A tsunami “watch” was issued for portions of the West Coast, including California, Oregon, and Washington.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and was centred about 125 km (80 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000 along the coast of Avacha Bay. It revised the magnitude up twice from 8.0 and 8.7 to 8.8 earlier.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s disaster management agency has warned that the country’s coastal areas could expect “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore”.

In a national advisory alert, Civil Defence New Zealand said there was no immediate need to evacuate but said citizens should stay away from beaches and shore areas.

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World

Children ‘eating out of piles of garbage’ as Gaza aid trickles in

Published

15 hours ago

July 29, 2025

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Children 'eating out of piles of garbage' as Gaza aid trickles in

“Children are eating out of piles of garbage” – that was the answer from UNICEF’s Salim Oweis when I asked if aid was now getting to those who need it.

The phone call was intended for background to try to get a clearer idea of the latest aid distribution in Gaza, but it’s a conversation I won’t forget.

“Parents are crushing whatever they can into water, most likely unclean water, because there is no infant milk or formula. The reports are horrific,” says Salim.

“Our colleagues are struggling to find enough food for themselves.”

Latest: Trump tells Sky he’s trying to get Gaza ‘straightened out’

It’s been three days since Israel announced humanitarian pauses to allow aid to get to starving people in Gaza but it’s not yet being felt on the ground.

I’m told more aid trucks have entered Kerem Shalom – the border crossing between Gaza and Israel – but that’s only the first stage of the journey.

The aid then needs to be collected and brought inside the Gaza Strip, then taken to partners on the ground for distribution.

It’s a lengthy process, and it needs to be accelerated with urgency.

So far, lorries carrying famine preventative supplies have been collected – that’s high-energy biscuits, food for children between six months and two years, infant formula, vaccines and nappies.

Therapeutic food, which has a peanut butter like consistency, and is aimed to treat malnutrition has arrived at Kerem Shalom but there’s no confirmation yet on whether it’s made it in.

I had not heard of therapeutic food before. I’ve since learnt it is high in energy and micronutrients and won’t treat the complications of malnutrition, but will get a child out of the danger zone.

There is an ongoing issue of desperate people attempting to loot these lorries as they enter Gaza.

“The more aid that goes in, the more the looting will decrease because people will trust that there is now food coming back in,” says Salim.

But the amount getting in is still a fraction of what is needed.

The situation is so desperate, not everyone can wait until tomorrow for help. People are now dying everyday in Gaza due to hunger.

There is no time for wrangling over detail. Food is needed in mass quantities immediately. We have had warnings for months that Gaza was on the brink of famine. It’s now here.

For those working to help the most vulnerable and innocent in Gaza, it feels extremely personal.

“The rest of the world has failed the children and the civilians of Gaza,” says Salim.

“The world is numb and leaders of the world are apparently deaf.”

World

Mile after mile of grey rubble – the view from a plane dropping aid to Gaza

Published

1 day ago

July 29, 2025

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Mile after mile of grey rubble - the view from a plane dropping aid to Gaza

We are on our way to Gaza with the Jordanian military.

The aircraft is hot and noisy and as we get closer, the atmosphere gets more tense. Aircrew gesture with their hands to tell us how many minutes there are to go. Fifteen. Six. One.

The Jordanian military C-130 flies out over the sea before banking and heading inland for Gaza. The parachutes, attached to the top of each of the eight pallets, are prepared for the drop.

As land approaches, I look down. The ground is modern and built up – we’re still over southern Israel.

Then a few short minutes later, it’s clear we’ve crossed Gaza’s border.

The ground turns grey, the shapes of buildings disappear, there are no cars, no people.

You can see the outline of communities and villages that are now flattened. Mile after mile of grey rubble.

This mission by the Royal Jordanian Air Force is one of the first aid drop flights since Israel announced they could resume. It is carrying eight tonnes of food and baby formula.

Foreign nations know this is a deeply flawed way of delivering aid – road convoys are far more effective and can carry far more – but the Jordanian flight crew say the need in Gaza is so urgent, it’s simply an attempt to do something.

When the aircraft ramp opens, the aid is pushed out and it’s gone in seconds.

The parachutes seem peaceful as they open and their fall slows. But dropping food from the sky is a dangerous and undignified way to feed people.

On the ground it’s chaos.

Our colleagues in Gaza say the fighting for food has become lethal – gangs are now punching and stabbing people to reach it first. Most critically, it’s not getting to the weakest. To those who really need it.

One man becomes emotional as he describes racing to find food and leaving with nothing.

“I came only for my son,” he says. “I wouldn’t come here if it was just for me. When you have a child, they need bread.”

He’s an engineer in normal times and seems in disbelief that his life has come to this. “The aid comes from the sky and we have to run after it. I’ve never had to do this in my life.”