Israel Bombs Nuclear Enrichment Sites In Iran

UPDATE: Israeli Home Front Command chief, Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo said sirens are expected throughout Israel following the pre-emptive strike by the IDF against Iranian nuclear enrichment and military sites in the pre-dawn hours on Friday. “Every citizen must know what the best protected space is in their vicinity. When a warning is issued, one must enter protected spaces and remain there until an official announcement says it is safe to leave," Milo said in a video. "Movement and travel should be minimized. We are facing intense and complex days. We are strong and prepared to safeguard and defend the State of Israel," he added.

There are reports that Iran is firing missiles at Israel. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced at approximately 9 pm ET that elements of Israel's air force had bombed several military installations in the Islamic Republic of Iran believed to harbor nuclear weaponization programs. 

Moments before he spoke, dozens of Israeli jets blasted targets in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, in what Israel Defense Forces characterized as a  “preemptive, precise, combined offensive” strike against Iran’s nuclear program in the pre-dawn hours in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The IDF claimed that "high-quality intelligence” prompted the attack, which came “in response to the Iranian regime’s ongoing aggression against Israel.”

A few hours before the strike, President Donald Trump stated that “we remain committed to a diplomatic resolution to the Iran nuclear issue...My entire administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran,” the president stated. “They could be a great country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a nuclear weapon

Netanyahu spoke to the public, saying that Operation Rising Lion, “will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”

The Israeli leader said the attack will “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”

“We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz,” Netanyahu said. “We targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program.”

“Remember, Iran calls Israel the ‘small Satan.’ It calls America the ‘great Satan,’ and this is why for decades, it’s led millions in the chants of ‘death to Israel’ and ‘death to America,'” he added. “Today, Israel is responding to those genocidal calls with action and with a call of our own. ‘Long live Israel and long live America.'”

“Our action will help make the world a much safer place,” he said. Netanyahu said that the IDF will continue for as many days as necessary.

Netanyahu said that “for decades, the tyrants of Tehran have brazenly, openly called for Israel’s destruction.” 

“They backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop nuclear weapons,” he said. “In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs.”

In recent months, Iran has reportedly weaponized its stores of enriched uranium, according to Netanyahu. “If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year. It could be within a few months, less than a year,” he said. “This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”

Netanyahu put the preemptive attack in historical context. “Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were the victims of a Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime,” he said. “Today, the Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime.” In the past, the IDF has made preemptive strikes elsewhere, such as Syria, to knock out perceived threats.

The IDF released a statement saying that it is “prepared for a wide range of scenarios in defense and offense that may be needed.” It added, “For years, the Iranian regime has been waging a direct and indirect campaign of terror against the State of Israel, by funding and directing terrorist activities via its proxies across the Middle East, while advancing toward obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

"The resilience of Israel’s citizens will be an important factor of the campaign,” the IDF said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement saying “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,” Rubio stated. The chief diplomat added that President Donald Trump and the administration “have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners.” “Let me be clear,” Rubio stated. “Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.” However, there are reports coming out of Iraq of explosions near U.S. installations in that country. Over the last days, non-essential personnel and military family members were evacuated from posts in the Middle East and elsewhere within range of Iranian missiles.

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz stated that “following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the state of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Axios reported.

Sirens were heard throughout Israel, while the IDF announced “a prohibition on educational activities, gatherings and workplaces, except for essential sectors.”

Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who is posted to Jerusalem, stated that he remains at the embassy to monitor the unfolding situation. “We will remain here all night,” he wrote. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

“These Israeli operations will make it a little less comfortable for the ayatollah,” he told JNS. “It also underscores that a deadline is a deadline under President Trump and there are consequences to Iran’s stalling and rejecting the U.S. nuclear proposal.” (Brodsky noted on social media that the U.S. president’s two-month deadline expired on June 12.)

Zineb Riboua, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, stated that there were reported explosions “in Natanz and Fordow, Iran’s major nuclear facilities.” There are reports that senior members of the Iran's infamous Republican Guard have been killed. There are also reports that Iran has scrambled its ageing fleet of Russian-made jets.

The leadership of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations stated that “Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, carried out in violation of international agreements and in defiance of the IAEA, poses an immediate, existential threat to Israel and a grave danger to global security.”

“Its underground enrichment efforts and repeated calls for Israel’s destruction have made clear that the regime’s intentions are not peaceful,” the leaders stated. “In the face of this mounting peril, Israel has taken necessary and justified defensive action to protect its citizens and ensure its survival.”

“As sirens sound and families across Israel seek shelter from the threat of incoming fire, our prayers are with the people of Israel,” they added. “We express unwavering solidarity with all those under threat and salute the courage of Israel’s leaders and defense forces as they confront this danger with strength and determination.”

A statement attributed to Israeli intelligence services said:  "We have launched Operation 'Am K’Lavi' ("With the Might of a Lion") to target Iran’s nuclear program and the regime’s long-range missile capabilities. Dozens of military targets across various regions in Iran were struck as part of the opening salvo. These included military command centers, commanders, military facilities, headquarters, and nuclear sites.
The sirens that sounded across Israel were not due to missile fire, but rather to prepare the public for the possibility of incoming attacks.

"We are preparing for an operation expected to last several days at minimum, including anticipated heavy barrages from the Iranians. Full coordination is taking place with the U.S. military. Our objective is not regime change in Iran, but rather to neutralize military infrastructure and nuclear sites.

"The opening strike in Iran was highly surprising in both scope and the locations targeted — places the Iranians did not expect. By the end of the operation, there will be no nuclear threat.