In the early hours of June 13 local time, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced an airstrike against Iran. Iran’s official news agency reported an explosion northeast of the capital, Tehran.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant subsequently declared that Israel had launched a preemptive airstrike against Iran and anticipated that Iran might soon retaliate. At a press conference, officials from the Israeli Ministry of Defense described the strike as a “preemptive, precise joint offensive,” targeting “dozens of sites” across various regions in Iran.
Israel has declared a state of emergency, suspending schools, public gatherings, and all non-essential work.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the operation targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities. In a televised address, he stated: “Just now, Israel has launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation aimed at repelling Iran’s existential threat to Israel.”
Netanyahu said the operation would “last several days,” adding: “We have struck at the core of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. We targeted the main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted nuclear scientists working on Iran’s atomic bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program.”
On the Iranian side, Iran has closed the airspace over Tehran. As of now, there are no reports of casualties or damage resulting from the Israeli strikes. Aside from Tehran, no other regions in Iran have been reported under attack, and the Iranian government has not issued a statement in response, making it unclear what retaliatory measures may be taken.
A resident of Tehran told Alaric that he heard more than 20 explosions during the night, with the blasts occurring just 5 to 10 kilometers from his home. Fighter jets were reportedly circling in the sky.
In response to the Israeli strike, U.S. President Donald Trump is set to convene a cabinet-level meeting on the evening of June 12 Eastern Time to discuss the U.S. response to developments in Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States was not involved in Israel’s airstrike on Iran, emphasizing that Israel had “informed” the U.S. and considers the operation “a matter of self-defense.”
Rubio warned: “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
Shortly before the military strike, U.S. media outlet Axios cited two American officials and one Israeli source familiar with the matter, reporting that the Trump administration had told the Israeli government the U.S. would not directly participate in any Israeli military action against Iranian nuclear facilities. Privately, U.S. officials had made clear that it would be a unilateral Israeli operation, not a joint one.
Israel’s strike had been long anticipated. Since the U.S. and Iran resumed nuclear negotiations on April 12, 2025, Israel had repeatedly warned that if the talks failed, it would carry out military action against Iran. As the fifth round of talks stalled over the key issue of uranium enrichment, the U.S. also signaled growing pessimism about the outcome.
On June 11, a video interview with Trump from June 9 was aired. When asked whether Iran’s uranium enrichment could be halted, Trump responded, “I don’t know. I used to think so, but I’m losing confidence. They (Iran) seem to be stalling… I’m much less hopeful about a deal.”
On June 11 local time, Trump publicly stated that U.S. personnel would withdraw from the Middle East, calling it “a potentially dangerous place,” while reiterating that the United States would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.
In the early morning of June 12, multiple sources revealed that U.S. officials were aware that Israel was fully prepared to launch military operations against Iran. The U.S. anticipates that Iran may retaliate by targeting certain U.S. military bases in neighboring Iraq. This was one of the reasons for earlier advisories urging some Americans to leave the region.
A defense official told reporters that due to “rising regional tensions,” the U.S. State Department had ordered the evacuation of non-essential government personnel from Iraq. The Pentagon has also authorized voluntary departures of military families from various parts of the Middle East.
On June 11, the UK Maritime Trade Operations issued a warning to vessels navigating the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman—three key global oil shipping routes—urging caution due to the risk of escalating military activity in the region.
In response to threats from the U.S. and Israel, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh stated in a press conference on June 11 that if nuclear talks failed and conflict with the U.S. erupted, Iran would target American military bases in the Middle East. “Some officials have threatened that if the talks yield no results, there will be conflict. If conflict is forced upon us… all American military bases fall within our strike range, and we will boldly target host countries’ bases,” Nasirzadeh said.
On June 12, Iran’s Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, announced that he had ordered more military exercises. Earlier this year, Iran conducted a series of large-scale drills across the country, deploying various missiles, drones, warships, special forces, and even underground missile bases.