There has already been great death and destruction
In the early hours of a Friday that may mark a turning point in the Middle East's long arc of tension, Israel launched more than 200 airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and military leadership under an operation it called Rising Lion, killing three of Iran's most senior commanders. Iran answered with over a hundred ballistic missiles aimed at Israeli cities, some of which pierced the Iron Dome and drew blood in Tel Aviv. What unfolds now is not merely a military exchange but a reckoning between two nations that have long circled each other at the edge of open war — and the world watches to see whether this is a culmination or a beginning.
- Israel's Operation Rising Lion struck more than a hundred targets inside Iran overnight, killing the Chief of Staff, the Revolutionary Guards commander, and other senior officers in a campaign Israeli officials say will continue for days.
- Iran's retaliatory missile barrages — arriving in waves across Friday morning and into Saturday — partially broke through Israel's Iron Dome, setting buildings ablaze in Tel Aviv and injuring at least 21 people, two of them seriously.
- The human toll is mounting on both sides: Iran reports 78 killed and over 320 wounded from Israeli strikes, while entire neighborhoods in Tel Aviv bear the scars of fallen projectiles and search-and-rescue teams remain deployed across the country.
- The United States, which pre-informed regional allies of the Israeli operation, insists it did not participate — yet American troops were ordered into bunkers, U.S. personnel sheltered in place, and American forces reportedly helped intercept Iranian missiles.
- The risk of wider war is real and immediate: Houthi forces in Yemen may be drawn in, U.S. military assets across the Gulf face potential threat, and nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran scheduled for Sunday appear headed for cancellation.
Sirens cut through the Israeli morning as Iran launched more than a hundred ballistic missiles in retaliation for a sweeping Israeli air campaign that had struck Iranian nuclear facilities and killed three of the country's most senior military commanders. The missiles came in waves. Israel's Iron Dome intercepted most of them, but not all — buildings burned in Tel Aviv, at least 21 people were injured, and search-and-rescue teams spread across the country in response.
The night before, Israel had launched Operation Rising Lion, sending more than 200 aircraft to strike over a hundred targets inside Iran. The campaign killed Mohammad Bagheri, Iran's Chief of Staff; Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guards; and Gholamali Rashid, head of the Emergency Command. Prime Minister Netanyahu framed the operation as preemptive, citing intelligence of an Iranian plan to race toward a nuclear weapon and expand its ballistic missile arsenal. Israeli officials said the campaign would continue for days.
Iran's leadership promised a harsh response, and delivered one. Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Pezeshkian both vowed retaliation before the missiles flew. By Saturday morning, the full damage remained unclear, but photographs showed destroyed buildings, burning vehicles, and scarred neighborhoods. Iran's UN ambassador reported 78 killed and more than 320 injured on the Iranian side. The International Atomic Energy Agency said the most sensitive nuclear sites — Fordo and Bushehr — had not been damaged and that radiation levels were normal, though Iranian state media reported explosions near Fordo.
The Trump administration moved to distance itself from the strikes, with Secretary of State Rubio stating the U.S. had not used American assets. Yet American troops at bases in Baghdad and Syria were ordered into bunkers, embassy personnel sheltered in place, and U.S. forces reportedly assisted in intercepting Iranian missiles. President Trump used the moment to press Iran toward negotiation, warning that planned follow-on strikes would be even more severe.
Analysts cautioned that the scale of Israel's operation — involving the bulk of its longer-range strike aircraft — suggested a campaign designed not only to set back Iran's nuclear program but to degrade its military capacity and potentially destabilize the regime. Iran's most effective remaining tool is its ballistic missile arsenal, though Israel targeted Iranian air defenses and missile sites precisely to limit that option. The broader danger is expansion: Houthi forces in Yemen may be called upon to repay Iranian patronage, threatening Red Sea shipping and U.S. bases across the Gulf. Nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, scheduled for Sunday, appear unlikely to proceed. What began as a targeted Israeli operation has become an open exchange between two regional powers — and the question of where it ends remains unanswered.
Sirens wailed across Israel on Friday morning as Iran unleashed more than a hundred ballistic missiles in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes that had targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and senior military commanders. The attack came in waves—the first salvo of roughly a hundred missiles arrived in two successive bursts, followed hours later by dozens more. Israel's Iron Dome defense system, one of the world's most sophisticated air defense networks, intercepted most of the incoming fire, but not all. Some missiles broke through. Buildings caught fire in Tel Aviv. The Israeli Defense Forces reported at least 21 people injured, two of them seriously, and search-and-rescue teams fanned across the country responding to reports of fallen projectiles.
The escalation had begun the night before, when Israeli fighter jets launched what the military called Operation Rising Lion—a massive campaign involving more than 200 aircraft dropping over 330 munitions across more than a hundred targets inside Iran. The stated objective was sweeping: to strike nuclear facilities, uranium enrichment sites, and the senior leadership of the Iranian military establishment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed it as a preemptive operation, saying Israeli intelligence had uncovered an Iranian plan to destroy Israel that involved racing toward a nuclear weapon and expanding its ballistic missile arsenal. The Israeli military confirmed it had killed three of Iran's most senior commanders: Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff; Hossein Salami, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards; and Gholamali Rashid, head of the Emergency Command. Other officers died as well. The operation, military officials said, would continue for days.
Iran's response was swift and announced. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Israel should expect a harsh response. President Masoud Pezeshkian promised a severe and wise answer. Then came the missiles. The first wave struck on Friday morning local time. The second came hours later, around 4:30 a.m. Saturday. By then, the full scope of the damage was still unclear, but video and photographs showed multiple buildings destroyed or burning, vehicles damaged, and entire neighborhoods scarred. Iran's state media reported that Israeli strikes had hit several cities, including Tehran and Natanz, a critical center for uranium enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, said Iran's most sensitive nuclear sites—Fordo and Bushehr—had not been damaged and that radiation levels remained normal, though Iranian state media reported explosions near Fordo and claimed air defenses had shot down an Israeli drone nearby.
The human toll on the Iranian side was severe. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 injured in the Israeli strikes. The Trump administration, which had informed allied governments in the region of the Israeli operation in advance, moved quickly to distance itself from the action. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was not involved in the strikes and had not used American assets. President Trump, however, used the moment to press his own agenda. He posted on Truth Social that he had given Iran multiple chances to negotiate a nuclear deal, that today marked day 61 of a 60-day ultimatum he had issued, and that Iran had failed to seize the opportunity. He warned of further escalation: "There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end."
The United States had taken precautions. American troops at two military bases in the Middle East—Union III in Baghdad's Green Zone and Al-Tanf Garrison in Syria—were ordered into bunkers for roughly an hour. The U.S. Embassy in Israel ordered American personnel to shelter in place. Days earlier, the Trump administration had ordered non-emergency U.S. personnel to leave Iraq and allowed military family members to depart the Middle East voluntarily. U.S. officials confirmed that American forces had helped Israel intercept Iranian missiles, though the extent of that assistance remained unclear.
The immediate question was whether this exchange would end or spiral. Analysts noted that Israel had demonstrated overwhelming conventional military superiority and that the scale of the operation—involving the bulk of Israel's longer-range strike aircraft—suggested a carefully planned campaign. Matthew Savill, a military expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London, observed that the breadth of the strikes went beyond nuclear deterrence; they appeared designed to cripple Iran's military response capacity and potentially destabilize the regime itself. Iran's main weapon in any further retaliation would be ballistic missiles, which had the best chance of penetrating Israeli defenses, though Israel had targeted Iranian air defenses and missile sites to forestall such attacks.
The risk of wider regional involvement loomed. Experts warned that Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen could be drawn into the conflict, potentially resuming strikes in the Red Sea and attacking U.S. military bases across the Gulf. One analyst predicted the Houthis, weakened by recent losses in Lebanon and Syria, would be called upon to repay decades of Iranian support. Iran possessed a vast arsenal of shorter-range missiles and anti-ship capabilities that could threaten American military assets scattered across the region. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called for de-escalation, though he said the region was not close to nuclear conflict. Meanwhile, U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations scheduled for Sunday faced likely cancellation. An Iranian lawmaker told media outlets that the sixth round of talks with the United States would probably not proceed. What had begun as a targeted Israeli operation was now a full exchange between two regional powers, with the potential to drag in others.
Citações Notáveis
There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left.— President Trump, Truth Social
The Iranian nation and the country's officials will not remain silent in the face of this crime, and the legitimate and powerful response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act.— Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did Israel strike now, rather than waiting or negotiating?
The Israeli military said they had intelligence of an Iranian plan to attack—that Iran was racing toward a nuclear weapon and expanding its missile arsenal. Netanyahu called it preemptive. But the timing also matters: Trump had given Iran a 60-day ultimatum to make a nuclear deal, and that deadline had just passed.
And Iran's response—was it as devastating as they claimed it would be?
Iran fired over a hundred ballistic missiles. Some got through Israel's Iron Dome system. There was real damage in Tel Aviv—buildings on fire, people injured. But Israel's defenses worked well enough that the damage was limited. The question now is whether Iran will fire again, or whether this exchange is over.
What about the people caught in the middle—the civilians?
At least 21 Israelis were hurt, two seriously. Iran reported 78 killed and over 320 injured from the Israeli strikes. Those are the official numbers, but the full picture of civilian casualties may take time to emerge. Rescue teams were still operating across Israel when the second wave of missiles came in.
Could this pull the United States into direct conflict?
That's the real fear. The U.S. helped Israel intercept missiles. American troops took shelter. If Iran decides the U.S. was involved—or if Houthi forces attack American bases—the conflict could expand quickly. The region is full of American military assets with no good way out.
What happens to the nuclear talks Trump wanted?
They were supposed to happen Sunday. An Iranian lawmaker said they probably won't now. It's hard to imagine sitting down to negotiate after this. The strikes may have destroyed any diplomatic path forward, at least for now.
Is this the end, or the beginning?
Almost certainly the beginning. Israel said its operation would continue for days. Iran has more missiles. The Houthis haven't even entered the fight yet. This is an exchange, not a conclusion.