After Israel launched a sweeping overnight assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the Islamic Republic retaliated with a wave of more than 100 drones, the Israeli military said Friday.
Military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirmed that Israeli air defenses were actively intercepting the incoming drones.
The retaliatory barrage followed Israel’s massive air campaign, in which about 200 fighter jets struck more than 100 strategic targets across Iran, including nuclear facilities. According to Hagari, the operation deployed 330 munitions in a coordinated effort to cripple Tehran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
The Tasnim news agency, considered a mouthpiece for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that IRGC Commander in Chief Hossein Salami and Chief of Staff Gen. Mohammad Bagheri were killed in the strikes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed Israel would face “harsh punishment,” according to a statement from his office. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a state of emergency and urged citizens to take precautions.
