Iran vows retaliation after Israeli airstrikes kill senior commanders

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Iran’s armed forces will deliver a “lawful and forceful” response to overnight Israeli airstrikes that reportedly targeted military and nuclear sites across the country.

“The Iranian people and their government will not remain silent in the face of this crime,” Pezeshkian said in a televised address, warning that Israel would “regret its actions.”

He called on citizens to trust and support the country’s leadership amid rising tensions.

Iranian state media reported that several senior military officials were killed in the Israeli strikes, including IRGC Commander Hossein Salami, Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and Hatam-al-Anbiya base commander Gholam Ali Rashid.

The attacks struck sites in Tehran, Natanz, Fordow, Khorramabad and other cities tied to Iran’s nuclear program.

Pezeshkian earlier said on social media platform X that an emergency cabinet meeting had been held in response to the strikes.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported that authorities had imposed temporary internet restrictions nationwide.

Israel has not officially confirmed the strikes. However, the Israeli military said Iran launched at least 100 drones toward Israel overnight, all of which were intercepted.

The situation marks a major escalation in the long-standing shadow conflict between the two countries.