Iran Launches Drone Barrage in Retaliation After Israel Targets Nuclear Sites
Iran has launched more than 100 drones toward Israeli airspace early Friday in response to a massive Israeli air campaign that reportedly killed top Iranian military figures and scientists while targeting nuclear sites.
The drones, which may take hours to reach their targets, were confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as incoming threats.
“All the defense systems are acting to intercept the threats,” IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin told reporters.
The escalation comes just hours after Israel launched a sweeping aerial attack on Iran involving over 200 fighter jets, targeting nuclear facilities and military compounds. Israeli security officials claimed that the Mossad intelligence agency played a covert role in Friday’s strikes by smuggling weapons into Iran ahead of the assault.
Explosive drones were launched from within Iranian territory as part of a coordinated effort to disable missile launchers near Tehran, according to two officials speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operations.
According to the officials, a hidden base for the drones had been established inside Iran prior to the Israeli air campaign, and the weapons were activated during the strikes to weaken Iranian air defenses from within.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the operation as a matter of national security and defense.
“The Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime,” he said in a televised address, vowing the campaign would continue “for as many days as it takes.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmed that high-ranking officials, including Gen. Mohammad Bagheri and Revolutionary Guard chief Hossein Salami, were killed.
He condemned the Israeli strike as a war crime: “Israel opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to commit a crime against our beloved country… it will certainly face severe punishment.”
Iran’s state media quoted officials as promising a “decisive” response.
Watch above via Fox News.
