Iranian ballistic missiles struck at least seven sites around Tel Aviv on Friday night, injuring at least 22 people, according to Israeli military officials and firefighters. Video from Tel Aviv showed at least one large explosion on the ground from an apparent missile strike and at least one building on fire.
Explosions were also heard over Jerusalem as missiles streaked overhead, part of Iran’s retaliatory campaign after waves of Israeli strikes that devastated Tehran’s military chain of command and hit critical nuclear facilities.
Dozens were killed in Iran and more than 300 others injured, according to unofficial figures cited by the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, told the U.N. Security Council that Israel’s strike Friday on Iran’s nuclear site near Natanz had destroyed its aboveground enrichment plant, causing chemical and radiological contamination.
In Tel Aviv, Israeli television showed images of a damaged building and many mangled and burned cars from one of the impact sites in the area. Three hospitals in the area said they had received about 20 wounded people among them, describing their injuries as light and moderate. Fire officials said several people had been rescued from inside buildings struck by Iranian missiles.
Israel Katz, Israel’s defense minister, said in a statement that Iran “crossed a red line” by firing missiles at populated areas in Israel, warning that “the Ayatollah regime would pay a very heavy price” for its actions.
Some of the explosions above Israel appeared to be from interceptions of Iran’s missiles by Israel’s Iron Dome defensive system. Tracer fire from the ground could be seen streaking above the cities and sirens.
An American official, who requested anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation, said that the U.S. military was helping Israel intercept some of the ballistic missiles. The official said that American military assets, already in the eastern Mediterranean to help defend American troops in the region, were used to intercept the missiles.
Early reports from both Iran and Israel were difficult to immediately verify, as both countries claimed that their militaries had inflicted significant damage in the escalating conflict.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement that it had struck dozens of targets in Israel “forcefully and with precision,” including military and defense sites, in response to Israel’s attacks on Iran that killed senior commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. The New York Times could not independently verify that claim.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said earlier that Israel “should anticipate a harsh punishment” for its daylong assault, as some of Israel’s European allies expressed worry that Israel was ratcheting up its military conflict with Iran.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has described the sustained assault as necessary to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, which Israel views as an existential threat. Israel’s military said on Friday that it had hit 200 sites so far, including nuclear sites in the cities of Natanz and Isfahan.
In a video statement on Friday night, Mr. Netanyahu urged the people of Iran to rise up against their leaders. “The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker,” Netanyahu said.…
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/12/world/israel-iran-us-nuclear
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