Iran's retaliatory strikes kill at least 3 after Israeli attacks on nuclear program, military

Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel into Saturday morning, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program and its armed forces.

Israel's assault used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists.

Israel asserted the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon, although experts and the U.S. government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon before the strikes. It also threw talks between the United States and Iran over an atomic accord into disarray days before the two sides were set to meet Sunday.

Israel used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, according to officials, to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists. Iran's UN ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded in the attacks.

Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook the buildings below. The Israeli military urged civilians, already rattled by 20 months of war sparked by Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Gaza, to head to shelter for hours.

Both Israel and Iran said their attacks would continue, raising the prospect of another protracted Mideast conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his objective was to eliminate any Iranian threat to Israel, but he also urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders. Israel would welcome the government's overthrow even if it is not actively seeking it.

Israel's strikes also put further talks between the United States and Iran over a nuclear accord into doubt before they were set to meet Sunday in Oman. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman called further nuclear talks with the United States "meaningless" after Israeli strikes on the country, state television said.

"The U.S. did a job that made the talks become meaningless," Esmail Baghaei was quoted as saying. He added that Israel had passed all Iran's red lines by committing a "criminal act" through its strikes.

However, he stopped short of saying the talks were cancelled. The Mizan news agency, which is run by Iran's judiciary, quoted him as saying: "It is still not clear what we decide about Sunday's talks."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recorded message Friday: "We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed."

Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late Friday and early Saturday. Iranians awoke Saturday to state television airing repeated clips of strikes on Israel, as well as videos of people cheering and handing out sweets. Israel's military said more drones were intercepted near the Dead Sea early Saturday.

A hospital in Tel Aviv treated seven people wounded in the second Iranian barrage, with all but one of them suffering light injuries. Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said they were wounded when a projectile hit a building in the city. A spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital said one woman was killed.

Hours later, an Iranian missile struck near homes in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, killing two more people and wounding 19, according to Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom. Israel's Fire and Rescue service said four homes were severely damaged.

Meanwhile, the sound of explosions and Iranian air defence systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran shortly after midnight on Saturday. An Associated Press journalist could hear air raid sirens near their home. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport. A video posted on X, formerly Twitter, showed a column of smoke and flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport.