Israel has attacked several Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites, and carried out assassinations of top military officials and nuclear scientists. The attack has led to fears of a wider military conflict in the region, with Tehran promising a “harsh response”. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that Israel faces a “bitter and painful” fate following the attack. “By God’s will, the powerful hand of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic will not let it [Israel] go unpunished,” he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a prerecorded message that the strikes early on Friday were aimed at hurting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missile factories.
![This handout photo released by the IRGC’s official Sepah News Telegram channel shows smoke billowing from a site bombed by Israel in Tehran early on June 13, 2025 [Sepah News/AFP]](https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2025/06/13/thumbs/1200x700/79266.jpg "This handout photo released by the IRGC’s official Sepah News Telegram channel shows smoke billowing from a site bombed by Israel in Tehran early on June 13, 2025 [Sepah News/AFP]")
