Israel and Iran exchange air strikes, killing hundreds News
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Israel and Iran exchange air strikes, killing hundreds

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday attacked military and nuclear facilities in Iran, killing several top military leaders and nuclear scientists.

The IDF confirmed on X that the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the commander of Iran’s Emergency Command were killed during the airstrikes, labelling the individuals as “ruthless mass murderers with international blood on their hands.”

The attacks killed more than 200 people according to Iran’s health ministry, and more than 1,000, most of whom were civilians, people were hospitalized. In response, Tehran launched several retaliatory attacks on Israel, killing at least 10 people.

Following the attack, the US Department of State released a statement asserting that while they had been informed by Israeli counterparts, they were not involved in this “unilateral” action. Additionally, US President Donald Trump stated that he had warned the Iranian top military heads of the consequences of not making a deal to end the war with Israel, adding that it will “only get worse” for Tehran.

Prior to the retaliatory attacks on Israel, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that the Iranian armed forces will “act with determination and destroy the despicable Zionist regime.”

On the contrary, Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is preventing Iran from building an atomic bomb “to destroy us” and “threaten anyone” across the planet.

Under international law, particularly the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), signatory parties like Iran are legally bound not to develop nuclear weapons. While Iranian officials have continuously stated that their nuclear programs are for peaceful energy purposes, international reports have found that Iran might be developing nuclear weapons.

In contrast, Israel has never signed the NPT and has since maintained a policy of non-transparency and ambiguity in regards to its nuclear warheads. This undeclared arsenal is largely seen by many in the international community as a destabilizing factor in the region and a challenge to the nonproliferation regime.

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