In the early hours of Friday morning local time, Israel launched a series of deadly “preemptive strikes” against Iran, targeting military leaders and the nuclear refinement sites at the center of unfinished negotiations between Iran and the U.S.

Reports began circulating Thursday night (U.S. time) of explosions in Iran’s capital city of Tehran, with video footage depicting smoke in the air and fires in the distance. Israel’s defense ministry confirmed shortly afterwards that it was conducting a series of preemptive strikes against Iran, following reports that the country’s nuclear refinement facilities could possibly produce enough enriched uranium to develop nearly a dozen nuclear warheads.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel had attacked Iran in a move he dubbed “Operation Rising Lion.” He explained that the airstrikes were part of “a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.” Netanyahu continued, “This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat. For decades, the tyrants of Tehran have brazenly, openly called for Israel’s destruction. They’ve backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop nuclear weapons.” He posited that Iran has “taken steps that it has never taken before to weaponize” the enriched uranium Iran is suspected to have amassed. “If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time — it could be a year, it could be within a few months,” the prime minister added. He declared, “This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”

Iran’s state-run media outlet, the Islamic Republic News Agency, reported that Israeli strikes had succeeded in killing the head of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Hossein Salami, along with several other military commanders and at least two civilians employed as nuclear scientists. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed that Salami and two other high-ranking Iranian military leaders were “all eliminated in the Israeli strikes across Iran by more than 200 fighter jets.” Immediately after the “preemptive strikes,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly declared a state of emergency in Israel, in anticipation of retaliation from Iran. IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin confirmed in a video statement that Israel was targeting Iran’s nuclear development sites.

After withdrawing most U.S. forces and civilians from the area prior to the attack, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement asserting that the U.S. was not party to the strikes against Iran and warning the regime not to erroneously retaliate against American forces or installations. “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action is necessary for its self-defense,” Rubio wrote. He added, “President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-N.D.) largely echoed Rubio’s statements in his own press release. “Today, Israel has determined that it must take decisive action to defend the Israeli people. The United States Senate stands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas,” Thune wrote. He added, “Iran should heavily consider the consequences before considering any action against Americans in the region.”

State Department spokesman Ned Price told CNN that Israel’s attack was “premature” since “diplomacy had not run its course. There was a window in which the administration had to potentially find a way to a diplomatic off-ramp here.” Price reported that talks with Iran were potentially scheduled to continue into September, at which point the matter would be passed to the United Nations Security Council if the U.S. had not reached a satisfactory agreement with Iran. “That window was not closing today. That window would not close tomorrow. But by undertaking this operation today, Prime Minister Netanyahu has very solidly shut that window,” Price said.

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff cautioned Republican leaders prior to Israel’s strike that retaliation by Iran could result in a mass casualty event, according to an Axios report. He pointed out that even without nuclear weapons, Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal is “as big of an existential threat” to Israel as the nation’s nuclear potential and may be able to overwhelm Israel’s air defenses.

As The Washington Stand previously noted, the U.S. has been engaged for several months now in negotiations with Iran surrounding the Middle Eastern regime’s capacity to produce nuclear weapons, with the next set of talks scheduled for Sunday. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Israel not to attack Iran before the U.S. concludes its negotiations. As recently as Thursday, Trump asked Israel not to strike Iran, saying during a press conference, “I’d much prefer an agreement. As long as I think there is an agreement, I don’t want [Israel] going in… I’d much prefer the friendly route.”

Following the strikes, however, the president posted on Truth Social, “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done.” He said that he had warned Iran that an attack by Israel “would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come — And they know how to use it.”

“Certain Iranian hardliner’s [sic] spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!” Trump continued. He warned Iran that an agreement with the U.S. would be in the country’s best interest. “There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,” he wrote. Trump added, “No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

According to an Israeli official cited by The Spectator Index, Israel’s campaign against Iran will last at least two weeks.