More Than 70 Killed In Israel's Strikes, Says Iranian State Media

Israeli airstrikes on Iran overnight have left at least 78 people dead and 329 injured in Tehran, according to Iran’s state-run Nour News. The outlet, posting on its Telegram channel, described the casualty figures as unofficial, highlighting the chaos following what Israel calls "Operation Rising Lion." The strikes targeted military sites, nuclear facilities, and key figures, plunging the region into uncertainty as Iran vows retaliation.

A Night of Devastation in Iran

The Israeli military launched a massive assault on Iran in the early hours of June 13, 2025, striking over 100 targets across the country with 200 fighter jets and more than 330 munitions. Among the hardest-hit areas was Tehran. Iranian state media claimed civilians were among the casualties, though these reports await independent verification. Eyewitnesses described a terrifying night of explosions, with one Tehran resident recounting, “I woke up to the first explosion and rushed to the windows to check. Then, minutes later, back to back I heard four explosions,” as per a report from The Guardian. 

The attacks also claimed the lives of senior military leaders, including Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC’s aerospace forces. Six nuclear scientists, including Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoon Abbasi, were also killed, dealing a blow to Iran’s nuclear program. The IRGC headquarters in Tehran was reportedly set ablaze, and residential complexes housing Iranian officials collapsed under the force of the strikes.

Targeting Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions

Israel’s operation focused heavily on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, particularly the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, located 225 kilometers south of Tehran. Natanz, which houses tens of thousands of centrifuges, is central to Iran’s nuclear program, which Israel claims could produce enough enriched uranium for nine nuclear bombs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address, declared, “We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme,” emphasizing that the strikes aimed to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival."

Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but recent reports from the IAEA indicate Tehran has amassed 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, raising global concerns. The strikes disrupted ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, scheduled for June 15 in Oman, aimed at curbing Iran’s uranium enrichment.

Iran’s Vows Revenge

Iran’s leadership responded with fury, vowing a strong counterattack. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel had “prepared for itself a bitter, painful fate”. President Masoud Pezeshkian promised a “powerful response” that would “make the enemy regret its foolish actions,” calling the strikes a “crime” and urging national unity.

In retaliation, Iran launched approximately 100 drones toward Israel, though most were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome and other defense systems.