Iran began retaliating Friday morning, launching more than 100 drones at Israeli territory following the nation’s military operation “to damage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, its ballistic missile factories and military capabilities,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
By late Friday morning, many of the drones were intercepted outside of Israel, in Saudi Arabian, Syrian, and Jordanian airspace, and an order for citizens to remain near shelters was lifted.
🚨The Israeli Air Force continues operations to intercept UAVs launched from Iran toward Israel. -IDF Spokesperson
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 13, 2025
📸 Attached:
– Footage of IAF fighter jets taking off for the mission
– Photos of the aircraft launching to intercept incoming drones pic.twitter.com/UBldgC6diJ
Following the launch of Operation Rising Lion, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel will face devastating consequences.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself up for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it,” Khamenei said in a statement.
Tehran also said the United States would pay as well, since Israel’s operation “cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the U.S. was not involved, however.
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran," Rubio said in a statement. "We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region."
As Katie reported, Israel's military strike has already done significant damage to Iran's nuclear capabilities and top leaders.