Israel-Iran war live: Trump says key nuclear facilities ‘obliterated’ by US; missiles hit Israel after Iran launches retaliatory strikes | Israel

Julian Borger

Analysis from the Guardian’s senior international correspondent:

Iran had sought to deter Donald Trump from joining Israel’s bombing campaign with dire threats of retaliation, but its options now are limited and fraught with risk.

Iranian officials have said specifically that US ships and military bases would be targeted, but much of the capacity it had relied on as a deterrent has been stripped away over the past few days by Israeli strikes. Those strikes however, have focused on long-range ballistic missile launchers. Iran still has a formidable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and drones.

The US has taken precautions over the past few weeks, dispersing its naval presence in the region and beefing up air defences, to try to ensure it presents as hard a target as possible.

Furthermore, Trump warned on Sunday of broader US involvement in Israel’s war if Iran attempts to strike back, and in recent days suggested that one of the targets for US bombers would be the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran’s other principal weapon, built up over decades, is its network of alliances with regional militias, its “axis of resistance” but that too has been depleted. Hezbollah’s extensive missile arsenal was pulverised by the Israeli air force last year. Israeli planes have returned to keep the Lebanese Shia force in check, bombing an alleged missile stockpile in south Beirut in April.

A Tehran-backed Shia militia in Iraq, Kata’ib Hezbollah, has threatened to target “US interests” in the Middle East in response to Washington’s participation in Israel’s support. One of its commanders, Abu Ali al-Askari, was quoted on CNN as saying that US bases in the region “will become akin to duck-hunting grounds”.

The United States has military facilities across at least nineteen sites across the Middle East, some eight of them permanent.

Another Iranian partner, the Houthi forces in Yemen, agreed a ceasefire with the US in May but they have warned they would regard the truce to be broken if Trump decided to take part in attacks on Iran, and would target US ships in the Red Sea, something the Houthis have done with mixed results in the past.

The entry of any of these militias into the war would draw a devastating response from the US, which has been preparing for just such a contingency over the months that Israel has been preparing its attack.

Israel’s military says it has launched a wave of attacks on western Iran, shortly after Iran hit several Israeli cities with missiles.

A spokesman said on social media:

The Air Force has begun a wave of raids on Iranian military targets in western Iran. This morning, the Air Force also struck missile launchers which were ready to launch toward Israel, along with Iranian military personnel. Missile launchers used to launch missiles toward Israeli territory were also targeted.”

Israeli emergency services have said about 10 sites were hit by Iran’s missiles, including in Tel Aviv, Carmel, and Haifa – which reportedly did not hear any alert sirens.

About 14 people are believed to have been injured, most not seriously. Rescuers are continuing to search the impact sites. Some buildings in Tel Aviv have been destroyed, Haaretz reports.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says there is currently no increase in off-site radiation levels at the three nuclear sites hit by US strikes.

“IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available,” it said.

Israeli media is reporting several Iranian missiles breached air defences to hit parts of the country. The locations and number of strikes are not clear, and Israeli authorities also instruct people not to publish or share information or recordings of direct hits.

Citing rescue services, the Haaretz media outlet there are some initial claims of casualties in central Israel, as well as strikes in Haifa where missile alerts reportedly did not go off.

Meanwhile the Israeli Defence Force says it has detected a second barrage of missiles from Iran. Iranian state TV is claiming 30 missiles have been fired at Israel today.

A Yemeni Houthi official said on Sunday that the Iran-aligned group’s response to the U.S. attack on Iran was “only a matter of time”.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that its ceasefire deal with Washington was before the “war” on Iran.

The group has been launching attacks on shipping lanes and Israel in what it says is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israeli war. It agreed on a ceasefire deal with the United States in May to stop attacking US ships in exchange for an end to Washington’s bombings of the group.

Israel’s air force says it has detected missiles launched from Iran into Israeli territory, prompting alerts “in several areas of the country”. Witnesses have reported hearing loud bangs or explosions in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

It is not clear yet if the sounds are from missile impacts or interceptions by Israel’s air defence system.

A Times of Israel reporter says medics and security forces are responding to reports of strikes in central and northern Israel.

Hours before Trump’s announcement of the strikes, tens of thousands of people were marching in European cities in support of Palestinians and to call for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza.

In London, tens of thousands of protesters were reported to have marched, waving Palestinian flags and clad in keffiyeh scarves. There have been monthly protests in teh city since the start of this 20-month long war.

In Berlin, more than 10,000 people gathered in the centre of the city, according to police figures, while large crowds were also photographed rallying in Rome.

And in the Swiss capital Bern, march organisers estimated that 20,000 people rallied in front of the national parliament, urging the government to back a ceasefire while in Paris thousands also gathered outside a trade fair attended by Israeli defence firms.

Iran’s foreign minister has condemned the US attack as a breach of international law which will have “everlasting consequences”.

In a statement posted to social media, Seyed Abbas Araghchi said:

The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations.

The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences.

Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behaviour. In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defence, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.

The White House has released some pictures from the Situation Room:

Dan Jervis-Bardy

Bruce Wolpe, a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre, said Trump’s public remarks confirming the strikes on Iran were the “toughest” statement a US president had made towards an enemy since 9/11.

Wolpe said:

Trump’s message was unyielding and decisive. Stop your attacks on Israel, or we will come back, stop your nuclear program, or we will come back.”

Wolpe is a former staffer to former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, who also worked with the Democrats during US president Barack Obama’s first term.

He said an escalation in the conflict would have “indirect but serious” consequences for Australia, with any potential closure to the Strait of Hormuz to have major economic implications globally.

Wolpe said the best thing Australia could do was encourage Iran to return to the negotiating table and to stop its acts of aggression against Israel.

Asked if sending troops to the region should be considered, he said: “Goodness no”.

I think the best message right now is to tell Iran to stop and conduct diplomacy.”

Iranian officials have disputed Trump’s claim that their nuclear facilities were “obliterated”.

Mohammad Manan Raisi, a lawmaker for Qom, near Fordow, told the semi-official Fars news agency the facility had not been seriously damaged.

Iranian media quoted Iran’s nuclear body as saying there were no signs of
contamination after the attacks, and no danger to residents living nearby.
Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran’s state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago.

“The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots,” he told the channel.

Benjamin Netanyahu has released another video statement, this time in Hebrew, saying there was “full coordination” between Israel and US governments and militaries on the strikes.

“In doing so, the United States continued, with greater intensity and with great force, the attacks of the IDF and the Mossad on Iran’s nuclear program. This program threatened our very existence and also endangered the peace of the entire world,” he said according to an Al Jazeera translation.

“President Trump is leading the free world with strength. He is a great friend of Israel, a friend like no other.”

Separately, CNN is reporting that Trump briefed Republican lawmakers before the strike, but not Democrats.

Hugo Lowell

Donald Trump’s move to bomb three nuclear sites in Iran came as those inside his orbit who were opposed to US intervention in the conflict shifted their views in favour of a limited and one-off strike.

The US president had been under immense pressure from Republican anti-interventionists not to engage in any action against Iran out of concern that the US might be dragged into a protracted engagement to topple Iran’s leadership, or that strikes on facilities might have limited success.

Some advisers both inside and outside the White House tried to dissuade him from becoming entangled in what they characterised as a conflict started by Israel. They initially suggested the US could continue to help Israel with support from the intelligence community.

But in recent days, as Trump increasingly considered the prospect of strikes and told advisers he had no interest in a prolonged war to bring about regime change, some advisers shifted their public arguments to suggesting the US could do a quick bombing run if Israel could do nothing further.

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