BlackMask Breaking News

June 14, 2025 7:23 am

Israel: Iran fired 200 missiles since escalation…… Significant damage’ after IDF headquarters hit by Iranian missile attack

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) revealed in a statement on Saturday that since Iran started its retaliatory attacks, it had launched 200 ballistic missiles toward Israel. According to the Israeli army, the objects were sent flying in several barrages, with most of them shot down by air defense systems. It was further detailed that around 25% of the missiles weren’t intercepted “according to protocol” and were permitted to crash into open areas, without damaging infrastructure.

IDF did mention, however, that a “small number” of these missiles passed through the air defenses, with three Israelis being killed, while some 70 were wounded.

NN: not a small number if your one of the people killed or injured

Significant damage’ after IDF headquarters hit by Iranian missile attack

Iron Dome Fails to Block Missile That Hits Tel Aviv Military Zone

Israel’s military headquarters were struck after Iran’s Islamic Republic unleashed a barrage of missiles on central Tel Aviv late Friday night, causing “significant damage” to the Jewish state’s equivalent of the Pentagon. Alarming footage shared on social media — and verified by The New York Times — showed a strike slamming into an area that houses several military sites, including the Israel Defense Forces’ main command center. The dramatic clips captured interceptor missiles firing into the sky moments before a blinding flash, a thunderous boom, and the explosion of an incoming warhead.

June 14, 2025 6:51 am

Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates

Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel in response to an unprecedented attack on its nuclear facilities, escalating a conflict between sworn enemies that threatens to engulf the oil-rich Middle East. The Islamic Republic targeted Israeli cities with multiple waves of missiles and a barrage of drones starting Friday evening, some of which breached the country’s air defenses. US forces helped shoot down the projectiles. Three people were killed in the Tel Aviv area and at least 40 were injured in multiple strikes, according to police and emergency services. There was video footage of at least one large explosion in Tel Aviv and reports of blasts over Jerusalem. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Israel’s air defense systems including the Iron Dome and David’s Sling boast an interception rate upward of 90%. If combined at varying altitudes, the chance of a successful shoot-down increases exponentially. The intensity of the fighting represents a turning point for both Israel and Iran, testing new limits in terms of their aggression and willingness to escalate. When the pair targeted each other on two occasions last year, there was a greater time lag and a sense that after an exchange of fire, there would be a détente. Israel has indicated this operation could last weeks, while Iran has signaled no letup in its retaliation. Further escalation — particularly any targeting of American military or diplomatic facilities in the region — could rally domestic political support for Iran’s rulers and dramatically intensify the conflict. It’s unclear if Tehran is entertaining last-resort options — such as blocking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s vital oil arteries, a scenario that would ratchet up concern among investors. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to “act forcefully” in a pre-recorded video message carried by state TV. Israel “should not think that it is over. We won’t allow them to escape unscathed from this great crime they have committed,” he said in a statement released after Iran started its retaliation.

The semi-official Fars news agency citied an unnamed military official as saying the conflict will soon “expand” beyond Israel to US bases in the region. So far, Iran has chosen to keep the US out of the conflict — a decision that an analysis by Bloomberg Economics suggested was the most likely since Tehran can’t afford to go to war with the world’s biggest economy and most powerful military. The damage to Iran’s regional standing and its military command structure is considerable. The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, and the military’s chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, were both killed in Israeli strikes. At least two other senior IRGC members died and several nuclear facilities were targeted. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace division, was also slain, Iranian state TV reported.

Israeli Strikes Kill Top Iranian Military Leaders

Leaders confirmed dead after June 13 attacks

Source: Bloomberg reporting, photos via Getty Images

Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that Israel struck the nuclear sites at Fordow and Isfahan as part of its latest wave of attacks, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told the UN Security Council on Friday.The IAEA doesn’t have information beyond indications that military activity took place around those facilities, Grossi said. If the facility at Isfahan is disabled, it would seriously crimp Iran’s ability to enrich uranium in large quantities.

June 13, 2025 11:40 am

US deploys warships to Middle East amid Iran threat

The United States is repositioning military assets in the Middle East following Israel’s strike on Iran and the growing threat of retaliation from Tehran, two officials told the Associated Press on Friday. According to these sources, the Navy has ordered the USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, to head toward the Eastern Mediterranean, while a second destroyer is moving into position to be deployed if needed. One official said President Trump is meeting with his National Security Council to discuss the unfolding situation, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the plans.Iran has pulled out of nuclear talks with Washington in Oman, which were set for Sunday, as Washington warned Tehran against targeting American forces in the region.

June 13, 2025 11:19 am

US said to pretend to oppose Israeli strikes on Iran

United States President Donald Trump and other officials from his administration allegedly only pretended to be against Israel’s attacks on Iran in public, Axios reported on Friday, citing two Israeli officials. “We had a clear US green light,” one source claimed, adding that there was no opposition to Israel’s moves behind closed doors. It was further explained that the tactic was employed in order to surprise Tehran and make sure that all the individuals on the target list remained in specific locations in Iran. The sources also added that aides of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli press that Trump was trying to dissuade Israel from going after Iran during a telephone call, which was supposedly a farce as the call was reportedly about coordination before the attacks. Meanwhile, the US officials previously denied any involvement in Israel’s actions.

June 13, 2025 9:42 am

Trump: Iran must make deal before nothing is left

United States President Donald Trump urged Iran on Friday to make a deal “before there is nothing left and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.” In a post on Truth Social, the US head of state wrote that he gave Tehran “chance after chance” to come to an agreement, but it couldn’t be done. His comments come after Israeli strikes. “I told them it 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 hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse,” if the conflict continues, he warned, cautioning that the next attacks might be “even more brutal.”

nn: do not screw with GOD’S CHOSEn people because they screw back bigger and badder

June 13, 2025 6:32 am

Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear program…… destroying Iran’s nuclear program

Decades of Israeli warnings against Iran’s nuclear program and preparations for military action to thwart it culminated early Friday morning with the Jewish state launching a major offensive against the Islamic Republic, striking nuclear sites, military facilities, missile bases and senior leadership. Jerusalem said it had engaged in a “precise, preemptive strike” against Iran, declaring an imminent threat from its nuclear program and announcing a domestic state of emergency as citizens braced for retaliation. Top officials warned of a potential prolonged conflict, noting that Tehran had the power to inflict significant pain upon Israel. Multiple waves of Israeli strikes were reported throughout Iran for several hours, starting at around 3 a.m. and into the morning. Over 200 Israeli Air Force aircraft were involved in the opening strikes, and fighter jets dropped over 330 munitions on some 100 targets, the IDF said. The operation, dubbed “Rising Lion,” was directed at Iran’s nuclear program — the military assessed Iran currently has enough enriched uranium to build 15 nuclear bombs — as well as its ballistic missile factories and its military capabilities, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military said.

Israel said it had no choice but to attack Iran, adding that it had gathered intelligence that Tehran was approaching “the point of no return” in its pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

“The Iranian regime has been working for decades to obtain a nuclear weapon. The world has attempted every possible diplomatic path to stop it, but the regime has refused to stop,” the military said in a statement.Confirmed killed in the strikes was Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that the chief of Iran’s military, Mohammad Bagheri, was also dead. Jerusalem assessed that other top brass and senior nuclear scientists were killed as well.Blasts were reported in Natanz, the site of a key nuclear facility, as well as in and around the capital Tehran. All Israeli Air Force pilots and aircrews who participated in the strikes returned to their bases unharmed, the military said late on Friday morning. The Israeli operation was expected to last days, according to military officials, who added that the IDF was preparing for heavy fire from Iran, but asserted that “at the end of the operation, there will be no nuclear threat” from the Islamic Republic. The IDF said dozens of aircraft took part in “the opening blow, which included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear-related sites in various areas in Iran.”

Netanyahu and Iranian state TV confirmed that one target of the strikes was the Natanz enrichment facility, one of two underground nuclear sites in the country, the other being at Fordo. The “Natanz enrichment facility has been hit several times,” state TV reported Friday morning, showing footage of heavy smoke billowing from the site. The extent of the damage was not definitively clear. Iranian state television only briefly showed the live picture with a reporter.

Israeli defense officials indicated they believed Natanz was significantly damaged.

The official IRNA news agency also reported a number of deaths in Tehran, naming neighborhoods in multiple locations in the capital, after residential buildings were hit by strikes. Israel spent years preparing for the operation against Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, a security official told The Times of Israel, including building a drone base inside Iran and smuggling precision weapons systems and commandos into the country. The effort hinged on tight joint planning between the IDF and the Mossad intelligence agency. According to the official, Mossad agents set up a drone base on Iranian soil near Tehran. The drones were activated overnight, striking surface-to-surface missile launchers aimed at Israel.In addition, vehicles carrying weapons systems were smuggled into Iran. These systems took out Iran’s air defenses and gave Israeli planes air supremacy and freedom of action over Iran.

Continue reading “Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear program…… destroying Iran’s nuclear program”

June 13, 2025 5:54 am

After years of waiting, Israel’s Netanyahu finally makes his move on Iran

Netanyahu threatened Iran for years, many saw it as a bluff
Israeli leader sees Iran as existential threat to Israel
Recent Middle East tumult provided a rare chance to strike
Netanyahu hopes success will secure his legacy

JERUSALEM, June 13 (Reuters) – Iran once ridiculed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the boy who cried wolf for his constant public warnings about Tehran’s nuclear programme, and his repeated threats to shut it down, one way or another. “You can only fool some of the people so many times,” Iran’s then-foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said in 2018 after Netanyahu had once again accused Iran of planning to build nuclear weapons. On Friday, after two decades of continually raising the alarm and urging other world leaders to act, Netanyahu finally decided to go it alone, authorizing an Israeli air assault aimed, Israel says, at preventing Iran from obtaining weapons of mass destruction. In an address to the nation, Netanyahu, as he has so often before, evoked the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust in World War Two to explain his decision. “Nearly a century ago, facing the Nazis, a generation of leaders failed to act in time,” Netanyahu said, adding that a policy of appeasing Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler had led to the deaths of 6 million Jews, “a third of my people”.

“After that war, the Jewish people and the Jewish state vowed never again. Well, never again is now today. Israel has shown that we have learned the lessons of history.”

Iran says its nuclear energy programme is only for peaceful purposes, although the International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday declared the country in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years.

Israeli military sources said the strikes disabled four of Iran’s Russian-made air-defense systems, including one positioned near Natanz, a key Iranian nuclear site that was targeted, according to Iranian television. “Iran is more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities. We have the opportunity to achieve our most important goal — to thwart and eliminate the existential threat,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in November. But much to the consternation of Netanyahu, newly installed U.S. President Donald Trump blindsided him during a visit to the White House in April, when he announced the United States and Iran were poised to begin direct nuclear talks.

Netanyahu has locked horns with successive U.S. presidents over Iran, most noticeably Barack Obama, who approved a deal with Tehran in 2015 imposing significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump pulled out of the accord in 2018, and Netanyahu had hoped that he would continue to take an uncompromising stance against Iran when he returned to office this year.

In announcing talks, the White House set a two-month deadline for Iran to sign a deal. Even though a fresh round of meetings was set for this weekend, the unofficial deadline expired on Thursday and Netanyahu pounced.

One Israeli official told state broadcaster Kan that Israel had coordinated with Washington ahead of the attacks and suggested recent newspaper reports of a rift between Trump and Netanyahu over Iran had been a ruse to lull the Tehran leadership into a false sense of security.

IMAGE TARNISHED

Trump – who said after the strikes began that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb but that he wants talks to proceed – has previously hailed the right-wing Netanyahu as a great friend. Other leaders have struggled with him.

“Generations from now, history will record that our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future. May God bless Israel. May God bless the forces of civilization, everywhere,” he said in Friday’s speech.

NN: I have nothing to add

June 13, 2025 5:29 am

Israel said to be ready for full-scale war with Iran

Israel confirmed its readiness for all scenarios, including a potential full-scale conflict with Iran, according to Benjamin Gendelman, a senior advisor in the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, in his statement to TASS on Friday. When questioned about the possibility of a major military engagement with Iran, he responded that “Israel is ready for any development of events. Israel first and foremost relies on its own military forces and capabilities, both in defense and in attack.” Israel conducted an extensive military operation against Iran today, targeting nuclear installations and air defense systems, following concerns over Tehran’s expanding nuclear activities. Iranian officials maintain that their uranium enrichment serves peaceful purposes only.

NN: Israel had agreed not to attack. until it found out Iran was weeks away from icbm mounted nukes

June 13, 2025 1:12 am

Israel Strikes Iran’s Nuclear Program, Braces for Retaliation

Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile programs
Iran vows blow against Israel, US; Says no damage to refineries
Israeli airstrikes killed commander of Revolutionary Guard
US says not involved, warned Iran against targeting US assets
Crude oil, gold surge as stocks drop

The opening strike was targeting top leaders of the Islamic Republic, Iran’s state TV has just reported that the chief of staff of the nation’s Armed Forces was also killed in Israeli strikes, without providing any further details Fox News cited Trump as saying that “there are several people in leadership that will not be coming back.”

Israel’s opening strike on Iran was “very successful,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement. He said Israel struck Iranian senior commanders, nuclear facilities and senior scientists advancing nuclear weapons. Netanyahu also called on the public to be prepared to spend an extended period in shelters. National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Co. says Israeli attacks didn’t cause any damage to the country’s oil refineries and storage tanks, state-run IRNA news agency reports. Fuel distribution across Iran ongoing without interruption.

Here’s a look at Iran’s oil and gas assets.

Iran’s Oil and Gas Assets: What to Watch |

Omar , Oman said it holds Israel responsible for this escalation and its repercussions and says such a “reckless” approach threatens to “preclude diplomatic solutions and undermine the security and stability of the region,” state-run Oman News Agency reports. This is the first Gulf state to comment on the attack. Oman has been mediating between the US and Iran and is the host of nuclear talks. The sixth round of these negotiations between the US and Iran were scheduled to be held on June 15.

Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin’s readout of the network’s phone call with President Trump:

For central banks, including the RBA, it adds to the uncertainty in the global environment. We’d expect some of the strongest reaction in oil prices which could reverberate through into inflation rates if persistent.”

Marko Papic, chief strategist at BCA Research, says much in markets will depend on how Iran retaliates. If the nation hits US assets in the region, for example, the US response will be immediate and painful — even though the administration was quick to say today they had no involvement in the Israeli strike. The only certainty at this point is upward pressure on crude, he said, though the spike would be temporary and not change central bank policy outlook.

“Investors should expect a cycle of retaliation and re-retaliation, as in 2024, but should fade effects on both crude and global risk assets if this becomes the bulk of the Iranian retaliation.”

Katia DmitrievaAsia Economics Correspondent

Oil Spikes After Israel Struck Iran | Prices surged on heightening tensions on the Middle East

Oil options volatility has surged to the highest level in three years as traders seek protection from surging prices after Israel carried out airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program.

Oil Options Price Bigger Geopolitical Risks | Options have borne the brunt of geopolitical volatility in recent months

“The only way to stop or disrupt Iran becoming a nuclear power is by force and Israel is the only country with both the stomach and capability to do so,” he said. “Most of the rest of the region particularly Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt, will quietly cheer.”

Nicole Grajewski, a fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who specializes in the region, reacted on social media:

“If you were to ask the worst case scenario, this would be close to it — ongoing US-Iran talks (regardless of progress) and Israel acting on its own, targeting Iran’s military leadership along with civilian casualties only three days before US-Iran negotiations.”

Following up from what IRNA reported, we now have headlines coming from Iran’s Armed Forces spokesperson. In a televised address, he said Israel and the US will receive a “harsh blow” in response. Israel and Iran are operating in a “new paradigm,” and a military response by Tehran is inevitable, said Rodger Shanahan, Middle East expert and former Australian army officer.

“You can’t not do something. It’s what your risk tolerance is and how you perceive Israel’s Western allies are going to protect them,” he said.

Whether or not the conflict escalates depends on Iran’s choice of target, Shanahan said. A like-for-like attack on military installations would be “containable,” he said, but any move to indiscriminately attack Israel’s civilian population would cross a red line. As expected, Iran says it’s planning a “decisive response,” according to IRNA news agency reports. Iranian TV meantime reported an explosion at the Natanz nuclear site and a a blast at the Shahid Ahmadi Roshan nuclear site.

June 12, 2025 10:08 pm

Israel Attacks Iran’s Nuclear Facilities……..

Israel has launched a series of coordinated airstrikes on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities in what it describes as a decisive move to prevent the Islamic Republic from becoming a nuclear power. The Israeli military announced the operation on its official Telegram channel, stating that “dozens of fighter jets struck Iranian nuclear complexes in various parts of the country.” The strikes immediately triggered a sharp reaction in global markets, sending oil, bonds, and gold rallying. Brent crude surged by more than 7% in early Friday trading, as traders began pricing in the risk of major supply disruptions from a region that accounts for roughly one-third of the world’s oil production. Oil is now on course for its largest weekly gain since 2022. Gold prices also rallied as investors moved into safe-haven assets amid the mounting geopolitical risk.

According to Israeli sources, the goal of the airstrikes is to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program, viewed by Israel as an existential threat. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his cabinet following the strikes, calling the action “a defining moment in Israel’s history.” Israel has closed its airspace and placed its military on high alert, saying it is fully prepared for a potential Iranian retaliation. According to Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, the operation, dubbed Rising Lion, targets he heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. In his declaration, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: “We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists working on the nuclear bomb. We also struck at Iran’s ballistic missile program.” He noted also that the operation “could last for as many days as it takes”, adding that his government will not allow “the world’s most dangerous regime to get the world’s most dangerous weapons”. Iran has yet to issue an official response, though state media reported several explosions in the capital, Tehran. There are no confirmed casualties or assessments of damage at this time. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quick to confirm that the United States was not involved in the operation, noting that Israel described the attack as vital for its national defense.

With tensions escalating, oil markets remain on edge. Investment banks like JPMorgan warn that in a worst-case scenario, prices could surge to $120 per barrel if military conflict