Explosions Heard Across Israel As Iran Fires Missiles In Response For Israeli Strikes

Ukraine says it is concerned over the developments in the Middle East after Israel launched air strikes on multiple targets inside Iran. But while Kyiv said it is "important to avoid further destabilization of the region and prevent civilian casualties," it also was quick to point out Tehran's ties to Russia and North Korea -- parts of the so-called Axis of Evil -- and Iran's support for Moscow in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"We would like to remind you that the Iranian regime supports Russia in its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and provides Moscow with weapons to kill Ukrainians. Iran is the source of many problems in the Middle East and beyond," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We are convinced that restoring peace and stability in the Middle East will serve the interests not only of the region but also of the entire international community. Security in Europe and the Middle East are directly linked. In this context, we call on the international community to take joint and decisive action to overcome modern security threats and coordinate the deterrence of a group of aggressive regimes — Russia, Iran, and North Korea."

Israel's overnight attacks, and the apparent retaliation from Iran, have scrambled civilian flights in the Middle East, with airlines being forced to re-route to avoid Iranian and Iraqi air space.

This animation from a popular flight tracker blog shows the scale of the disruption as of midmorning June 13.

Iranian authorities have tightened security at residences for a number of top officials with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following overnight strikes by Israel.

People familiar with the matter tell RFE/RL's Radio Farda that residents of two Tehran neighborhoods that were hit have been warned not to publish any images or videos of the sites to social media.

The Israeli attacks killed a top general with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and two other officers, as well as a number of civilians, including scientists involved in nuclear research.

Israel's goal in its attack on Iran was to try and "neutralize" Tehran's capabilities to complete its buildup of nuclear military capabilities, Efraim Halevy, the former head of Mossad and the Israeli National Security Council, says.

"The cabinet led by the prime minister reached the conclusion that the moment it arrived, when it was no longer useful to continue the negotiations and somehow reaching an understanding with the Iranians," he said in an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

"In a situation like this, rather than to let this deteriorate even further, the prime minister of the cabinet, the minister of defense, took the authority to launch a an attack against the Iranian nuclear capabilities in an effort to neutralize them."

The attacks hit the Natanz nuclear facility, but reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iranian authorities indicate another major site, the Fordow enrichment plant, was left untouched.

Halevy said that could be a decision by the Israelis to send a message to Iran that if they don't come to negotiate a "serious" agreement, Israel leaves open the possibility of further attacks on the Fordow site.

Halevy added that it's hard to assess at this point whether this is the beginning of "a much larger confrontation," but after such a sizeable attack, Tehran will have to "make a decision on whether they want to continue with this development, which could be have disastrous consequences."

President Masoud Pezeshkian warned of a "legitimate and powerful response" to Israeli air strikes that targeted Iranian nuclear and missile facilities, as well as senior members of the military involved in Tehran's nuclear program.

Pezeshkian called the attacks "foolish" and added in a statement that Iran "will not remain silent."