Iran vows retaliation after Israeli strikes: Live Updates

The attack comes days before the sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington

Israel conducted a series of strikes on Iran on Friday,  and declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliation.

The IDF said it targeted both military and nuclear sites. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that a nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz was among the targets.

Iran has confirmed that the attacks killed Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. Media reports also claimed that the attacks targeted and killed several other senior Iranian military commanders and six nuclear scientists.

US President Donald Trump said he had prior knowledge of the strikes and expressed hope that Tehran will return to the negotiating table where the US hopes to strike a deal on nuclear enrichment.

Iran has vowed to retaliate, suggesting that the attack “cannot have been carried out without the coordination and authorization of the United States.”

The Israeli strikes come after five rounds of US-Iranian talks on Iran’s nuclear program failed to produce a breakthrough. The sixth round of negotiations is scheduled for Sunday in Oman.