Image source, Getty Images

Shortly before Israel launched a strike on Iran, the country's defence minister, Israel Katz, told a forum of military officials that, "This is a defining moment in the history of the State of Israel and in the history of the Jewish people".

"Upon entering office, I defined the thwarting of Iran's nuclear programme as a top priority," Katz said, claiming that "Iran is more determined than ever to realise its vision of destroying Israel".

"We are at a critical juncture - if we miss it, we will have no way to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons that threaten our existence," he added.

"We have dealt with Iran's proxies over the past year and a half, but now we are dealing with the snake's head itself."

As we reported earlier, Israel has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of counter-attacks from Iran.

‘Operation Rising Lion’, which Israel said was meant to thwart Iran's nuclear programme, has reportedly killed several senior Iranian military figures and nuclear scientists.

Here are the people who are confirmed to have been killed, according to Iranian state media:

• Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards
• Gholamali Rashid, the commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters
• Fereydoon Abbasi, nuclear scientist and former head Iran's Atomic Energy Organization
• Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, another nuclear scientist involved in Iran's nuclear weapons programme
• Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran's armed forces

Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been seriously injured, according to Iranian reports.

We'll continue to bring you the latest updates as we get them.

Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran's armed forces, has also been killed, Iran's state television has reported.

He joined the Revolutionary Guards in 1980 before rising through the ranks to become one of the country's most important military leaders.

Leyla Khodabakhshi
BBC News, Washington

The Iranian Attorney General's Office has just issued a statement directed at social media users and media outlets.

The statement urges them to avoid discussing topics that could "disturb the public’s psychological security".

According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran is now one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists. These latest comments suggest authorities may be preparing to tighten controls even further.

Officials are warning of legal action against anyone spreading "false content" or "disturbing public psychological security" - language often used to justify wider crackdowns on media and online activity.

In the wake of the strikes, Iranians could face even stricter limits on what can be reported or shared online.

Verified videos show smoke and damage in north Tehran buildingspublished at 05:24 British Summer Time 13 June

05:24 BST 13 June

Shayan Sardarizadeh and Ghoncheh Habibiazad

BBC Verify has been poring over multiple videos claiming to show the aftermath of Israeli strikes on different parts of Iran.

So far, along with our colleagues in BBC Persian, we have verified damage to four buildings in three districts of the capital Tehran.

The first, near Vanak Square in north Tehran, shows smoke billowing out of One Holding Tower. This is a well-known tower close to one of the busiest squares in Tehran.

The second clip, filmed in northwest Tehran, shows fire, smoke and visible damage on two floors of what appears to be a residential block. Iranian state TV has been reporting from the scene of this strike, allowing us to match the building with high-resolution satellite imagery. Videos emerging in the morning show emergency services at the site.

The third location, in the affluent district of Farmanieh north of the capital, shows damage on two distinct towers metres from each other.

One of the upper floors of one tower appears to be struck, while shattered glass can be seen on the Kooh Noor tower nearby.

BBC Verify is continuing to examine footage of multiple other locations coming through via social media users and Iranian media.

Image source, X/@Vahid

US President Donald Trump has just spoken with Fox News about the strikes.

He said that he was aware of Israel's plans beforehand, but made it clear the US military played no part in the operation. He reiterated that he hopes Iran will continue negotiations with the US on curbing its nuclear programme.

"Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see," he told Fox News.

"There are several people in leadership that will not be coming back," he said, noting that the US has confirmed multiple Iranian leaders have died in the attack.

He said his administration reached out to one key Middle Eastern ally before the strike to also inform them - he did not say what country it was.

Peter Hoskins
Business reporter, Singapore

Image source, Getty Images

Global oil prices jumped after Israel said it had struck Iran, in a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

Benchmark oil contracts, Brent Crude and Nymex light sweet, were up by more than 10% after the news emerged.

Traders are concerned that a conflict between Iran and Israel could disrupt supplies coming from the energy-rich region.

The cost of crude oil affects everything from the price of food at the supermarket to how much it costs to fill up your car.

Analysts have told the BBC that energy traders will now be watching to see whether Iran retaliates in the coming days.

Read more here

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging Israeli citizens to follow the guidance of the military. He also said that they may have to remain in sheltered areas for an extended period of time.

Netanyahu described the strikes on Iran as "very successful", but Israel is now in a state of emergency in anticipation of counter-attacks from Iran.

Residents have been told to "remain in the protected areas" and "obey the instructions" of the authorities.

Iran's foreign ministry is now calling on countries around the world to condemn the attacks by Israel.

The foreign ministry says the attack "exposes global security to unprecedented threat".

It says the US - which it calls Israel's main supporter - will be held responsible for the consequences of the attack. The US said earlier it was not involved in the attack.

What would the US likely do to defend Israel if Iran retaliates?published at 04:52 British Summer Time 13 June

04:52 BST 13 June

Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent

US officials briefed earlier that they will not be offering aerial refuelling for the Israelis. They are trying to make it absolutely clear that there is American separation from this military action.

This may also play into the defence capability for Israel, who will almost certainly see retaliatory action from the Iranians. There were sirens going off in Israel this morning to wake civilians as the country launched its attack on Iran.

So it’s now a question of what the Americans do to help defend Israel.

The risk is that things can slip out of control very quickly. The coming hours and days are absolutely critical.

Image source, Reuters

The head of the United Nations has called for "maximum restraint" in the Middle East and condemned Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.

Speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, a spokesperson says Guterres is: "particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran's nuclear programme are underway".

"The Secretary-General asks both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford," the spokesperson says.

While Israel said it had targeted nuclear and military sites, Iranian media says that residential areas in Tehran were hit and civilians were among those killed.

Here are some of the latest images coming out of Tehran, where it is just after 07:00:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Offering her analysis on the BBC News Channel a short while ago was Mona Yacoubian, senior adviser and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

She said that upon learning what targets Israel had hit, "It's clear to me that, unfortunately, the region is as close as it's ever been to sliding into the abyss of a region-wide war".

Netanyahu's vow that his country's action would continue "for as many days as it takes" does not follow the pattern on tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran that we saw last year, she continued.

Most striking about his comments however, was "what sounded like an indirect call for regime change in Iran".

"That is an ambition and intention that is quite broad," she says, adding that there are concerns over what this could mean for escalation.

"The longer this goes, the greater the likelihood of unintended escalation, miscalculations and so forth," Yacoubian says.

Tom Bennett
Reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, Getty Images

Early reports suggest ‘Operation Rising Lion’ has dealt a significant blow to Iran, with dozens of strikes across the country reportedly killing several senior Iranian military figures and nuclear scientists.

Here in Jerusalem, we were woken up at around 03:00 (01:00 BST) by a burst of sirens followed by a phone alert, warning us of a “significant threat” and instructing us to stay close to a shelter.

Now, the whole country is waiting to see what Iran's response will be.

Clues to that may lie in the last few times the two nations have taken military actions against each other.

Last April, Iran launched about 300 missiles and drones at Israel, which Israel responded to with a “limited” strike on a missile defence system.

Over the following months, Israel went on to assassinate several leading figures from Iranian proxy groups across the region, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

Iran hit back in October by launching about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel - which responded with a series of “targeted” strikes on Iranian military facilities.

But the reported scale of this latest attack is bigger than anything we’ve seen yet - and it seems Israel is bracing for a bigger response too.

A spokesperson for Iran's armed forces says that Israel carried out the attacks in Iran with support from the US, Iranian state media is reporting.

As we reported earlier, top US diplomat Marco Rubio said that Washington was not involved in the strikes, and that Israel had told them "this action was necessary for its self-defense".

Image source, Getty Images

Iran supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, says the attacks reveal Israel's "vile nature", Reuters reports, and that with this attack Israel, "has prepared a bitter fate for itself, which it will surely receive."

Bahman Kalbasi
BBC Persian, reporting from New York

Image source, Getty Images

People woke up in Tehran on Friday to sounds of explosions, bombs dropping and their houses being shaken.

Many, almost instinctively, would have known this was an attack by Israel.

As they come out now to look at the wreckage, their sense of shock will be palpable.

This is a city that hasn’t seen war in decades, since the end of the Iran-Iraq war in the late 1980s. There has been back-and-forth attacks between Israel and Iran, but these were not targeting major city centres or residential buildings.

This is therefore a very shocking moment for millions of Iranians. It is hitting very close to people’s lives.

Iran will, without a doubt, respond forcefully. In October last year it launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel - most of which were intercepted - and it could do it again.

Iranian proxies in the region, though widely believed to be weakened, could also mount some sort of response.

The biggest worry is that this will trigger a wider and more devastating war.

People in Iran’s capital, Tehran, are reporting hearing explosions boom across the city again, the Associated Press reports.

Iranian state media are reporting fresh Israeli attacks in Tehran and Reuters has said that air defence fire can be heard over the city.

A spokesperson for Iran's armed forces has said that the US and Israel will pay a "heavy price" for the strikes, Reuters reports.

"The armed forces will certainly respond to this Zionist attack," said Iranian spokesperson, Abolfazl Shekarchi.

What has the reaction been in Iran?published at 03:46 British Summer Time 13 June

03:46 BST 13 June

Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Persian

I was up late in London when I got several messages from people I know in Tehran: “I heard some loud bangs. Have you seen any reports? Was it Israel again?”

Most of the people I know couldn’t get back to sleep the whole night, and were sending videos to one another or asking each other if their district in Tehran had been hit.

This time, unlike the previous attacks in October and April 2024, verified videos show that some of the attacks were on what appears to be residential buildings in Tehran.

Instagram, Facebook, X and most other major social media platforms are banned in Iran, but people access them via VPNs and other methods to circumvent the censorship. People in Iran were even quicker to share the videos of the attacks than state media.

Iran’s state TV still tried to downplay the attacks by saying that the situation is “calm” and the fire in residential buildings is under control.

As of now, the number of casualties has not been announced by Iran, but state media has been quick to point the finger at the US, accusing them of being complicit in the attack that they say has killed children.