China joins condemnation of Israel's attack on Iran

China has strongly condemned the 'violation of Iran's sovereignty' after Israel launched wide scale strikes against Iran on Friday.

In a statement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: "China opposes the violation of Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, opposes the intensification of contradictions, the expansion of conflicts, and the sudden rise in temperature of the regional situation.

"China calls on all parties concerned to do more things that promote regional peace and stability and avoid further escalation of the tense situation. China is willing to play a constructive role in easing the situation."

Israel said its attacks targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders during the start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

Iran had launched about 100 drones towards Israeli territory in retaliation, which Israel is working to intercept, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said.

Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions including at the country's main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, while Israel declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliatory missile and drone strikes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday there was no increase in radiation levels at the Natanz nuclear site, citing information given to them by Iranian authorities.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards corps said its top commander, Hossein Salami, was killed and state media reported the unit's headquarters in Tehran had been hit. 

Several children had been killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital, it said.

"We are at a decisive moment in Israel's history," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video message.

"Moments ago Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat."

Defrin said 200 Israeli fighter jets took part in the strikes, hitting more than 100 targets in Iran.

Israel could confirm that the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards and the commander of Iran's Emergency Command were all killed in the strikes across Iran, he told an online briefing.

'Wicked and bloody hand'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement that Israel had "unleashed its wicked and bloody" hand in a crime against Iran and that it would receive "a bitter fate for itself".

Airlines cleared out of the airspace over Israel, Iran and Iraq and Jordan on Friday after the Israelis strikes, Flightradar24 data showed, with carriers scrambling to divert and cancel flights to keep passengers and crew safe.

Iran closed its airspace and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice.

The United States said it had no part in the operation, which raises the risk of a fresh escalation in tensions in the Middle East, a major oil producing region.

Alongside extensive air strikes, Israel's Mossad spy agency led a series of covert sabotage operations inside Iran, Axios reported, citing a senior Israeli official. These operations were aimed at damaging Iran's strategic missile sites and its air defense capabilities.

Iranian state media reported that at least two nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were killed in Israeli strikes in Tehran. Six Iranian nuclear scientists were killed, Iranian state media reported.

The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said the country's oil refining and storage facilities did not sustain damages and their activities were ongoing.

Talks with Iran

U.S. officials have repeatedly said that any new nuclear deal with Iran - to replace a failed 2015 accord between Tehran and six world powers - must include a commitment to scrap enrichment, viewed as a potential pathway to developing nuclear bombs.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied such intentions, saying it wants nuclear energy only for civilian purposes, and has publicly rejected Washington's demand to scrap enrichment as an attack on its national sovereignty.

Iran's armed forces spokesperson said Israel and its chief ally the United States would pay a "heavy price" for the attack, accusing Washington of providing support for the operation.

While the U.S. tried to distance itself from Israel's military operation, an Israeli official told public broadcaster Kan that Israel had coordinated with Washington on Iran.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was not involved in the strikes and Tel Aviv had acted unilaterally for self-defence.

"Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel," he said.

Sixth round

U.S. and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran's escalating uranium enrichment programme in Oman on Sunday, according to officials from both countries and their Omani mediators.

A U.S. official said those talks were still scheduled to proceed despite the Israeli attack.

Comments from around the world: 

AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER: "The Zionist regime has committed a crime in our dear country today at dawn with its satanic, bloodstained hands.

"That regime should anticipate a severe punishment. By God's grace, the powerful arm of the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces won't let them go unpunished."

"With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared for itself a bitter, painful fate, which it will definitely see."

SPOKESPERSON FOR U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES: "The Secretary-General condemns any military escalation in the Middle East. He 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.

OMAN, WHICH IS MEDIATING IRAN-U.S. NUCLEAR TALKS: "Oman considers this act a dangerous, reckless escalation, representing a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, the principles of international law. Such aggressive, persistent behaviour is unacceptable and further destabilizes the regional peace and security."

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: "This was a unilateral action by Israel. So I think it is crucial for many allies, including the United States, to work as we speak to de-escalate."

JEAN-NOEL BARROT, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER: "We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any escalation that could compromise regional stability."

KEIR STARMER, UK PRIME MINISTER: "Escalation serves no one in the region. Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy."

SAUDI ARABIA: "Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms."

RUSSIA: Russia condemned the sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran and expressed concern after Israeli strikes on Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russia's Interfax news agency.