Celebration, trepidation and anger: Iranians have conflicting emotions over Israeli airstrikes

When Israel launched its sustained assault on Iran's nuclear program and military leaders early on Friday, Sareh began cycling through a range of emotions.
'I felt happiness,' the Iranian woman said, at the deaths of leaders who had long repressed the country's people.
'Then disbelief,' she continued from her home in the northern city of Rasht. 'Then some worry for what would happen next. Then happiness again, for how much power these people felt they had over us, how many of us they killed.' Like others interviewed for this report, she spoke on the condition that her last name be withheld for fear of retaliation from the government.
As Israel, a long-time enemy, attacks Iran's oppressive government, ordinary Iranians are feeling conflicting emotions: hope and hopelessness; celebration and trepidation.
Having suffered years of anaemic economic growth and double-digit inflation, corruption at every level of government and global isolation – and having lived through multiple rounds of protest crushed by authorities with deadly force – many Iranians have grown deeply pessimistic that they can change their government for the better by themselves.
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So some looked to the attacks, in which Israel killed top Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists, bombed nuclear and military sites, and crippled air defences, as a potential means of salvation – though one that carries immense risks.
'We are killed a thousand times with stress, especially for people like myself who have kids,' said Behnaz, 40, a single mother in Tabriz, where Israel said it had destroyed a base used by the Iranian air force.
Some Iranians welcomed the attacks, she said; others are terrified of the unpredictable consequences of war. Her own feelings are fluid.

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The Advertiser

2 hours ago

• The Advertiser

Israel hits Iranian nuclear facility as war grinds on

Israel's military has struck an Iranian nuclear research facility and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks, while emphasising it's preparing for the possibility that the war could turn into a lengthy campaign. Early on Saturday, smoke could be seen rising from an area near a mountain in Isfahan, where a local official said Israel had attacked the nuclear research facility in two waves. The target was two centrifuge production sites, and the attacks came on top of strikes on other centrifuge production sites elsewhere in recent days, according to an Israeli military official. It was the second attack on Isfahan, which was hit in the first 24 hours of the war as part of Israel's goal to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. Iran launched a new wave of drones and missiles at Israel but there were no immediate reports of significant damage, and the Israeli official called it a "small barrage" that was largely intercepted by Israel's defences. The official said part of the reason Tehran's overnight attack had been relatively small was that the military estimated it had taken out more than half of Iran's launchers. Later, the Israeli military's chief spokesman, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said the army had been told to be prepared for a "prolonged campaign" to destroy its targets, including nuclear sites, enrichment facilities and missile infrastructure. "We are deepening our strikes night after night and we have amazing achievements," he said. "We will continue until the threat is removed." Talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday failed to produce a breakthrough. European officials expressed hope for future discussions, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed," he told reporters. US President Donald Trump is weighing active US military involvement in the conflict, which Araghchi on Saturday said "would be very, very dangerous for everyone". The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing more than 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue "for as long as it takes" to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help, with Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility considered to be out of reach to all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. In Israel's opening attack, it killed three of Iran's top military leaders: armed forces chief General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guard leader General Hossein Salami, and Guard ballistic missile program boss General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The targeted killings of senior commanders continued, with Israel's defence minister saying on Saturday the military killed a Guard commander who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle in Tehran. A commander of Iran's drone force was also killed overnight, the Israeli official who briefed reporters said. with Reuters Israel's military has struck an Iranian nuclear research facility and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks, while emphasising it's preparing for the possibility that the war could turn into a lengthy campaign. Early on Saturday, smoke could be seen rising from an area near a mountain in Isfahan, where a local official said Israel had attacked the nuclear research facility in two waves. The target was two centrifuge production sites, and the attacks came on top of strikes on other centrifuge production sites elsewhere in recent days, according to an Israeli military official. It was the second attack on Isfahan, which was hit in the first 24 hours of the war as part of Israel's goal to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. Iran launched a new wave of drones and missiles at Israel but there were no immediate reports of significant damage, and the Israeli official called it a "small barrage" that was largely intercepted by Israel's defences. The official said part of the reason Tehran's overnight attack had been relatively small was that the military estimated it had taken out more than half of Iran's launchers. Later, the Israeli military's chief spokesman, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said the army had been told to be prepared for a "prolonged campaign" to destroy its targets, including nuclear sites, enrichment facilities and missile infrastructure. "We are deepening our strikes night after night and we have amazing achievements," he said. "We will continue until the threat is removed." Talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday failed to produce a breakthrough. European officials expressed hope for future discussions, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed," he told reporters. US President Donald Trump is weighing active US military involvement in the conflict, which Araghchi on Saturday said "would be very, very dangerous for everyone". The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing more than 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue "for as long as it takes" to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help, with Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility considered to be out of reach to all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. In Israel's opening attack, it killed three of Iran's top military leaders: armed forces chief General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guard leader General Hossein Salami, and Guard ballistic missile program boss General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The targeted killings of senior commanders continued, with Israel's defence minister saying on Saturday the military killed a Guard commander who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle in Tehran. A commander of Iran's drone force was also killed overnight, the Israeli official who briefed reporters said. with Reuters Israel's military has struck an Iranian nuclear research facility and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks, while emphasising it's preparing for the possibility that the war could turn into a lengthy campaign. Early on Saturday, smoke could be seen rising from an area near a mountain in Isfahan, where a local official said Israel had attacked the nuclear research facility in two waves. The target was two centrifuge production sites, and the attacks came on top of strikes on other centrifuge production sites elsewhere in recent days, according to an Israeli military official. It was the second attack on Isfahan, which was hit in the first 24 hours of the war as part of Israel's goal to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. Iran launched a new wave of drones and missiles at Israel but there were no immediate reports of significant damage, and the Israeli official called it a "small barrage" that was largely intercepted by Israel's defences. The official said part of the reason Tehran's overnight attack had been relatively small was that the military estimated it had taken out more than half of Iran's launchers. Later, the Israeli military's chief spokesman, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said the army had been told to be prepared for a "prolonged campaign" to destroy its targets, including nuclear sites, enrichment facilities and missile infrastructure. "We are deepening our strikes night after night and we have amazing achievements," he said. "We will continue until the threat is removed." Talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday failed to produce a breakthrough. European officials expressed hope for future discussions, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed," he told reporters. US President Donald Trump is weighing active US military involvement in the conflict, which Araghchi on Saturday said "would be very, very dangerous for everyone". The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing more than 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue "for as long as it takes" to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help, with Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility considered to be out of reach to all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. In Israel's opening attack, it killed three of Iran's top military leaders: armed forces chief General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guard leader General Hossein Salami, and Guard ballistic missile program boss General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The targeted killings of senior commanders continued, with Israel's defence minister saying on Saturday the military killed a Guard commander who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle in Tehran. A commander of Iran's drone force was also killed overnight, the Israeli official who briefed reporters said. with Reuters Israel's military has struck an Iranian nuclear research facility and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks, while emphasising it's preparing for the possibility that the war could turn into a lengthy campaign. Early on Saturday, smoke could be seen rising from an area near a mountain in Isfahan, where a local official said Israel had attacked the nuclear research facility in two waves. The target was two centrifuge production sites, and the attacks came on top of strikes on other centrifuge production sites elsewhere in recent days, according to an Israeli military official. It was the second attack on Isfahan, which was hit in the first 24 hours of the war as part of Israel's goal to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. Iran launched a new wave of drones and missiles at Israel but there were no immediate reports of significant damage, and the Israeli official called it a "small barrage" that was largely intercepted by Israel's defences. The official said part of the reason Tehran's overnight attack had been relatively small was that the military estimated it had taken out more than half of Iran's launchers. Later, the Israeli military's chief spokesman, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said the army had been told to be prepared for a "prolonged campaign" to destroy its targets, including nuclear sites, enrichment facilities and missile infrastructure. "We are deepening our strikes night after night and we have amazing achievements," he said. "We will continue until the threat is removed." Talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday failed to produce a breakthrough. European officials expressed hope for future discussions, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed," he told reporters. US President Donald Trump is weighing active US military involvement in the conflict, which Araghchi on Saturday said "would be very, very dangerous for everyone". The war between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli air strikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 430 people have been killed and 3500 wounded in Iran, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country's health ministry. Iran has retaliated by firing more than 450 missiles and 1000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue "for as long as it takes" to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and arsenal of ballistic missiles. But Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help, with Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility considered to be out of reach to all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. In Israel's opening attack, it killed three of Iran's top military leaders: armed forces chief General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guard leader General Hossein Salami, and Guard ballistic missile program boss General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The targeted killings of senior commanders continued, with Israel's defence minister saying on Saturday the military killed a Guard commander who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the elite Iranian Quds Force, and he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. The Israeli military later said it killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, during a strike on his vehicle in Tehran. A commander of Iran's drone force was also killed overnight, the Israeli official who briefed reporters said. with Reuters

The Age

4 hours ago

• The Age

Israel-Iran conflict: Ten maps tracking key nuclear sites, targets and US military bases

Israel struck the Natanz nuclear facility, Iran's main uranium enrichment site, on Friday during the first wave of attacks. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, told the BBC on Monday the centrifuges underground in Natanz were 'severely damaged if not destroyed altogether.' Iranian state television reported on June 20 that Israel had attacked the unfinished Arak heavy-water reactor, with the IAEA confirming the reactor had been hit and that it had not contained any nuclear material. Iran's fallback site, Fordow, remains a stronghold, and likely will remain unless the US joins the conflict in earnest. Despite Israel's repeated airstrikes on the facility, only the US has the 'bunker buster' bombs, and the planes to transport the bombs, that could damage the subterranean facility. By June 20, about 3200 Australians in Iran and Israel had registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade for support, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a press conference. The Australian embassy in Tehran is closed, Wong confirmed on June 20, with staff leaving Iran by road. Australian Defence Force personnel were also deployed to assist with evacuations, not for combat, Wong emphasised. 'We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now,' Wong said. Where has Iran struck in Israel? In response to Israel's attacks on Friday, Iran launched Operation True Promise III, firing missiles and drones on targets including the Kirya compound, one of the most sensitive and heavily guarded sites in Israel. On June 13, it was reported at least one Iranian missile had struck near the skyscraper Marganit Tower, a major communications hub inside the compound. Loading Established in Tel Aviv in 1948, the Kirya is Israel's central military headquarters. It's often described as Israel's equivalent to the United States' Pentagon, serving as a symbol of national security as much as it functions as the hub of the Israel Defence Force's operations. By Wednesday morning, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released a statement claiming it had 'gained complete control over the skies of the occupied territories' after launching two missile barrages at Israel overnight. According to live broadcasts, however, Israel's Iron Dome was still intercepting missiles. On June 19, southern Israel's main hospital, Soroka Medical Centre, was hit by an Iranian missile, leaving several wounded and causing extensive damage, according to a spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Ministry. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, meanwhile, said after the strike that the ballistic missile was supposed to hit the nearby Israeli military and intelligence quarters. Where are Iran's nuclear facilities? South of Tehran lies the Natanz Nuclear Facility, a complex at the heart of Iran's enrichment program housing several buidings including: the underground Fuel Enrichment Plant and above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant. The Fordow enrichment facility is also south of Tehran, and is notably underground, making it harder to destroy. Loading Further south, on the outskirts of Isfahan, Iran's second-largest city, is a large nuclear technology centre that includes the Fuel Plate Fabrication Plant and uranium conversion and storage facilities. On the Gulf Coast is the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant and uses Russian fuel that Russia takes back once it is spent. Further north, in addition to Tehran's nuclear research reactor, is the partially built heavy-water research reactor in Khondab, formerly known as Arak, which Iran previously informed the IAEA it planned to start operating in 2026. Why is Iran's Fordow nuclear base a target? Dug deep into a mountain near Qom is the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is one of Iran's most heavily fortified nuclear sites, built in secrecy and designed for survivability. Loading It was exposed through Western intelligence in 2009, and its capacity to enrich uranium levels close to weapons-grade is what alarms the superpowers and makes it critical to Iran's nuclear program. In 2023, according to the IAEA, uranium enriched to a purity of 83.7 per cent was found at Fordow. Nuclear weapons need an enrichment level of 90 per cent. The fact that Fordow was designed as a fallback facility should other nuclear sites be compromised makes it a key stronghold for Iran, and a prime target for Israel – but it's understood Israel would be hard-pressed to destroy it without help from the US. Why does Israel need the United States' assistance to target Fordow? Fordow's underground nuclear facilities are understood to be 80 to 90 metres beneath the mountain's surface. It's impenetrable, even if Israel used the most advanced 'bunker buster' bombs in its arsenal for targeted aerial strikes. The 13,608-kilogram GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) is thought to be the only 'bunker buster' bomb that could reach the core buried below Fordow's surface, though that would still be likely to require multiple strikes. Loading Capable of burrowing through 60 metres of steel and rock before detonating, it was developed by the US and is its largest non-nuclear bomb. Israel has requested it from the US, and the request has been denied multiple times. Only a B2 Stealth Bomber, 20 of which are in the US Air Force's active fleet, could carry the bomb due to its sheer size. How large is the United States' military presence in the Middle East? Iran has said it would target American military bases in the Middle East should Trump enter the conflict on Israel's side. The US has a significant military presence in the Middle East. The Council on Foreign Relations says there is a broad network of sites spanning at least 19 locations, eight of which are permanent. The permanent sites are understood to be in Israel, Syria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Since October 7, 2023, several attacks purportedly by Iran-backed forces have occurred. Notably, in January 2024, three American soldiers were killed after a drone hit the Tower 22 military base in Jordan, near the Syrian border.

7NEWS

9 hours ago

• 7NEWS

Donald Trump rejects spy chief's take on Iran nuclear program

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is wrong in suggesting there is no evidence Iran is building a nuclear weapon, President Donald Trump says. Trump contested intelligence assessments relayed earlier in 2025 by his spy chief that Tehran was not building a nuclear weapon when he spoke with reporters at an airport in Morristown, New Jersey. 'She's wrong,' Trump said on Friday. In March, Gabbard testified to Congress that the US intelligence community continued to believe that Tehran was not building a nuclear weapon. 'The (intelligence community) continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,' she said. On Friday, Gabbard said in a post on X that: 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' She said the media has taken her March testimony 'out of context' and was trying to 'manufacture division'. The White House has said Trump would weigh involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict over the next two weeks. On Tuesday, Trump made similar comments to reporters about Gabbard's assessment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified a week of air strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets by saying Tehran was on the verge of having a warhead. Iran denies developing nuclear weapons, saying its uranium enrichment program is only for peaceful purposes. In March, Gabbard also described Iran's enriched uranium stockpile as unprecedented for a state without such weapons and said the government was watching the situation closely. She also said Iran had started discussing nuclear weapons in public, 'emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran's decision-making apparatus'. A source with access to US intelligence reports told Reuters the March assessment presented by Gabbard has not changed. Trump has frequently disavowed the findings of US intelligence agencies, which he and his supporters have charged — without providing proof — are part of a 'deep state' cabal of US officials opposed to his presidency.