LIVE UPDATE: Operation Rising Lion – 22 Murdered, Hundreds Injured, Trump Says Ceasefire Agreement Reached

Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran late Thursday night. The offensive has been dubbed “Operation Rising Lion,” “Am k’lavi,” and its stated mission is to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

10:10pm – Sirens went off in north and south Israel, missiles were fired from Iran. President Trump said that both Israel and Iran would still fire weapons until the ceasefire begins overnight.

1:07pm – The Qatari Ministry of Defense reports that there were “No casualties or damage,” from the Iranian missiles.

12:57pm – US Air defenses are engaging with Iranian missiles in Qatar.

12:50pm – Iran has fired missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar and another in Iraq, in retaliation for Washington’s weekend strikes on its nuclear facilities. Multiple explosions were heard over Doha, the capital of Qatar.

12:40pm – Iran is positioning missile launchers for a possible strike on U.S. forces in the Middle East, according to the *Wall Street Journal*, citing unnamed U.S. officials. One official described the threat to American bases as “credible” and said the Pentagon is closely monitoring the situation.

12:12pm – BP, Eni, and TotalEnergies have started pulling out foreign staff from the oilfields they manage in Iraq, according to the state-run Basra Oil Company.

12:00pm – Maersk says it still considers passage through the Strait of Hormuz to be viable for now, but the shipping company has contingency plans ready should the situation deteriorate. Iran has threatened to attack ships crossing the straight in retaliation for US strikes.

11:59am – War risk insurance premiums for shipments to the Middle East Gulf have risen to 0.5% from about 0.2-0.3% last week, following U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and increasing threats to the vital Strait of Hormuz, insurance sources told the Times of Israel.

—

11:55pm – Qatar has temporarily closed its airspace as part of precautionary steps taken in response to regional developments, the Qatari foreign ministry announced in a statement on X.

11:40am – After a new assessment, the IDF Home Front Command says civilian guidelines remain unchanged amid the ongoing war with Iran.

11:30am – Israel targeted Tehran’s infamous prison for political detainees, also known to hold several foreign nationals, in a powerful signal that its operations are widening beyond just military and nuclear sites, directly hitting key institutions of Iran’s regime.

11:15am – Police arrested three Bat Yam residents for blocking access to shelters during Iranian missile strikes. One allegedly barred a woman and her elderly parents from entering a building shelter because they didn’t live there.

8:20pm – Preliminary assessments by the IDF indicate that a single ballistic missile was launched from Iran in the latest attack. The missile set off sirens in Tel Aviv and across central Israel but was successfully intercepted.Magen David Adom reports no injuries or strikes in populated areas.

12:25pm – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he’s focused on de-escalating the Iran-Israel war and preventing it from spreading beyond the region. While refusing to say if the UK would respond to an attack on U.S. bases, Starmer confirmed that Britain is moving military assets to the area to safeguard its interests, citizens, and allies.“I’m not going to speculate about what may happen, because all of my focus is on de-escalation,” he said.

12pm – U.S. Vice President JD Vance said he believes this morning’s American strikes have pushed back Iran’s nuclear program “many years,” emphasizing that the decision was based on U.S. intelligence assessments rather than Israeli information.

11:50am – An Israeli airstrike killed three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to Iran’s semiofficial Mehr and Tasnim news agencies. The strike reportedly hit Zanjan province in western Iran.

11:45am – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the world is now safer than it was just a day ago, while issuing a sharp warning to Iran not to respond to the American strikes on its nuclear facilities, calling any retaliation “the worst mistake they’ve ever made.”

11:30am – President Yitzchak Herzog praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites, calling it a “historic decision” that could “clearly shift the direction of the Middle East for a much better future.” In an interview with CNN, Herzog said Iran’s nuclear program has been “hit very hard” by Israeli and American attacks, though he stopped short of declaring it destroyed.He emphasized that regime change is “not any of the official goals of this war, not at all,” but added it would be a “very blessed side effect.”

6am – The Federation of Local Authorities in Israel reports that around 9,000 people have been displaced from their homes since Israel’s operation against Iran began.

5:55am – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he will travel to Moscow today to meet with President Vladimir Putin, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.“We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” he told a Russian news outlet.

5:45am – Israeli airline Arkia announced it will resume repatriation flights once the country’s airspace reopens at 2 p.m., following its closure earlier today after the U.S. strike on Iran. A flight from Paris that was rerouted to Larnaca due to the closure will land at Ben Gurion Airport later today, the airline said. Another flight from Bucharest to Tel Aviv is also scheduled to return Israelis home.

4:50am – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the United States to “expect regrettable responses” following the American strikes on its nuclear facilities, according to a statement broadcast on state TV. The IRGC said Iran would “use options beyond the understanding… of the aggressor front, and the aggressors of this land must expect regrettable responses.”

4am – IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear sites was coordinated with the Israeli military.

He noted that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has been in ongoing contact with American military leaders since the war with Iran began, and that coordination has grown even closer in recent days.

10pm – President Trump writes that the US has “completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”

8:00am – The IDF says the Israeli Air Force has launched a fresh round of strikes targeting Iranian military sites in both western and central parts of the country.

7:45am – After earlier reports of an Israeli drone strike hitting an apartment building in Tehran, *The Wall Street Journal* now says the intended target was an Iranian scientist involved in weapons development.

7:15am – A senior Hezbollah commander accused of orchestrating repeated rocket attacks on northern Israel was killed earlier today in a drone strike, according to the IDF. The strike targeted the town of Shabriha, near Tyre, and killed Mohammed Khader al-Husseini, identified by the IDF as the head of Hezbollah’s firepower unit in the Litani River region.

1:45pm – Trump will determine in the next two weeks whether the U.S. will join Israel in its war against Iran, the White House says. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt read a statement from Trump:“Based on the fact that there is a chance for substantial negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future — I will make my decision on whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”

1:35pm – Canada says it will soon repatriate citizens in both Israel and Iran.

1:30pm – The IDF announced that it has shot down over 480 drones launched at Israel from Iran since Friday.

1:15pm – Israel’s Chief Rabbis have permitted El Al to fly on Shabbos to transport patients who are in mortal danger. “These flights will be defined as pikuah nefesh or medical emergency flights,” the airline said.

1:00pm – Netanyahu says that Israel has eliminated over half of Iran’s missile launchers.

11:45am – Planes carrying military equipment for the IDF landed in Israel today, the Defense Ministry says.

2:00am – Netanyahu: “This morning, Iran’s terrorist tyrants launched missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba and at a civilian population in central Israel.We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.”

1:00am – Miracle in Soroka Hospital: The ward that was struck at Soroka hospital by an Iranian missile was instructed to evacuate just yesterday. Many lives were saved, baruch Hashem.

12:30am – Twenty-six people evacuated to Wolfson, Beilinson, Sheba, and Ichilov hospitals following the recent Iranian barrage. Among the injured: 2 in critical condition, 1 in moderate condition, and the restwere lightly injured. There are concerns that some people may still be trapped at the scenes in Gush Dan.

12:15am – Missile impact causes mass destruction in Holon, Gush Dan, Beer Sheva, and Central Israel. Below is footage from Holon.

Soroka hospital:

—

6/18/25

12:30 AM: President Trump has yet to decide on whether the US will bomb Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, WSJ reports.

12:00 AM: 25 rockets fired from Iran at Israel since Tuesday evening. No injuries reported. 90 people were lightly injured while running shelter or from hospitalized for anxiety attack.

10:20 AM: IDF bombs Imam Hossein University in Tehran which faces sanctions for aiding the nuclear development.

7:40pm – The IDF says its air force is conducting multiple strikes around Tehran.The announcement follows a warning urging residents of District 18 to evacuate ahead of planned Israeli attacks on military targets in the area.

7:20pm – Iran launches 25 missiles in two waves; no injuries reported.

4:30pm – A White House meeting on the Israel-Iran war ended after 80 minutes, a U.S. official said.Trump is keeping all options open but maintains the U.S. hasn’t joined the campaign. One likely move under review is using American bunker-buster bombs to strike Iran’s underground Fordo site, which Israeli weapons can’t reach. He’s also weighing approval for U.S. tankers to refuel Israeli jets, per *The New York Times*.

4pm – Iran has prepared missiles and other military assets to hit American bases if the US enters the war, the New York Times reports.

3:30pm – Israel’s campaign “won’t end without hitting the Fordo nuclear site,” National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi told Channel 12.

3:00pm – Magen David Adom reports no injuries or urban damage following the latest Iranian missile strike. The IDF says only a few missiles were launched, with sirens sounding across northern Israel.

2:55pm – The US State Department has set up a 24/7 task force to help Americans and U.S. residents leave Israel and nearby countries amid the Iran conflict, though no official evacuations are planned.

2:23 AM UPDATE: Iranian Missile hit a bus parking lot in Central Israel.

2:20 AM UPDATE: MDA says 5 people were lightly injured in the recent Iranian barrage towards central Israel.

1:45 AM UPDATE: Iranian missile impact reported in Central Israel.

1:40 AM UPDATE: Sirens sounding in Central and Northern Israel. Explosions heard in Jerusalem

10:00pm – President Donald Trump has reportedly directed Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff to seek a meeting with Iranian officials this week. A U.S. official told *The New York Times* that Trump supports the outreach and expects a positive response from Iran.

9:30PM – U.S. officials deny any American involvement in military operations inside Iran.Alex Pfeiffer, spokesperson for President Donald Trump, called the reports “not true,” adding, “American forces are maintaining their defensive posture, and that has not changed. We will defend American interests.”

8:30PM – President Donald Trump has instructed the National Security Council to be on standby in the Situation Room as he cuts short his trip to the G7 summit in Canada and returns Monday night.

4:00PM – NBC reports that former President Trump came to believe Israeli warnings about Iran nearing nuclear weapons capability. Despite opposing an Israeli strike for months, he eventually accepted the likelihood of such an attack.

3PM – President Yitzchak Herzog visits patients wounded in the recent Iranian missile strikes at the underground facility of Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan.

2:45PM – Netanyahu says Israel won’t rule out assassinating Khamenei: “It would end the conflict.”

1PM – The Israeli Air Force has eliminated a third of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and is successfully disrupting “extensive parts” of Iran’s assault on Israel, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said at a Monday press conference.

He also stated that the Israeli Air Force now holds “full aerial superiority” over Tehran.

3:45 AM UPDATE: The home of MK Hanoch Milwidsky in Petach Tikva was hit in Iran’s attack overnight.

3:30 AM UPDATE: The U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz is moving from the South China Sea to the Middle East. – Reuters

3:20 AM UPDATE: TRAGIC – Iran’s overnight ballistic missile attack on Israel claims eight lives.

3:05 AM UPDATE: The U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv sustained some damage from Iran’s ballistic missile attack, with no injuries to U.S. personnel.

3:00 AM UPDATE: Rescue flights for Israelis stuck aboard to begin within 72 hours:

11:00 PM UPDATE: Large U.S. Air Force deployment underway, over a dozen US Army Tankers flying toward the Eastern seaboard with unknown destinations.

10:50 PM UPDATE: Three killed due to a direct missile Impact in central Israel.

• 64 injured in four sites in Gush Dan, with fears of additional individuals trapped.
  
  
  10:30 PM UPDATE: MDA says 29 people hospitalized from Iran missile strikes in central Israel: three in moderate condition, 26 lightly injured. A 10-year-old boy is seriously wounded in one of the ballistic missile impacts in central Israel. At least three injured in Haifa. Search and Rescue continues.

9:25 PM UPDATE: Sirens sounded nationwide triggered by a barrage of Iranian missiles. Sky News Arabia reports that the current Iranian missile attack is the most extensive yet. MDA teams are on route to reported impact sites.

6:30 PM UPDATE: Home Front Command spokesperson Tzviki Tesler to Channel 12: “It’s likely that tonight we’ll need to stay near protected areas for an extended period. I recommend that anyone who can sleep in a shelter or safe room should do so.”

12:50pm – The Air Force has carried out a large-scale wave of airstrikes targeting dozens of ballistic missile sites in western Iran, according to an announcement from the IDF.

12:20pm – Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told CNN’s Bianna Golodryga that Israel’s military campaign against Iran is focused on stopping Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, rather than seeking to bring down the regime.

“The goal is not regime change. That’s for the Iranian people to decide. We, Israel, do not see the Iranian people as our enemies,” Sa’ar said.

12:10pm – Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced that Israel has killed Brigadier General Mohammad Kazemi, the head of intelligence for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with his deputy, General Hassan Mohaqiq.

12:00pm – The Israeli Air Force has carried out a bombing operation targeting an Iranian refueling aircraft at Mashhad Airport in northeastern Iran, the IDF confirms. The site of the strike lies approximately 2,300 kilometers from Israel, making it the “most distant strike since the beginning of the operation,” according to the military.

“The Air Force is working to achieve air superiority throughout Iran,” the IDF states.

11:50am – U.S. President Donald Trump told a news outlet that American involvement in the conflict between Iran and Israel remains a possibility, and he would be “open” to Russian President Vladimir Putin serving as a mediator.

“It’s possible we could get involved” in the ongoing battle between the Middle East arch-foes, Trump said in an interview, according to ABC News. The outlet reports that the Republican president emphasized the United States is “not at this moment” participating in the military operations.

11:45am – Security forces detained two Jewish Israeli citizens overnight on suspicion of operating on behalf of Iran, according to statements from the police and the Shin Bet.

The arrests took place during a nighttime operation carried out by Shin Bet agents alongside officers from Yamam, the Border Police’s elite counter-terrorism unit.

11:40am – IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a statement that the Air Force is striking Iran’s “infrastructure and nuclear program in a precise and extensive manner, beyond what the enemy anticipated.”

10:00am – The cabinet has approved a decision to extend the nationwide state of emergency, initially declared by Defense Minister Yisrael on Friday, until June 30.

9:45sm – At least 14 Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in Israeli attacks since Friday, including through car bombings, according to two sources in the Gulf who spoke with Reuters.

1:30am – The death toll now stands at 10, with 20 missing. An additional two murdered victims were found in the Bat Yam building.

1:25am – Seven Iranian drones were intercepted by the Navy.

---

11:20pm – Hospitals report number of injured:

Wolfson Medical Center in Holon has admitted 65 people: five in critical condition, seven moderately hurt, and the rest lightly injured.

Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’akov is treating 28 patients, including one in critical condition, one moderate, 20 lightly hurt, and six for anxiety.

Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer is caring for 37 with light to moderate injuries.

Assuta Medical Center in Ashdod reports five patients — one critical, four moderate.

11pm – 25 wounded people, including a baby, were brought to Ichilov Hospital. Three are in moderate condition, the rest are in good condition.

10:29pm – Four of the victims were members of the Khatib family, killed by a missile that struck their home in the northern city of Tamra. Manar Khatib and her two daughters, Hala, 20, and Shada, 13, were named, together with another relations named Manar.

10:20pm – Dozens of people are still considered missing after a missile strike on a residential building in Bat Yam, in which three people wede killed. The building is in danger of collapsing and rescuers believe there might be more survivors buried in rubble.

10:15pm – Rambam Medical Center in Haifa is treating 13 people wounded in the latest wave of missiles Iran. The injured are in moderate and mild condition. EIght other people suffering from panic.

Ichilov Medical Center reports five injured people, one in moderate condition and four in mild condition.

10:00pm – Three Killed, Over 130 Wounded in Bat Yam and Rehovot

Police have confirmed that three people were killed Hy”d when a missile launched by Iran hit a building in Bat Yam.

Magen David Adom reports that the victims include a woman in her 60s, a woman in her 70s, and a 13-year-old child.

Emergency responders say that over 130 people sustained injuries across the two impact zones in Bat Yam and Rehovot, with several in serious condition.

9:50pm – A structure belonging to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot was reportedly struck and damaged. There are concerns that people may still be trapped inside the building.

—

Iran has reportedly instructed its Islamic terror proxies to attack Israel.

7:10pm – Seven people were wounded in the last Iranian wave of rockets.

7pm – Israeli authorities have confirmed the death of a woman as a result of a wave of Iranian missiles.

12:30am – Ayatolla Khamenei’s senior adviser Ali Shamkhani was eliminated in strikes, Iranian news stated.

12:25am – “We eliminated over 10 Iranian nuclear scientists in the initial strike,” a security source told Army Radio.

12:19am – Fox News’ Bret Baier quotes Trump as saying that he knew about Israel’s plans. The president said: “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb We’re hoping to get back to the negotiating table.”

“The President is looking to see if there is retaliation… the US will defend itself and Israel if Iran retaliates.”

10:00pm – Gen. Gholamali Rashid, deputy commander of the armed forces, and nuclear scientist Fereydoun Abbasi have been killed, according to the New York Times.

9:56pm – Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami confirmed eliminated in an Israeli strike.

9:51pm – “A senior Israeli official told me that other than airstrikes, the Israeli Mossad, the foreign intelligence agency, conducted several operations inside Iran against Iranian air defenses and against Iranian long-range missiles,” Axios reporter Barak Ravid tells CNN. On X, Ravid wrote that they were “covert sabotage operations deep inside Iran.”

9:49pm – IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir “The time had come; we’d reached the point of no return.We cannot wait for another time to act, we have no choice.”

9:47pm – Gov. Kathy Hochul: “New York is closely monitoring tonight’s actions from Israel and Iran. There are no credible threats to New York at this time. As a precaution, we have increased security for sensitive locations and stepped up cybersecurity protections.”

9:45pm – An unnamed defense official tells Army Radio: “If this opening strike succeeded — then what we did to senior Hezbollah officials over 10 days — we did to Iran in 10 minutes.”

9:40pm – Iran’s state TV says that there are unconfirmed reports that its Revolutionary Guard’s Commander in Chief, Hossein Salami, has been killed.

9:30pm – IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has called up tens of thousands of soldiers.

9:25pm – An Israeli defense official tells Times of Israel that there is an increasing likelihood that Iran’s military leader, Mohammad Bagheri, and senior nuclear scientists were eliminated in the IDF’s opening strikes.

The likelihood of their deaths are “increasing,” the official says.

9:24pm – A second wave of airstrikes was carried out by Israel.

9:21pm – “Flights from Imam Khomeini Airport have for now been suspended,” state TV reports, citing the airport’s public relations department.

9:20pm – Iran declared a nationwide state of emergency, its state media reported. Simultaneously, explosions have been reported across multiple provinces, including Tehran, Kermanshah, and Lorestan.

9pm – Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: “We targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb, we also struck the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile programme”

8:58pm – Ben Gurion Airport has canceled all flights.

8:50pm – President Trump is holding a high-level cabinet meeting to coordinate with his administration.

8:45pm – Iran is holding emergency meetings, according to Reuters.

8:44pm – Iranian Chief of Staff Mohammad Baqari has been reportedly targeted.

8:43pm – Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirms reports that the US is not involved in the attack.
 
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

8:40pm – Israeli and Iranian fighter jets are reportedly engaged in combat over Tehran’s skies.

The Israeli strikes are continuing in coordinated waves, with no confirmed reports of active Iranian air defense response at present.

A government source tells Belaaz that Israel is prepared for up to 10 days of Iranian retaliation.

Explosions were reported in the Revolutionary Guards’ headquarters neighborhood and Shahid Mahallati district in Tehran.

A US official told ABC news that the US is not participating in the attack and did not provide any assistance.

Defense Minister Yisrael immediately declared a special state of emergency in the home front throughout the entire State of Israel following what he described as a preemptive strike against Iran.

Katz says that missile and drone attacks in retaliation are expected, and will target Israeli civilians. He orders all citizens to follow Home Front instructions and remain in secure areas.

Air raid sirens are sounding in Yerushalayim, according to eyewitness accounts posted to social media.

President Donald Trump warned earlier in the day that Israel would likely attack Iran, but said he didn’t think it was imminent. Despite the downturn, talks between Iran and the US were set to continue in Oman.

Israel has long stated that it would remove the Iranian nuclear threat through nuclear force if negotiations between the US and ths Islamic regime falter. Trump stated earlier this week that he is currently not optimistic about a deal with Iran.

The Trump Administration had issued a warning to American officials this week to leave the region as tensions grow.

Israel has closed its airspaces. A plane carrying Hagaon Harav Azriel Aurbach has reportedly been diverted to Cyprus.

Channel 12’s Amit Segal wrote: “Netanyahu’s Vacation in the North, Hints That Nothing Will Happen Before Avner’s WeddingWitkoff Meeting on SundayTrump’s Warnings Not to Attack – Most of This Was a Deception.”