Key points
- Israeli military says it targeted key Iranian missile sites
- Explained:Why did Israel attack Iran?
- Four Iranian soldiers killed in Israeli strikes - report
- Iran says it is 'entitled and obligated' to defend itself
- Arab nations condemn strikes
- Watch: Explosions heard in Tehran
- Starmer warns Iran not to respond
- Dominic Waghorn: Prospect of all-out war now feels more distant
- Deborah Haynes: Scale of damage will determine what happens next
- Mark Stone: US pressure appears to have paid off - for now
- Live reporting by Katie Williams
Iran playing down attack is good news, says analyst
The fact that Iran is downplaying Israel's strikes on the country is "good news," an analyst has told our US partner network NBC News.
Iran said earlier that the attacks caused only "limited damage in certain areas".
Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa programme, said that while the full extent of the damage is still unknown, the initial response opens the door to de-escalation.
"By them being dismissive about the damage, it gives them space to say 'that’s done, scores are settled'," he said.
Mr Mekelberg added that the end of any direct conflict with Iran, alongside the killings of leaders in the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups, could open a path to move from military action "to the diplomatic, political sphere".
"Whether Israel and Iran will think like this is a different matter," he added.
Number of Iranian soldiers killed in strikes rises to four - report
The number of Iranian soldiers killed in Israel's overnight attack on Iran has risen to four and is "expected to rise further", Iranian news agency Tasnim News is reporting.
It reports that the conditions of others who are wounded is "critical".
The IDF is still yet to comment on the reports of deaths in its strikes.
Bahrain condemns strikes and calls for immediate ceasefire
Bahrain is the latest Arab nation to condemn Israel's action against Iran.
Its foreign ministry said an immediate ceasefire was needed to protect civilians and reduce regional tensions.
Bahrain has followed other countries in the region, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which have condemned Israel's strikes on Tehran.
Israel withdraws from Gaza hospital and several people detained, health officials claim
A number of people have been detained by Israeli troops at Kamal Adwan Hospital hospital in northern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
It claimed medical staff and patients were among those being held and that women were being held separately "with no water or food".
Israel's military began raiding the hospital in Gaza's far north Beit Lahiya area yesterday as part of an intense ground offensive which began several weeks ago, forcing the displacement of thousands of Palestinans. Troops have now withdrawn, a day after storming the site.
Medics said at least 44 of the facility's 70-member team had been detained by the army, with 14 later released, including the hospital's director.
The IDF has not responded to the reports.
Kamal Adwan is one of three hospitals in northern Gaza left largely inaccessible by fighting.
Two soldiers reported killed in Israeli airstrikes named
We brought you a report earlier from the Iranian military which said two soldiers were killed in Israel's strikes (see 9.12 post).
The military had little detail earlier, but has since named the soldiers in a statement as Major Jahandideh and Lieutenant Shahrokhifar, without mentioning their first names.
Israel has not commented on the reports of two Iranian soldiers being killed in its airstrikes.
Watch: Footage shows damage to Iranian factory
Videos have emerged online showing damage to a factory in the Shamsabad industrial area south of Tehran.
The factory looks visibly damaged in two separate videos verified by our data and forensics team.
According to its website, theTaksaz factory was set up in 1991 to employ "engineering services and manufacturing of equipments".
Germany urges Iran to end 'massive reactions of escalation'
German chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged Iran to end "massive reactions of escalation" and work towards peace in the Middle East.
In a post to X, Mr Scholz said Israel's attempts to "keep personal injuries to a minimum" in its strikes offered "the opportunity to avoid further escalation".
"My message to Iran is clear: We cannot continue withmassive reactions of escalation. This must end now. This willprovide an opportunity for peaceful development in the MiddleEast," he said.
The UK and US have also warned Iran not to respond to what Israel called "precise and targeted strikes" on Iranian military sites.
Iraqi facilities 'not affected by Israeli strikes'
No Iraqi military, economic or civilian facilities were affected by Israel's strikes on neighbouring Iran, a security source has been cited by the Iraqi state news agency as saying.
Airspace over Iraq was closed and some flights halted shortly after the attack early this morning, but it reopened hours later.
An official in Saudi Arabia said earlier that its airspace was not used during Israel's strikes, while nearby Jordan also said no military planes were allowed to cross its airspace by conflicting regional parties.
It's lunchtime - here's the latest
If you're just tuning into the blog, here's a roundup of what we know after Israel launched a wave of strikes at Iran overnight.
- Israel attacked military targets across Iran in pre-dawn airstrikes, in retaliation for a barrage of ballistic missiles fired by Tehran at Israel earlier this month;
- The IDF said military jets targeted several sites including missile production facilities and surface-to-air missile arrays. US officials said the attacks were not aimed at energy or nuclear facilities;
- Iran insists the strikes caused "limited damage". Iranian media cited the country's military as saying two soldiers died in the Israeli attacks;
- Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement that it had the right to self-defence and "considers itself entitled and obligated to defend" against "aggression";
- Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was monitoring the situation and warned Iran not to respond;
- Several Arab nations including Egypt and Qatar have condemned the Israeli attacks and called for restraint to avoid escalation in the region;
- A senior US administration official said last night's strikes "should be the end of the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran";
- Officials also said Washington was given prior notice of the attacks but was not directly involved.
You can watch our video here on how the Israeli strikes unfolded last night:
Hamas: Nearly 43,000 people killed in Gaza
While the Middle East reacts to Israeli strikes on Iran overnight, Israel's bombardment of Gaza continues.
The Hamas-run health ministry says 42,924 people have been killed and 100,833 injured in Israel's attacks on the region since 7 October 2023.
The ministry's figures do not differentiate between Hamas fighters and civilians.
For context:While Israeli officials have cast doubt on the numbers killed in Gaza, several independent groups say the ministry's figures have proved to be largely reliable and broadly in line with those later produced by the UN and Israel itself.
Examination of data from previous Gaza conflicts, comparing the ministry's counts with post-war United Nations analysis, shows the initial data is largely accurate with, at most, a 10-12% discrepancy.
The Israeli military told Sky News earlier this month that 20,000 Hamas militants had been killed, but this remains unverified.