Tehran was shaken by a series of powerful explosions late on June 12, as Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the Israeli military had carried out a “pre-emptive strike” on Iran.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief, Major General Hossein Salami, was killed in a targeted Israeli strike on the IRGC General Staff headquarters in Tehran, according to Tasnim News Agency.

 Nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, head of Islamic Azad University, and Fereydoun Abbasi were killed during the strikes.

The high-profile assassination comes amid an unprecedented Israeli military operation, dubbed “Operation Nation Like a Lion,” aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation as a “defining moment in Israel’s history” and claimed the pre-dawn attacks targeted key Iranian nuclear facilities.

The unprecedented move triggered a nationwide state of emergency in Israel, with Katz warning that retaliatory drone and missile attacks by Iran were imminent.

Residents across the Iranian capital, from west to north and east, reported hearing repeated blasts. Footage circulating on social media showed widespread fires and damage to residential buildings in multiple districts. Fires were confirmed in Farahzad, Chitgar, Mahalati and Narmak, adding to fears of further escalation.

Multiple residential areas in Tehran — including Narmak, Chitgar, Shahid Chamran and Shahid Mahallati districts — were struck, resulting in extensive damage. One child was confirmed killed in a missile strike on a residential neighbourhood, according to local emergency services.

Local reports and video footage show large fires near the IRGC General Command complex in central Tehran, with smoke visible for kilometres. State broadcaster IRIB confirmed heavy fire and ongoing rescue operations near the area.

Simultaneous strikes were also reported near nuclear sites in Natanz and other major cities including Hamedan, Qom, Tabriz, Kermanshah and Isfahan.

There are yet no confirmed casualty figures from these locations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied any American involvement in the Israeli strikes, saying Washington’s “top priority remains the safety of US personnel across the region.”

Meanwhile, the exchange rate of the US dollar surged past IRR950,000 in Tehran, reflecting growing fears of war and financial panic as citizens rushed to secure hard currency.

As of early Friday, airspace over Tehran remains restricted and all flights from Imam Khomeini Airport and Mehrabad Airport have been suspended. Iran's armed forces have not yet issued an official response, but emergency alerts and air defence activity continue across the capital.

Further escalation appears imminent as Iran’s political and military leadership weighs a response to the most audacious Israeli strike on Iranian soil to date.