‘Israeli Planes Over Tehran Soon’: Netanyahu On 'Aerial Freedom' Over Iran; US Nuclear Talks Cancelled
Netanyahu claimed Israeli airstrikes significantly disrupted Iran's nuclear program as Israel asserted aerial dominance over Tehran. Iran retaliated with missile attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that recent airstrikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) have caused significant disruption to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, warning that more extensive operations are imminent. The offensive marks a major escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
“You Will See IAF Planes Over Tehran Soon”: Netanyahu
In a video message, Netanyahu asserted that Israel had not only struck Iranian nuclear sites but also targeted senior scientists involved in those programmes. “We also hit the team of senior scientists who are leading these projects,” he said, adding that the attacks had set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by several years.
“There is also a major threat from the ballistic missiles,” Netanyahu added, stating that such weapons were intended to destroy Israel. “Very soon, you will see IAF planes above Tehran’s skies. We will hit every target of the ayatollahs’ regime,” he declared, according to Times of Israel. “What we’ve done so far is only the beginning.”
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin claimed that the IAF now enjoys “aerial freedom of action” over Tehran. Over 70 fighter jets reportedly participated in the overnight offensive on Iran’s capital, targeting key nuclear, missile, and military facilities.
Defrin said that dozens of IAF aircraft flew over Tehran for approximately two and a half hours during the operation. “Tehran is no longer immune; the capital is exposed to Israeli strikes,” he asserted, describing the attack as the deepest Israeli incursion into Iranian territory to date.
The IDF stated that around 40 sites were targeted, including missile production centres, regime leadership assets, and components of national infrastructure. While acknowledging that air power alone may not completely dismantle Iran’s dispersed nuclear systems, the IDF maintained that the strikes would significantly delay Iran’s programme. “This combination will delay the nuclear programme by years,” said the IDF, as quoted by Times of Israel.
Iran Retaliates As US Defence Secretary Says ‘Not Surprised’ By Escalation
Following the Israeli strikes, Iran launched a series of missile attacks on Israeli territory early Saturday. Explosions were reported in Tel Aviv and Tehran, signalling a sharp escalation in hostilities.
Despite the rising tensions, United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told CNN that Washington was not caught off guard. “I wouldn’t say we were really surprised by any dynamic of the back and forth. That’s been ongoing, but we’re monitoring it closely,” he said.
Hegseth stressed that the US remained “robustly postured” to protect its interests in the region. “We’ve got significant assets in the region,” he added.
Hegseth, echoing President Donald Trump during a Fox News appearance, noted that while the US prefers diplomacy, Israel had acted in what it saw as self-defence. “Iran still has an option for [a peaceful resolution], but Israel took what it believed it needed to do in self-defence strikes, and based on that first day, they were quite effective,” he said.
US President Trump also issued a warning to Tehran, urging it to “make a deal, before there is nothing left,” following Israel’s launch of nearly 200 strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets.
US-Iran Nuclear Talks Cancelled As Erdogan Sounds Alarm
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed on X that the sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Muscat had been cancelled, stating, “diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the talks “unjustifiable” in light of Israel’s ongoing attacks but stopped short of officially pulling out of the negotiation process.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised concerns about the conflict’s wider impact during a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to AFP, Erdogan warned that the region “cannot tolerate another crisis” and said a “devastating war could create waves of irregular migration towards all the countries in the region.”
Separately, Times of Israel reported that two rockets fired from Gaza struck open areas in southern Israel, causing no injuries. Sirens were activated in the border area of Nir Oz.
The escalating conflict, both in Iran and along the Gaza border, continues to draw global concern as fears of a broader regional war intensify.
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