following unprecedented airstrikes early Friday that targeted deep inside Iran, resulting in the deaths of several senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.

In a statement addressed to the Iranian people, Khamenei declared, "The Zionist regime has committed a crime in our beloved country today, revealing its evil nature more than ever by targeting residential areas. This regime must expect severe punishment." He added, "The strong hand of the Islamic Republic's armed forces will not abandon this matter, God willing."

Khamenei acknowledged the deaths of Iranian commanders and scientists in the attacks, stating, "Several leaders and scientists were martyred in the enemy's attacks, and their successors and colleagues will immediately take their positions, God willing." He concluded his statement with a direct warning: "With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared a bitter and painful fate for itself, and it will inevitably face it."

Israel launched three waves of airstrikes deep into Iran as part of an unprecedented military operation targeting sensitive nuclear and military sites. Reports indicate that several senior Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists were killed, marking the most significant blow to Iran's leadership structure in years.

According to Iranian media, the strikes hit Tehran and other cities, with casualties including Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who was killed in an Israeli strike on the IRGC headquarters in central Tehran. Iran also confirmed the assassination of General Gholam Ali Rashid, deputy commander of the Iranian army, along with prominent nuclear scientists Fereydoon Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranji, in a simultaneous attack on the Ahmadi Roshan site within the Natanz nuclear facility. Additionally, Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Khamenei, was critically injured and hospitalized.

Shamkhani is considered one of the most influential security figures in Iran, having previously served as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and being part of Khamenei’s inner circle.

Iranian state television reported that the main uranium enrichment site in Natanz was struck multiple times but stated that "no nuclear contamination has been detected so far." The attacks also extended to Tabriz in the northwest and Kermanshah in the southwest, signaling a broader military operation.

Amid the escalation, Iranian authorities closed the country's airspace indefinitely and activated maximum emergency measures at vital facilities.

Reuters cited an Iranian security source who responded, saying, "Tehran is planning a painful retaliation against the Israeli attack."

On the Israeli side, a senior official told Fox News that "Our attacks against Iran are just the beginning," hinting at further escalation. Israel’s public broadcasting authority stated that the operation aims to "undermine Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities," while Israeli sources revealed that Mossad has carried out covert sabotage operations against strategic missile systems inside Iran.