STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
People in Iran's capital heard explosions overnight and soon learned their country was under attack. The Israeli military affirms that it struck dozens of Iranian targets, including nuclear facilities. Iranian state media say that some of its top generals and nuclear scientists were killed. Now, this is a story with a lot of moving parts. The United States says it was not involved in this attack by a U.S. ally. But at the same time, President Trump is saying Iranian leaders should sign a new nuclear agreement to limit their nuclear program before they suffer worse damage. NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi is covering this from Tel Aviv. Good morning.
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: Good morning.
INSKEEP: Who is saying what as you and I are talking now?
AL-SHALCHI: Well, let's start with the Israeli military. It announced that it actually completed a large-scale airstrike campaign in Western Iran. It includes also the capital, Tehran. But Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said there will be more attacks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel targeted Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility, called Natanz, and Iran says that it did suffer damage. Both militaries also said that three top Iranian security chiefs were killed, including the Iranian military chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri. That's a major blow to Iran's military chain of command, of course, so that's going to put a wrench into those negotiations. Iran's supreme leader said Israel should expect a, quote, "harsh punishment." And Israel said that Iran fired about a hundred drones at Israel.
INSKEEP: Really striking results, particularly since there'd been many signs that this attack might be coming, and the Israelis still had this effect. What is it like in Israel this morning as people wait for a response?
AL-SHALCHI: Well, we actually all woke up pretty early, around 3 a.m. local time, to sirens across the country. It wasn't because there were any strikes. The Israeli military said they were a preemptive warning to Israelis to get prepared for a, quote, "major threat." The Ben Gurion Airport is closed, but all morning, we could hear fighter jets overhead in the sky. This morning, I went to the grocery store. It was full of people stocking up on water, other supplies, just in case. Schools and public gatherings, like the Tel Aviv Pride parade today, are also canceled.
INSKEEP: The timing of this is really notable. What else is happening at this moment when Israel chose to strike?
AL-SHALCHI: I mean, this is all happening as the U.S. and Iran have been actually holding talks for weeks now. They're trying to strike a deal that would see Iran scale down on its nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting sanctions. Those sanctions have crippled Iran's economy.
INSKEEP: Yeah.
AL-SHALCHI: And so Netanyahu has been adamant the entire time that the only way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is by war. Iran insists that it doesn't want to develop a nuclear weapon. But then last month, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said that Iran actually had enough enriched uranium to theoretically develop a weapon. And then this week, the same watchdog, for the first time in 20 years, censored Iran over not complying with its inspections. But Iran is defiant. It also announced that it would start a third enrichment site in the country.
INSKEEP: How is the United States responding to this overnight news?
AL-SHALCHI: So until just yesterday, President Trump signaled that a strike on Iran was possible but not imminent. And then today, on social media, he warned Iran that it will, quote, "only get worse" and urged Tehran to make a deal, quote, "before there is nothing left." After the attack, earlier this morning, the State Department said it was informed by Israel that it would strike. It said Israel carried it out unilaterally and that the U.S. was not involved. And then the U.S. envoy, Steve Witkoff, was due to meet with the Iranian negotiating team in Oman on Sunday. But of course, now Iran said it won't be going.
INSKEEP: NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi has the latest from Tel Aviv. Thanks very much for the update and your insights. Really appreciate it.
AL-SHALCHI: You're very welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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