Global crude oil prices jumped sharply while US stock futures fell early on Friday with the global benchmark Brent Crude Futures index briefly touching $78 per barrel before settling at $74.40—up more than 7% from the previous day.
The U.S.’s West Texas Intermediate benchmark also surged by more than 7.5% to nearly $73.20 a barrel.
The Iranian foreign ministry issued a statement where they appeared to dismiss Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments about Israel acting unilaterally, without U.S. support.
The statement said, “the acts of aggression against Iran could not have been carried out without the coordination and approval of the United States.”
The foreign ministry also appeared to threaten retaliation against the U.S. saying: “the US government, as the primary patron of this regime, will also bear responsibility for the dangerous repercussions of the Zionist regime’s reckless actions.”
In an announcement on state television, Iranian officials said they will will not participate in Sunday’s nuclear talks with the U.S., which was scheduled to take place in Oman.
Citing unnamed sources, the New York Times reported a short while ago that President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was still planning on attending Sundays’ talks and the president also told Fox News’ Bret Baier that: “We’ll hopefully get back to the negotiating table.”
Iranian authorities have informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that its “Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant has not been targeted and that no increase in radiation levels has been observed at the Natanz site,” the agency’s chief said.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier said he spoken with President Donald Trump who told him he “was aware of Israel’s action before it happened,” and reiterated his stance that “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb.”
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to not bomb Iran as he wanted see the ongoing talks progressed before using military options.
Israeli military officials said Iran has launched around 100 drones at Israel in the last few hours, in the first wave of counter attacks.
The officials said the IDF is working to shoot down the drones, which will to take several hours to reach Israel.
The Israeli Defense Forces corroborated Iranian news reports that Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces was also killed in the strikes, along with the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami.
The IDF claimed that the strikes were carried out by more than 200 fighter jets, targeting various sites across Iran.
In a televised statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes on Iran had been “very successful” and added: “We struck the senior command, we struck senior scientists that advance development of nuclear weapons, we struck nuclear installations.”
Netanyahu, however, urged Israelis to brace for retaliation by Iran, noting that they may have to spend “far longer periods in bomb shelters than we were accustomed to until now.”
In a statement issued to state media, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei decried the strikes, calling them “evil,” and warned that Israel “should expect a severe punishment…as the powerful hand of the Islamic Republic will not let them go.”
Khamenei also hailed the nuclear scientists and military officials killed in the attacks, calling them “martyrs.”
Khamenei’s statement did not mention the U.S. and said the successors and colleagues of the scientists and military leaders killed in the attack will take over their roles.
An Iranian military spokesperson, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, told the country’s media that the overnight strikes damaged residential buildings and claimed that the Israeli attack had been “carried out with U.S. support,” even as Washington has denied involvement.
Shekarchi added that the Israeli strikes will be met with a “heavy response,” although he did not say if U.S. interests or forces in the region will be targeted.
The IAEA’s Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed that Iran’s Natanz nuclear sites was targeted by the Israeli strikes and said: “The Agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country.”
Iranian state media said the commander in chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Hossein Salami, was killed in the Israeli strikes, along with Gen. Gholamali Rashid, the deputy chief of staff of the Iranian military.
State media reports added that two prominent nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were also killed in the strikes.
Sirens blared across Israel on Thursday night as the country’s defense minister Israel Katz declared a state of emergency in the country saying: “Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the state of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement the U.S. is not involved in the strikes and urged Iran to not target U.S. interests or personnel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had launched strikes to target Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility and its nuclear scientists, claiming that the Iranian nuclear program posed “a danger to Israel’s very survival.”
Netanyahu also claimed the attacks were meant to stop Iran “buying for time” in its ongoing nuclear talks with the United States, while praising President Donald Trump’s “leadership.”
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Israel had taken “unilateral action against Iran,” and the U.S. was not involved in the strikes. He said: “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.” Rubio then said all necessary steps were being taken to protect U.S. forces in the region and added: “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.” Earlier on Thursday, President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. remained committed to a “Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue,” adding that “My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon.”
In a post on X, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote: “Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself!” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., criticized the strikes saying: “Israel’s attack on Iran, clearly intended to scuttle the Trump Administration’s negotiations with Iran, risks a regional war that will likely be catastrophic for America and is further evidence of how little respect world powers – including our own allies – have for President Trump.” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. also called out the attacks, saying: “”Israel’s alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence. These strikes threaten not only the lives of innocent civilians but the stability of the entire Middle East and the safety of American citizens and forces.”
The attack comes a day after several U.S. embassies in the Middle East were evacuated over “heightened security risks” in the region. President Donald Trump, who has opposed immediate military action against Iran in hopes a nuclear deal could be reached, said Thursday afternoon, prior to the strike, “it looks like something could very well happen” and that the U.S. was “fairly close” on a nuclear agreement. Trump also said an attack by Israel “could blow” a potential agreement, noting there is a “chance of massive conflict.”
