Iran launched over 100 drones at Israel after deadly strikes on Tehran, says IDF

In a dramatic escalation that has jolted the Middle East, Iran launched over 100 drones at Israel late June 12 in direct retaliation for a deadly Israeli airstrike that rocked Tehran and claimed the lives of several top Iranian commanders.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the drones were intercepted in a multi-layered defense response involving over 200 fighter jets.

“We’ve hit more than 100 Iranian targets. The attacks are still ongoing,” said Brigadier General Effie Deffrin, Israel’s chief military spokesperson, as tensions soared across the region.

The unprecedented drone barrage came just hours after Israel’s pre-dawn operation that targeted Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Among the dead were Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, and Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to deliver a "harsh punishment" and squarely blamed both Israel and the United States for the strike. “They will pay a heavy price,” said Iranian armed forces spokesperson Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi on state television.

As the crisis deepened, India’s embassies in both Iran and Israel issued advisories urging citizens to avoid non-essential travel. The U.S.–Iran diplomatic track also collapsed, with senior Iranian lawmaker Aladdin Boroujerdi confirming that the next round of talks with Washington had been called off.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News he was aware of the Israeli strikes in advance, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied direct U.S. involvement, warning Iran not to retaliate against American assets.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had completed a sweeping campaign against Iranian air defenses in the country’s west, destroying radar sites and missile batteries in what it called a preemptive move to protect against further Iranian aggression.

The fallout is being felt across the globe. In Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ordered heightened security for Israeli and Jewish institutions fearing reprisals and a wider regional blowback.

As both nations dig in, the world watches anxiously — uncertain if the conflict is veering toward a full-scale regional war.