Jerusalem, Jun 13: Iran had launched more than 100 drones towards Israel following the Israel Air Force's attacks on the country early Friday morning, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Effie Defrin said in a video statement.

According to several Israeli media outlets, the drones would take hours to reach Israeli territory if not intercepted beforehand.

The IDF said in a statement that Israel's operation resulted in the killing of the three most senior Iranian military commanders: chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces Mohammad Bagheri, chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Hossein Salami, and commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Gholam Ali Rashid.

It added that more than 200 air force fighter jets, guided by intelligence, struck more than 100 targets across Iran with 330 munitions. These targets include the hideouts of senior Iranian military commanders, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel launched major airstrikes against Iran in the early hours of Friday morning, significantly escalating tensions in the region and raising the spectre of a broader conflict between the long-standing rivals.

The attacks come amid its mounting concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme and its perceived threat to Israeli national security.

In a televised statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel had initiated a "targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival."

"This operation will take as long as is needed to complete the task of fending off the threat of annihilation against us," Netanyahu added.

The offensive was further confirmed by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who described it as a "preemptive strike" aimed at neutralising imminent threats. In response to the heightened risk, Katz also announced a special state of emergency across Israel to ensure national preparedness and civilian safety.

Iranian state media reported that loud explosions were heard in several parts of the capital, Tehran, during the early morning hours on Friday.

IRIB, Iran’s state broadcaster, noted that the source of the blasts had not yet been officially identified, though speculation is mounting that the Israeli strikes may have targeted military infrastructure or nuclear-related facilities.

(IANS)

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