Iran deactivated the Air defences in Iran's capital, Tehran, to intercept a fresh wave of Israeli strikes, state media IRNA reported a day after Israel initiated a number of attacks on Iran's nuclear programme and military command.
"Tehran's defenses reactivated minutes ago ... to confront Zionist regime projectiles," the official IRNA news agency reported, as an AFP correspondent reported hearing loud blasts and seeing a red blaze in the sky.
The U.N. warned of serious regional and global consequences following Israel and Iran's exchange of airstrikes, urging restraint and renewed diplomatic efforts.
"The impact of these attacks has already been felt throughout the region, with neighboring countries closing their airspace and putting their security forces on high alert," the U.N. Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told a Security Council emergency session on Iran.
DiCarlo reaffirmed U.N. Chief Antonio Guterres' "condemnation of any military escalation in the Middle East" and noted the "obligation of Member States, in accordance with the U.N. Charter and international law, not to use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
"We must at all costs avoid a growing conflagration, which would have enormous global consequences," she said.
Iran and the U.S. were preparing to resume talks in Oman before the escalation, she said, encouraging both sides to continue diplomatic efforts.
"A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best means to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program," she noted.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi also briefed the Security Council, confirming damage to parts of the Natanz enrichment facility.
He said the above-ground section of the pilot fuel enrichment plant, where Iran had enriched uranium up to 60%, was "destroyed."
"There is no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hole containing part of the pilot fuel enrichment plant and the main fuel enrichment plant," he said, adding that the loss of power may have affected centrifuges.
Grossi said that "the level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels," but affirmed that there is "radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities."
He added that the detected alpha particles are manageable with proper radiation protection.
"Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear security, nuclear safety and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security," he said.
Emphasizing that "the only sustainable path forward for Iran, for Israel, the entire region, and the international community is one grounded in dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, stability, and cooperation," Grossi reaffirmed the IAEA's readiness to facilitate dialogue.
Israel began its military operation early Friday, targeting Iran’s nuclear and military facilities and killing its top military commanders and scientists. The attacks continued until Friday night, with cities such as Tehran, Natanz, Tabriz, and Isfahan hit.
Iran then launched a retaliatory attack, Operation True Promise III, on Friday night.
