![A damaged building in the Iranian capital, Tehran, following an Israeli attack, 13 June 2025. [Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/m10news.com/wp-content/uploads/new-1-17858213180574079211.png?fit=300%2C171&ssl=1 "Israel Launches Massive Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites; Tehran Calls It ‘Act of War’")
Sir Keir Starmer has issued a stark call for calm after Israel launched a high-profile airstrike that killed two of Iran’s most senior military commanders, prompting fears of a dramatic escalation in Middle East tensions
The Labour leader urged all sides to “step back and reduce tensions urgently” following what Israeli authorities described as a “pre-emptive strike” on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Among the dead are General Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s elite paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, and General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff.
Six Iranian nuclear scientists were also confirmed killed in the targeted strike, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended as a necessary measure to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The attack has been described by analysts as the most serious direct assault on Iranian leadership since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.
“This is a dangerous moment,” Starmer said. “Escalation serves no one in the region. Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging with international partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm, and a return to diplomacy.”
His comments were echoed by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who posted on social media that “further escalation is a serious threat to peace and stability in the region and in no-one’s interest.”
Israel Justifies Strike as Nuclear Threat Grows
In a televised address on Friday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said the strike was a direct response to Iran’s nuclear developments.
He claimed Tehran now possesses sufficient enriched uranium for multiple nuclear bombs and has begun steps to weaponise the material.
“Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs,” Netanyahu said. “They are just months — possibly weeks — away from building a nuclear weapon. That is an existential threat to Israel, and we must act now.”
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that their air force had conducted widespread operations inside Iran, targeting not just military leadership but also facilities linked to nuclear weaponisation efforts. The IDF said it was acting in coordination with the United States, despite initial denials of direct U.S. involvement.
“We are in full communication with the Americans,” the IDF said in a statement. “Iran has conducted secret nuclear weapons assembly tests and possesses thousands of ballistic missiles. We could not wait.”
Iran Vows Retaliation
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned the strike and vowed “severe punishment” in response. “With this crime, the Zionist regime has brought a bitter and painful fate upon itself,” he declared. “The Islamic Republic’s armed forces will not let it go unpunished.”
Senior Iranian military officials have confirmed that replacements for the slain commanders have already assumed their duties. Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi warned that both Israel and the United States would “pay a very heavy price.”
Iranian state media reported nationwide military mobilisations and heightened alert levels, although no official retaliatory strikes have yet been confirmed.
Emergency Declared Across Israel
In response to the heightened threat, Israel has declared a national state of emergency. Sirens rang out across the country Friday morning, and a mass alert was sent to all mobile phones reading: “Most severe emergency alert. Follow Home Front Command instructions.”
All civilian flights have been grounded, and schools and non-essential businesses shuttered. Defensive systems were placed on high alert, and public shelters were opened.
The U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump, issued a statement through Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarifying that Washington was not directly involved in the strike but supports Israel’s right to self-defence.
“Our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said. “Iran must avoid harming U.S. interests or our people.”
Regional and Global Consequences
The assassination of Iran’s top military brass and nuclear scientists marks a sharp escalation in an already volatile region, raising the spectre of broader conflict. The strikes come after weeks of rising tension over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and warnings from the U.S. that military action was a possibility if Iran failed to halt its uranium enrichment programme.
The international community now watches closely to see whether Iran retaliates in kind or chooses a more measured response through proxies or cyberattacks.
Despite Israel’s justification of self-defence, the attack has drawn global concern over its potential to destabilise not just the region but global energy and security frameworks. Analysts warn that further strikes or retaliation could spiral into a full-scale conflict with far-reaching implications.
While Starmer and Lammy push for diplomacy and de-escalation, the road ahead remains fraught with uncertainty.
Published by https://m10news.com
By F. Dayo Olusola | World | M10News|13 June 2025
Category: World
Published by: https://m10news.com
By: F. Dayo Olusola
![A damaged building in the Iranian capital, Tehran, following an Israeli attack, 13 June 2025. [Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/m10news.com/wp-content/uploads/new-1-17858213180574079211.png?fit=450%2C257&ssl=1 "Israel Launches Massive Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites; Tehran Calls It ‘Act of War’")
