Pride flags decorate an empty street in Tel Aviv on June 13, 2025, after the city's annual parade was cancelled amid concerns of a retaliatory attack by Iran.
Credit - Jack Guez—AFP/Getty Images Iran began its retaliation campaign against Israel on Friday, afterwarning Israel that it would pay a "heavy price" for its earlier strikestargeting military leaders, civilian officials, and nuclear sites across the country. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Effie Defrin said, according toCNN, that Iran had launched more than 100 drones toward Israeli territory. Such drones can reportedly take up to seven hours to reach Israel from Iran. "All [aerial] defense arrays have been operating to intercept the threats," Defrin was quoted as saying. "This is a different event to what we've experienced thus far, and we're expecting difficult hours. We should show resilience and patience." Around 9:30 a.m. in Tel Aviv (2:30 a.m. ET), an IDF officialtoldthe media that Israel's military had begun to shoot down Iranian drones. About two hours later, the IDF said, according toTimes of IsraelcorrespondentEmanuel Fabian, that it had "control over the situation," though it did not specify at the time whether it had shot down all the drones. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz earliersaidIsrael should expect an "immediate" retaliation from Tehran following the strikes, which came a day after the U.S. beganevacuating embassy personnelacross the Middle East amid concerns of possible escalation of conflict. The State Department on Thursday evening directed embassy employees and their families in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza to take shelter. U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve WitkoffwarnedSenate Republicans last week, according to a report by Axios, that Iran's response to an attack by Israel could involve hundreds of missiles launched at Israeli and U.S. sites that could overwhelm defense capabilities and result in mass casualties. A number of moves have been made within Israel in seeming preparation for an attack, including the cancellation of a Pride parade scheduled for Friday in Tel Aviv. Israeli authorities instructed all hospitals to move their services to protected areas and underground facilities, according to theTimes of Israel, and they asked the public to only come to hospitals for urgent cases. Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem is in "full emergency mode," theAssociated Pressreported, and it is releasing patients whose conditions permit as well as cancelling non-urgent operations. TheTimes of Israelalso reported that Israel Manufacturers Association president Dr. Ron Tomer said essential industries will continue to operate throughout any potential emergency "so that supplies will be available to the public throughout the country at any given moment." Tomer warned against hoarding, saying "there is no need to storm the shelves," in an effort to prevent shortages of foods, medicines, and other essential products. And Reutersreportedthat Israeli airline Israir, as well as airlines Arkia and El Al, will evacuate and relocate its aircraft from the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv as part of a contingency plan developed in recent days. Israel's National Security Council alsowarnedIsraelis overseas to "take precautions" as "terrorist elements will seek to carry out acts of revenge against Israeli and Jewish targets around the world." Jordan, which shares a border with Israel,announcedearly Friday that its airspace would be closed in light of the "military escalation" in the region. Iran and Iraq have similarlyclosedtheir respective airspaces. Jordanian state mediareportedthat its Air Force jets and air defense systems intercepted "several missiles and drones" that entered its airspace Friday morning, adding that these were intercepted "based on military assessments indicating that the missiles and drones were likely to fall within Jordanian territory, including populated areas, posing a potential threat to civilian safety." Dubai-based international airline Emirates alsoannouncedflight cancellations to and from Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon and announced that customers connecting through Dubai with their final destinations in those countries "will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice." Other countries are reportedly choosing not to get involved. Larisa Brown, defense editor atThe Timesof London,postedon X: "UK defence sources say there aren't any UK plans to help protect Israel. Clearly this could change throughout the course of day." In response to a request from TIME about the report, a British government spokesperson pointed to Prime MinisterKeir Starmer'sand Foreign MinisterDavid Lammy'sstatements urging restraint and deescalation. The spokesperson noted that the U.K.did not play a partin the military action in Iran and that British nationals should monitorofficial travel advisories. Iran requested an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the Israeli strikes, claiming its right to respond "in a decisive, proportionate, and deterrent manner" in a letter submitted by its permanent mission to the U.N., theTehran Timesreported. A statement by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, however,saidthat its response will have "no limits." Iran hasthreatened to retaliate against the U.S., too, for the Israeli attack, despite the U.S. claiming no involvement. The Israeli militaryreleasedimages of U.S.-made warplanes used in its strikes against Iran. The U.S. is Israel's top weapons supplier. This is a developing story and will be updated. Contact usatletters@time.com.
