President Donald Trump has convened an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Friday morning following Israel’s extensive airstrike campaign across western Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory drone attacks. The White House confirmed the meeting is focused on regional stability, protection of U.S. personnel, and the breakdown of diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran.
The Israeli offensive, codenamed “Operation Rising Lion,” launched overnight on June 13, involved some 200 aircraft targeting over 100 sites across Iran, including the Natanz and Fordo uranium enrichment facilities, missile development plants, IRGC military infrastructure, and homes of senior commanders. Iranian authorities confirmed the deaths of Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami and Gen. Mohammad Bagheri. In response, Iran launched more than 100 Shahed drones toward Israel in a counterstrike early Friday.
Amid escalating conflict, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran shut down large portions of their airspace. Israeli authorities suspended all commercial flights at Ben Gurion Airport, while Jordan and Iraq followed with nationwide airspace closures. Civil aviation across the Persian Gulf was heavily disrupted, and regional carriers, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, rerouted or canceled multiple routes.
Despite the scale of the attacks, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no signs of radiological leakage or damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi confirmed that the Natanz and Fordo enrichment plants and the Bushehr nuclear power station remained intact.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strikes as a necessary response to Iranian threats, vowing continued operations “as long as necessary.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the strikes as “acts of war” and warned of forthcoming retaliation.
In Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that while the U.S. was informed of Israel’s plans, it had no involvement in executing the strikes. Rubio reiterated that the United States’ “primary concern is the protection of American forces and citizens.”
One immediate consequence of the escalation was Iran’s decision to cancel the sixth round of nuclear negotiations with the U.S., which had been scheduled to take place this weekend in Oman. Iranian officials confirmed that all diplomatic channels with Washington were now “frozen indefinitely” due to what they called “complicity and coordination between Israel and its allies.”
President Trump, who had earlier pushed for diplomatic restraint, said the situation “required urgent reassessment of all U.S. regional commitments.” The National Security Council meeting reportedly includes key cabinet members, senior military officials, and the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies.
Global financial markets responded with volatility. Brent crude surged more than 7% to above $76 per barrel, amid fears of disruption to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. stock futures fell sharply, and gold and government bonds rose as investors sought safe-haven assets.
Allies including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Australia have called for de-escalation. The United Nations Secretary-General expressed “deep concern” and urged both sides to return to diplomacy.
