Trump urges Iran to make deal after Israel blasts nuclear and military targets

Agency, June 20 Israel launched large-scale strikes against Iran on Friday, saying it had attacked nuclear facilities and missile factories and killed a swathe of military commanders in what could be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran building an atomic weapon.U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Iran had brought the attack on itself by resisting U.S. demands in talks to restrict its nuclear programme, and urged it to make a deal, "with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal".

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The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. Washington said it had no part in the operation, however.

lran promised a harsh response to a barrage that killed the heads of both its armed forces and the powerful Revolutionary Guards, and Israel said it was trying to intercept about 100 drones launched towards Israeli territory in retaliation.But around 0800 GMT, Israeli media said an order to citizens to remain near protected areas had been lifted, suggesting that most or all of the drones had been neutralised. The price of crude leapt around 9% on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across a major oil-producing region.

An Israeli security source said Mossad commandos had been operating deep inside the Islamic Republic before the attack and the Israeli spy agency and military had mounted a series of covert operations against Iran's strategic missile array.lsrael also established an attack-drone base near Tehran, the source added. The military said it had carried out a large-scale strike against Iran's air defences, destroying "dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers".|ranian media and witnesses reported explosions, including some at the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said Natanz had sustained damage but no casualties had been reported.lran said several top commanders and six nuclear scientists had been killed, including the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami. Two sources in the region said at least 20 senior commanders were dead, including the head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace force.