Israel has launched what it called “preemptive strikes” against Iran and a state of emergency has been declared in Israel, according to the country’s Defense Minister Israel Katz.

“Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future” Katz said in a statement.

Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported repeated explosions could be heard in Tehran.

Israel’s National Security Cabinet had met throughout the night leading up to the attack in Iran, according to an Israeli official.

Israel has closed its airspace until further notice, according to the country’s ministry of transportation.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

It seemed impossible, but shortly after news broke that an Air India flight had crashed in the city of Ahmedabad, video started circulating on social media showing a man walking from the scene in a bloodstained shirt.

Then, it emerged there was one survivor: a British national of Indian origin, identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh by the Hindustan Times.

“Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” it quoted him as saying in an interview at the hospital where he was being treated.

He said he had been visiting family and was returning to the UK with his brother, who had been sitting in a different row. He didn’t know if his brother had survived, he said.

Air India later confirmed that of the 242 people on board the flight, 241 had died, making Ramesh the sole survivor.

His cousin Ajay Valgi told reporters in Leicester, England, that Ramesh had called his family to tell them he’s “fine,” adding that they were upset about his brother and all of the others who died.

“He has some blood in the images, but he’s not very badly injured. He is very comfortable and under strict observation, no issues,” said Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor and head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

Ramesh’s survival was described as miraculous by a British member of parliament.

The doctor added that the death toll is likely to rise.

Earlier Thursday, Swapnil Bhalodia of the Indian Medical Association Medical Students Network said at least three medical students had died in the crash and another 30 were injured.

The plane was headed for London’s Gatwick airport and was carrying Indian, British, Canadian and Portuguese nationals.

As the head of the secretive Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami, was one of the most powerful men in Iran, overseeing its most potent military arm and reporting directly to its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Friday he was killed in Israel’s Rising Lion strikes that have targeted Iran’s nuclear program and senior military leaders in an attack that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said will last many days.

Iranian state media reported Salami had been killed by a strike on the IRGC’s headquarters in the capital Tehran. His death, along with other ranking members of Iran’s military, could hamper Iran’s response to the attack, analysts say.

“Without a doubt, Major General Salami was one of the most distinguished commanders of the Islamic Revolution — present on all fronts of scientific, cultural, security, and military jihad,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Friday.

“In all arenas, he stood at the frontlines with a spirit of sincerity, wisdom, and devotion to the Supreme Leader, defending the ideals of the Revolution and the Iranian people,” the statement added.

Born in 1960, according to a US sanctions docket, Salami headed the secretive IRGC since 2019.

The position saw him helming one of the most powerful tools wielded by the Iranian state, which has been instrumental in crushing dissent at home and projecting Iran’s power abroad.

The IRGC boasts its own intelligence service, cyber operations unit, navy, and air force and analysts estimate it has up to 200,000 troops under its command. It also oversees Iran’s ballistic missile development, which Salami pushed to develop during his tenure.

In 2019 he said for the IRGC, ballistic missiles were “a way to end the story of American aircraft carriers.”

Analysts say the IRGC funds and supports a vast network of militias across the region which it uses to strike at US and other military personnel across the Middle East.

The IRGC is also believed to provide materials and support to Yemen’s Houthis, enabling the group to strike international shipping in the Red Sea and launch missiles and drones at Israel.

Salami was at the helm of the IRGC when Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in April and October last year, in the first direct strikes by Iran on Israeli territory.

In footage released by Iranian state media in January, Salami was seen inspecting what the media said was an underground military facility that had played a role in those attacks.

Wearing a green military uniform and short beard, Salami took the salute of soldiers in the cavernous underground complex and walked over the United States and Israel flags on the ground.

The site was now manufacturing “new special missiles,” semi-official Iranian media outlet Mehr News reported at the time.

In its statement confirming Salami’s death the IRGC said its command structure and other branches of the military were “fully prepared to deliver a decisive and harsh response.”

‘Do not come to the streets’

Salami was head when IRGC shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet shortly after it took off from Tehran’s international airport, killing all 176 people on board.

An unnamed IRGC commander of the Tor M1 surface-to-air missile defense system that shot down the plane was sentenced to 13 years in prison, according to Iran’s Mehr news outlet.

Salami apologized for unintentionally shooting down the Ukrainian plane and asked for forgiveness.

The IRGC is not only Iran’s most powerful military institution, it holds deep influence over domestic politics and the economy, with interests extending to and beyond the construction, telecommunications, auto and energy industries.

In 2022, amid weeks-long mass protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by “morality police” allegedly for not abiding by the country’s conservative dress code, Salami warned Iran’s youth to stop demonstrating.

“Today is the last day of the riots. Do not come to the streets again. What do you want from this nation?” Salami said.

Just yesterday at Ahmedabad airport, Sangeeta Gauswami clung tightly to her only child, her heart swelling with pride as she saw off her 19-year-old son from their home in the western Indian state of Gujarat, to begin a new chapter at university in London.

Now, less than 24 hours later, she sits frozen in shock and grief, in the same clothes she wore for that farewell – her world upended by a devastating crash.

Her son, Sanket, was among the 242 people aboard Air India flight AI171, which plunged from the sky just seconds after take-off – leaving only one survivor, and hundreds of shattered families.

The Boeing Dreamliner crashed into a medical college hostel, killing passengers, crew and people on the ground, bringing the death toll to at least 290 – one of India’s deadliest plane crashes in decades.

For hours, Gauswami clung to the faintest hope that Sanket had somehow made it out alive. But by Thursday night, hope had given way to heartbreak as she faced the unimaginable: offering her DNA to help identify her only child among the dead.

“We have had no news,” she chokes out, sat with her sister, who is also crying. “We keep asking but no one will tell us.”

DNA samples have been collected from more than 190 relatives at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and are being verified against retrieved bodies from the crash site. It’s an agonizing process that could take up to 72 hours, according to state official Harshit Gosavi, who is overseeing the operation.

Grief fills the hospital hallways as families grapple with the loss of loved ones. In one corner, an elderly woman’s cries pierce the quiet sobs of others.

Friday’s sorrow is a stark contrast with the chaos of a day earlier, when relatives rushed to the hospital in the hope of finding their loved ones alive.

Manisha Thapa’s family sits shattered after rushing from their home in the eastern city of Patna on the first flight they could find after learning of the plane crash – knowing very well that the 27-year-old was among the cabin crew on the flight.

“I had spoken to her one day ago,” her mother says, voice trembling as she wipes away tears with a tissue offered by her daughter’s friend.

“We speak daily. She had called to let me know we won’t be able to talk because she would be on a long flight.”

Manisha’s father hasn’t stopped weeping since he gave his DNA sample Friday morning.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad Friday, inspecting the crash site and meeting the sole survivor, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.

Ramesh’s story is being hailed as nothing short of a miracle. Video of him walking to help crash victims with a bloodstained shirt, and lying in hospital with a few cuts and bruises, are circulating widely on social media.

“At first, I thought I was going to die… I realized I was still alive and saw an opening near my seat. I managed to unbuckle myself. I used my leg to push through the opening and crawled out,” he told Indian state broadcaster DD News.

“Everyone around me was either dead or dying. I still don’t understand how I’m alive.”

While the authorities’ immediate focus is on confirming the number of casualties and providing support to the victims’ families, attention will soon turn to what caused the crash.

The US National Transportation Safety Board said it will lead a team that is heading to India to assist local authorities’ probe into the crash. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also formally offered its assistance to Indian authorities, following the crash.

The canonization of Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint, will take place on September 7, Pope Leo XIV has announced.

Acutis, an Italian teenager who died from leukemia in 2006, will be declared a saint by Leo at a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square expected to be attended by thousands of young people.

Acutis was just 15 when he died, but during his short life he used his computing skills to spread awareness of the Catholic faith by setting up a website that documented reports of miracles.

The Vatican said on Friday that following a meeting with cardinals Pope Leo will canonize Acutis in September, along with another youthful saint, Pier Giorgio Frassatti, who died in 1925 at age 24. Acutis’ canonization had been scheduled for April 27 but was postponed after the death of Pope Francis.

The September 7 ceremony will be the first canonization presided over by Pope Leo, the first American pontiff.

Acutis, nicknamed God’s influencer, has developed a strong following among young Catholics and beyond. The British-born Italian teenager, who loved video-gaming, is often depicted wearing jeans and trainers, making him a relatable figure to a new generation of Catholics.

His canonization also comes as recent surveys in the United Kingdom and United States show a rise in interest in Catholicism among Generation Z.

The church’s sainthood process normally requires that candidates have two miracles attributed to them, with each reported supernatural occurrence requiring in-depth examination. In May, a second miracle attributed to Acutis was recognized by Pope Francis, a decision that paved the way for the teen to be declared a saint.

Acutis was beatified (declared “blessed”) in 2020 after his first miracle, when he reportedly healed a Brazilian boy with a birth defect that left him unable to eat normally. The boy was reportedly healed after his mother said she prayed to Acutis to intercede and help heal her son.

The second miracle attributed to Acutis relates to the reported healing of a girl from Costa Rica who had suffered a head trauma after falling from her bicycle in Florence, Italy, where she was studying. Her mother said she prayed for her daughter’s recovery at the tomb of Acutis in Assisi.

In the face of Israel’s far-reaching strikes Friday, it’s not clear that Iran – its longtime foe – has the capacity to muster the furious response that might be expected.

Israel has once again demonstrated it is the pre-eminent military and intelligence power in the Middle East, heedless to civilian casualties and the diplomatic impact of its actions on its allies.

As with their remarkable operation to decapitate their northern opponent – the Iranian proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah – the overnight operation has the hallmarks of months or even years of preparation. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have been faced with using this capability now, or losing it, as diplomacy kicked in during a sixth round of nuclear talks scheduled for this weekend between the United States and Iran in Oman.

Iran is now left counting its far-reaching wounds. Images from across Tehran show apartment blocks hit, it seems, in specific rooms – suggesting the pinpoint targeting of individuals, likely through tracking cellphones. Iran has lost its top three active-duty commanders, as well as a leading voice in nuclear talks, overnight, but as the dust clears it may emerge more have been hit, and the survivors will likely be concerned they, too, could still be targeted.

This will slow and complicate any Iranian response. As will the damage the Iranians continue to sustain. A raid by Israel in October took out a large tranche of Iran’s air defenses. Israel’s military said Friday that it had destroyed dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers in strikes by fighter jets on aerial defense arrays in western Iran. The Iranian atomic energy agency confirmed that the nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz had also been damaged, but it’s not yet clear to what extent.

In the days ahead, Israel’s superior intelligence apparatus will search for targets of opportunity – commanders and equipment changing location, or the movement of materiel to facilitate a response – and continue to strike.

Such a wide-ranging assault was possible only because Hezbollah – Iran’s second-strike capability if their nuclear apparatus was hit – had been dismantled over a ruthless but effective months-long campaign last summer. This is beginning to look like a months-long Israeli plan to remove a regional threat.

The risks remain high. Iran could now try to race for the nuclear bomb. But its faltering defenses and clear, humiliating infiltration by Israel’s intelligence, make that a long shot. Rushing to build a nuclear weapon is no simple task, especially under fire, with your key leadership at risk of pinpoint strikes. Netanyahu may have calculated that the risk of an Iranian nuclear breakout was depleted, and manageable with yet more military might.

There is another victim of the overnight barrage: the Trump administration’s standing as a geopolitical power.

There may be suggestions from Trump advocates in the hours ahead that the Israeli assault was part of a wider masterplan to weaken Iran ahead of more diplomacy. But, in reality, a simpler truth is revealed: Israel had no trust in the United States to implement a deal with Iran that would remove its nuclear ambitions.

Despite public pleading by US President Donald Trump for it to hold off, Israel went ahead with the most significant attack on Iran since its war with Iraq in the 1980s. Israel neither cared for or feared Trump’s response, and is apparently prepared to risk fighting on without US support.

That is perhaps another indictment of Iran’s ability to respond now. Israel is less bothered by what it can do. Israel’s operation against Hezbollah provides reason for it to be confident (but also should stir anxieties about hubris and overreach). Israel has likely hit the vast majority of its key targets already, to maximize the advantage of surprise, and the extent of that damage will take days to be revealed.

What of proliferation now? There is a lot that we do not know about Iran’s nuclear program. Israel may have known a lot more. But we are now in a binary moment where the strikes on the Natanz facility may either herald its end, or its race to completion – in the form of a nuclear weapon. Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, but the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog on Thursday declared it in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, prompting Tehran to promise escalatory action.

In the moment of its greatest weakness, the Islamic Republic will struggle to project the regional swagger it has maintained for decades. It may feel it is unable to grasp diplomacy with the US as its way out, without looking even weaker. It appears unable to hit Israel back proportionately, so may look to strike asymmetrically, if possible.

In the immediate confusion, one basic fact is clear: Israel is acting in the Middle East now unimpeded by allies, unafraid of wider risks, and – at times brutally – seeking to alter regional dynamics for decades to come.