Iran had launched about 100 drones towards Israeli territory in retaliation, which Israel is working to intercept, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said. 200 Israeli fighter jets took part in the strikes, hitting more than 100 targets in Iran, according to Defrin.

Iran 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.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement that Israel would receive "a bitter fate for itself".

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was not involved in the strikes. President Donald Trump convened his National Security Council on Friday morning.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said that it’s a really unwelcome development in the Middle East and the risk of miscalculation is high.

“That region does not need any more military action and the risk associated with that. What we want to see is the parties coming together and having a conversation. We're aware of the US-Iran conversations that are hoping to take place in Oman this weekend, and we see that as a better pathway forward," he said. 

Airlines quit the airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq and Jordan after the Israeli strikes.