AMMAN, Jordan � Israel launched a punishing air campaign on Iran early Friday, killing some of the upper echelons of Iran's military leadership along with destroying parts of its nuclear and military infrastructure in a compound operation involving warplanes and drones. The attacks constituted the most significant escalation between the longtime adversaries � raising fears of a protracted conflict that would likely embroil the U.S. in yet another war in the Middle East.
The strikes prompted swift retaliation with what Israel's military said was an attack involving more than 100 drones, even as Iran's leadership vowed there would be a "powerful response."
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