JERUSALEM/TEHRAN: Israel on Saturday announced it had launched what it described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran, escalating tensions in the Middle East and casting fresh uncertainty over diplomatic efforts to resolve Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with Western powers.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation was aimed at removing threats to the State of Israel. “The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” he stated.
Meanwhile, The New York Times, citing a US official, reported that American strikes on Iran were also underway, though there was no immediate official confirmation from Washington.
A source told Reuters that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been moved from Tehran to a secure location as a precautionary measure.
Iran’s Fars News Agency reported explosions in the cities of Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah. Iranian media also reported blasts in Tehran, while sirens sounded across Israel around 8:15am local time in what the military described as a proactive alert for a potential incoming missile attack.
An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with the United States, with the launch date finalised weeks ago. The attack follows a 12-day air conflict between Israel and Iran in June and comes amid repeated warnings from both Israel and the United States that further action would be taken if Iran continued advancing its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Following the latest developments, Israeli authorities ordered the closure of schools and non-essential workplaces and banned public airspace. Israel’s airspace was closed to civilian flights, and the airports authority urged citizens not to travel to airports.
The United States and Iran had resumed negotiations in February aimed at resolving their decades-long dispute through diplomatic means and avoiding a broader regional conflict. Israel has consistently maintained that any agreement must ensure the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and address its missile programme.
Tehran has said it is willing to negotiate limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief but has rejected linking the issue to its missile capabilities. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that the country would defend itself against any attack and warned that neighbouring states hosting US forces could face retaliation if American bases were used to strike Iran.
In June, the United States joined Israeli military operations targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, marking one of the most direct American military actions against Iran. Tehran responded by launching missiles towards the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the Middle East.
Western countries have expressed concern that Iran’s ballistic missile programme could threaten regional stability and potentially deliver nuclear weapons if weaponised. Iran has consistently denied seeking to develop atomic weapons.