SRINAGAR: Israel launched a “pre-emptive” strike against Iran on Saturday and the United States began military operations of its own, escalating tensions into a renewed Middle East confrontation and casting doubt over prospects for a diplomatic resolution to Tehran’s nuclear dispute with the West.
“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Two US officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity, that the US military had initiated a series of strikes against targets in Iran. The scope of the air and sea operations was not immediately clear. An Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran was preparing a “crushing retaliation.”
A source cited by Reuters said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran and had been moved to a secure location.
Explosions were reported in Tehran early Saturday, with Iranian media describing blasts across the capital. Sirens sounded across Israel at around 8:15 a.m. local time, which the Israeli military described as a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of an incoming missile strike.”
According to an Israeli defence official quoted by Reuters, the operation had been planned for months in coordination with Washington, with the launch date decided weeks ago. Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights, shut schools and workplaces except for essential sectors, and urged the public not to travel to airports. Neighbouring Iraq also closed its airspace, according to its transport ministry.
The strikes follow a 12-day air war in June between Israel and Iran and repeated US-Israeli warnings that military action would resume if Tehran advanced its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. In June, the United States joined an Israeli campaign targeting Iranian nuclear installations, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile fire toward the Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest US base in the region.
The latest escalation comes despite diplomatic efforts earlier this month. The United States and Iran held talks in February aimed at resolving the decades-long nuclear dispute and averting military confrontation. Israel has argued that any agreement must dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and include restrictions on its missile programme, while Tehran has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief but will not link the issue to its missile programme.
President Donald Trump said in a video posted on social media that the United States had begun “major combat operations in Iran.” Trump has repeatedly pressed for a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear programme, while warning he would not allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
The Associated Press reported that witnesses in Tehran saw smoke rising near offices associated with Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly in recent days. Roads to his compound in central Tehran were shut down by authorities as further blasts were heard across the city. Iranian state television acknowledged explosions but provided no immediate casualty figures.
AP also reported that targets in the Israeli campaign included military sites, symbols of government and intelligence facilities, according to an official briefed on the operation who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Iran had previously warned that it would defend itself against any attack and had cautioned countries hosting US troops that American bases would be targeted in the event of US strikes. It was not immediately clear how or when Tehran would respond to the latest operations.
Western powers have long warned that Iran’s ballistic missile programme poses a threat to regional stability and could be used to deliver nuclear weapons if developed. Tehran denies seeking atomic arms and maintains its uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes.
No official casualty figures were immediately available from either side as the situation continued to unfold.
