The United States and Israel struck Iran on Saturday, hitting more than 30 targets across the country simultaneously as explosions tore through Tehran. Among the sites hit were the residence of the Iranian president and an intelligence headquarters.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the operation and declared a “special and permanent state of emergency” across Israel. An Israeli military spokesman said the country had “launched a pre-emptive strike against Iran to remove threats to the state of Israel.”
What Has Happened
Three massive explosions were heard in downtown Tehran, according to the semiofficial Iranian news agency Fars, which reported that several missiles had struck the Republic area of the capital. Images received by the BBC showed thick smoke rising over Jomhouri Square and Hassan Abad Square in central Tehran.
A US official confirmed that American military strikes on Iran were underway, according to reporting by the New York Times. American and Israeli officials who spoke about the operation did so on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
Thick smoke was also seen rising from the district where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei normally resides, according to the Iranian newspaper Shargh. The presidential palace and the National Security Council are also located in that district.
What we know so far?
US officials say the current strikes are expected to be far more extensive than American attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities last June.
The Israeli government suspended all civilian flights to and from the country following the strikes. The Israeli airports authority confirmed the decision.
Air raid sirens sounded across Israel, warning residents of potential incoming attacks from Iran.
Why the Strikes Happened
The attacks followed months of escalating pressure from US President Donald Trump, who had threatened military action if Iran’s leaders refused to meet his demands, including curbing the country’s nuclear programme. The United States had carried out its largest military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq in an effort to compel Tehran to negotiate.
American and Iranian officials held a last-ditch round of mediated talks in Switzerland on Thursday. The talks ended without a breakthrough.
When and Where
The strikes hit on a Saturday morning โ the first working day of the week in Iran, with millions of people at work and children in school. Residents in Tehran described scenes of panic and chaos across the city, according to reporting by the New York Times.
In Israel, air-raid sirens sounded across the country as authorities warned citizens to prepare for potential Iranian drone and missile strikes in retaliation. Israel closed its airspace following the launch of the operation.
Israel described the operation as pre-emptive, framing it as necessary to remove threats to the state. The US military buildup in the region had already signalled that diplomatic options were running out after talks in Switzerland collapsed.
The BJP has the CPI(M) and Congress have both opposed the SIR’s timing, while regional tensions had kept the broader Middle East on high alert for weeks before the strikes.
The casualties from the explosions in Tehran and the precise targets of the strikes were not immediately confirmed.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
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