TEHRAN: Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into renewed military confrontation and dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West.
“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Meanwhile, The New York Times, citing a US official, reported that American strikes on Iran were under way.
A source told Reuters that Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran and had been moved to a secure location.
Iran’s Fars News Agency reported explosions in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, while Iranian media also said blasts were heard in Tehran. Sirens sounded across Israel around 8:15am local time as the military issued what it described as a proactive alert for a possible incoming missile strike.
The Israeli military announced the closure of schools and workplaces, except for essential services, and banned public airspace. Civilian flights were halted and authorities urged the public not to travel to airports.
The attack follows a 12-day air war between Israel and Iran in June and renewed warnings from the United States and Israel that further action would be taken if Tehran advanced its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with Washington, with the launch date decided weeks ago.
Diplomatic efforts had resumed in February as Washington and Tehran sought to resolve their decades-long dispute through negotiations and avoid a broader regional war.
Israel has maintained that any agreement must dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure entirely and has pushed for restrictions on Tehran’s missile programme. Iran has said it is willing to discuss limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief but has rejected linking the talks to its missile capabilities.
Tehran has warned it would defend itself against any attack and previously cautioned neighbouring countries hosting US troops that it would retaliate against American bases if Washington struck Iran.
In June, the United States joined an Israeli campaign targeting Iranian nuclear installations, marking the most direct American military action against the Islamic Republic. Iran responded by firing missiles toward the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the Middle East.
Western powers have long warned that Iran’s ballistic missile programme could threaten regional stability and potentially deliver nuclear weapons if fully developed, while Tehran has consistently denied seeking atomic bombs.