TEHRAN: The United States and Israel have carried out a joint military attack on Iran, with powerful explosions reported across Tehran after Israel announced it had launched a missile strike on the country. The operation marks a significant escalation in regional tensions, as blasts were both heard and seen in multiple districts of the Iranian capital.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported that several missiles struck University Street and the Jomhouri area in central Tehran. Footage and eyewitness accounts indicated thick smoke rising from parts of the city, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from the ground. The Associated Press said one of the strikes occurred near offices associated with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency also reported explosions in the northern Seyyed Khandan neighbourhood, suggesting the attacks hit several locations across the capital.
A US official told Al Jazeera that the strikes were conducted as a joint military operation with the United States. In recent weeks, Washington has assembled a substantial military presence in the region, including fighter jets and warships, in an effort to pressure Tehran into reaching an agreement over its nuclear programme. The full extent of the damage and any casualties in Tehran were not immediately confirmed.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz described the operation as “preemptive,” saying it was aimed at removing threats to the State of Israel. As news of the strikes emerged, sirens sounded across parts of Israel. The Israeli military said it had issued a “proactive alert” to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the country in retaliation.
In response to the heightened threat level, Israel’s Airports Authority announced that the nation’s airspace had been closed to all civilian flights and urged the public not to come to airports. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Qatar implemented a shelter-in-place order for all personnel and advised American citizens in the country to do the same until further notice, reflecting concerns that the confrontation could broaden beyond Iran and Israel.
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