Israel Launches Preemptive Strike on Iran, Raising Tensions

Israel announced on Saturday that it carried out what it described as a pre-emptive attack against Iran, reigniting hostilities in an already volatile region and casting fresh doubt on prospects for diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

The move comes months after Israel and Iran exchanged fire during a 12-day aerial conflict in June, a clash that significantly raised regional tensions. 

Israeli and U.S. officials had repeatedly warned that further action could follow if Iran continued advancing its nuclear development and ballistic missile capabilities.

“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

An Israeli defense official said the operation had been in the works for months in coordination with Washington, with the exact launch date set several weeks ago.

On Saturday, explosions were reported in Tehran, according to Iranian media, while sirens sounded across Israel around 08:15 local time as part of a precautionary alert to prepare citizens for a potential missile threat.

Source: Reuters