TEHRAN: Israel launched a daylight attack on Iran’s capital on Saturday, with smoke seen rising from downtown Tehran following a series of explosions.
The apparent strike occurred near the offices of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It was not immediately clear whether the 86-year-old leader was present at the time. Khamenei has not appeared publicly in recent days as tensions with the United States have escalated.
The attack comes as the United States has deployed a significant fleet of fighter jets and warships to the region in an effort to pressure Tehran into reaching a deal over its nuclear program. Donald Trump has sought an agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear activities, viewing the current internal unrest in Iran following nationwide protests as a potential opportunity to push for concessions.
Iran, however, has maintained that it has the right to enrich uranium and has rejected negotiations over its long-range missile program and support for armed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. While expressing hope to avoid war, Tehran has warned that any attack would trigger retaliation.
It was not immediately clear whether Iran would respond militarily. Iranian officials have previously warned that American military personnel and bases across the region would be targeted in the event of retaliatory action.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the strike as being carried out “to remove threats,” without providing further details.
Witnesses in Tehran reported hearing an initial blast near Khamenei’s office. Iranian state television later confirmed an explosion but did not specify the cause. Additional explosions were reported across the capital after Israel acknowledged attacking the country. Authorities have not released casualty figures.
At the same time, sirens sounded across Israel, and the Israeli military issued what it called a “proactive alert” to prepare the public for the possibility of missile launches toward Israel.
Iran subsequently shut down its airspace, issuing warnings to pilots as explosions continued in Tehran.
The U.S. military declined to comment immediately on the Israeli attack.
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