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Israel conducts airstrikes on Iran's Tehran, declares special ‘state of emergency’
Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes on Iran, leading to a nationwide state of emergency declared by defense minister Israel Katz.
The Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes on Iran on Friday, with explosions being heard across Iran’s capital Tehran. Israeli defense minister Israel Katz declared a special state of emergency across the entire country, according to Axios.
People in Tehran, Iran, awoke to the sound of the blast. State television acknowledged the blast. Israel Katz said schools would be closed in the country on Friday.
There was no immediate word on what was struck.
Benchmark Brent crude spiked on the attack, rising over 2%.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
As the explosions in Tehran started, President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes, news agency Associated Press reported.
Israel launches strikes on Iran: What we know so far:
- Israel attacked Iran's capital early on Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran as Israel said it targeted nuclear and military sites.
- It wasn't immediately clear what had been hit, though smoke could be rising from Chitgar, a neighbourhood in western Tehran. There are no known nuclear sites in that area — but it wasn't immediately clear if anything was happening in the rest of the country, AP reported.
- An Israeli military official said that his country targeted Iranian nuclear sites, without identifying them.
- Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said his country carried out the attack, without saying what it targeted.
- The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme. The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors.
- Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones.
- Israel for years has warned it will not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn't want — though official there have repeatedly warned it could build them.
- The US has been preparing for something to happen, already pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East.
- Donald Trump earlier said he was urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off from taking action for the time being while the administration negotiated with Iran. “As long as I think there is a (chance for an) agreement, I don’t want them going in because I think it would blow it,” Trump told reporters.
