Israel attacked Iran’s capital with a strike against the country’s nuclear program, adding the potential for a full-scale war between two painful rivals.
This appears to be the most significant attack in Iran since the 1980s, with attacks at multiple locations across the country.
Iran’s state television reported that the killing of the leader of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps was a major blow to Tehran’s politics and immediately escalated the long-standing conflict among countries.
A state television host read a statement: “The news of General Hosen Salami’s assassination and the puzzle was confirmed,” but did not elaborate. Another top defender official and two nuclear scientists were also scared.
Israeli leaders said the attack was necessary for an imminent threat to build a nuclear bomb towards Iran, warning that the retaliation could target Israeli civilians. It is not clear how close Iran is to building nuclear weapons in fact.
We said this was not involved in the strike
In Washington, the Trump administration earlier warned Israel to take attacks as negotiations continued, saying it was not involved in the strike and warned Iran not to retaliate against U.S. interests or personnel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said several locations in the capital were attacked during the attack.
Officials leading Iran’s nuclear program and its ballistic missile Arsenal are also targeted.
The explosion was heard again within a few hours. It is not clear whether it is an air defense system development or other attack.
Netanyahu said in an address on YouTube that the attack would “take many days to eliminate this threat.”
Tensions following the strike have led to the withdrawal of some diplomats from the Iraqi capital and provided voluntary evacuation for U.S. families in the wider Middle East.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel had taken “unilateral action against Iran” and Israel suggested that the United States considers strikes a necessary condition for self-defense.
“We are not involved in the strike against Iran, and our priority is to protect the U.S. military in the region,” Rubio said in a statement issued by the White House.
The attack was as tensions reached new heights in Tehran’s rapidly developing nuclear program.
For the first time in 20 years, the IAEA’s board of directors condemned Iran’s refusal to cooperate with inspectors. Iran immediately announced that it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and replace some centrifuges with more complete centrifuges.
There are multiple assessments on how many nuclear weapons Iran can build. Iran will take months to assemble, test and implement any weapon, and so far it doesn’t want to do it. U.S. intelligence agencies also assess that Iran has no weapons program at present.
Iranian missile, drone attack expected: Minister
Defense Minister Katz said Israel had conducted attacks without saying it targeted the target.
“As the Israeli State prevented attacks on Iran, missile and drone attacks will be immediately attacked on Israel and its civilians,” he said in a statement.
The statement added that Katz “signed a special order to declare an emergency in the Family Front.”
It said: “The Family Front command and the authorities’ instructions to remain in the reserve must be listened to.”
Both Iran and Israel closed their respective airspace.
With the explosion in Tehran, U.S. President Donald Trump mixed the White House lawn with U.S. Congressmen. It is unclear whether he has been told, but the president continues to shake hands and pose for a few minutes.
Trump had earlier said he urged Netanyahu to take action temporarily while the administration negotiated with Iran.
He told reporters that as long as he thinks there is a chance to reach a deal, “I don’t want them to go in because I think it will blow it up.”
