Israel said on Saturday it had carried out a pre-emptive strike against Iran, reigniting military confrontation in the Middle East and casting fresh doubt over diplomatic efforts to resolve Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West.
The strike follows a 12-day air war between the two sides in June and comes amid repeated warnings from the United States and Israel that further action would be taken if Iran continued advancing its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said. A State of Emergency has been declared in Israel and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport has been shut with all flights being cancelled.
Explosions Reported in Tehran
Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, according to Iranian media reports. There was no immediate official comment from Tehran on the scale or impact of the blasts.
The renewed hostilities come at a delicate moment. In February, the United States and Iran resumed negotiations aimed at resolving the decades-old standoff through diplomacy and averting a wider regional conflict.
Nuclear Talks Under Strain
Israel has maintained that any agreement between Washington and Tehran must go beyond curbing uranium enrichment and include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. It has also pushed for restrictions on Iran’s missile programme to be incorporated into negotiations.
Iran, for its part, has said it is willing to discuss limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief but has firmly rejected linking the talks to its missile capabilities.
Tehran has also made clear it would defend itself against any attack. It has warned neighbouring countries hosting US forces that American bases would be targeted if Washington were to strike Iran.
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