Israel has launched what it described as a “pre-emptive strike” on Iran for national security reasons, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced, warning that a retaliatory attack was expected.
In a statement cited by several local media outlets early on Saturday, Katz said the operation aimed “to remove threats against the State of Israel”. He added that authorities had imposed a nationwide state of emergency due to anticipated missile and drone strikes on the country’s population in the immediate future.
A senior defence official told Israel’s Channel 13 that the operation was “a joint Israeli-American attack” that had been planned “for months”. An unnamed US official later confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that American forces were participating in the operation.
Footage from Tehran broadcast by RT showed two large plumes of smoke rising above buildings in the Iranian capital.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that the strikes targeted “dozens of regime targets”. Unconfirmed media reports suggested that one of the attacks had been directed at an Iranian presidential facility.
The Israeli Ministry of Transport announced that the country’s airspace had been closed to civilian flights, stating that “the safety and security of passengers are the top priority”.
RT News
