Dubai: Israel has attacked Iran, with explosions ringing out across Iran’s capital on Friday morning, amid soaring tensions over the country’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.
An Israeli military official said it was striking dozens of sites across the country, a day after the United States began pulling staff out of its Iraqi embassy and helping families of US troops leave the region, amid threats from Iran that it would strike US assets if it was attacked over its nuclear program.
People in Tehran awoke to the sound of a blast, which state television acknowledged. Two United States officials confirmed Israel had begun hitting Iran, but added there was no US assistance or involvement in the operation. There was no immediate word on what was struck but smoke could be rising from Chitgar, a neighbourhood in western Tehran.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a “special situation” in Israel after the attack, which Axios reported was carried out by the Israeli Air Force, and warned Israelis to expect retaliation.
Katz said schools would be closed in the country on Friday and that Israel should expect a missile and drone attack against it in the immediate future, according to Axios.
United States President Donald Trump warned just before the strike that one was likely.
Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday.Credit: AP
“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump told reporters at an event on Thursday at the White House (Friday AEST).
The State Department also said on Thursday that US government employees and family members in Israel were restricted from travelling outside major cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem until further notice.
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