Israel and US launch strikes against Iran
The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war in June, follows repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
The United States and Israel launched a joint military operation involving a series of pre-emptive strikes against Iran on Friday, triggering explosions across parts of the capital, Tehran, in a sharp escalation of regional tensions.
A US official described the operation to CNN as "Not a small strike".
The action marks the second time in less than a year that Washington has targeted Iranian soil. In June 2025, US forces carried out attacks on nuclear sites in an operation ordered by President Donald Trump, says CNN.
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Targets and locations
Israeli officials said the latest operation targeted ballistic missiles and missile launchers, which Israel views as a severe threat.
Explosions and smoke were reported in several areas of Tehran, including University Street, the Jomhouri area and the northern Seyyed Khandan district. Several missiles were reported to have struck University Street, while the Jomhouri area and Seyyed Khandan also experienced explosions, reports Al Jazeera.
A strike was reported near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. An official cited by Reuters said, "Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location".
Israeli defence officials said the attacks had been planned for months, with the specific launch date decided weeks in advance.
Smoke was seen rising from various parts of the city following the strikes.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said, "The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel".
Israel has long expressed concern over Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Western powers fear the programmes could eventually be used to deliver nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, says Reuters.
Tehran's official position was that it was "Ready for talks but will defend itself against US aggression". Iranian officials have also said the country "was prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions but ruled out linking the issue to missiles".
Diplomatic backdrop
The confrontation comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts. The United States and Iran renewed negotiations in February 2026 to resolve longstanding nuclear disputes, but the two sides remained at an impasse.
Israel has lobbied for the total dismantling of Iran's nuclear infrastructure and restrictions on its missile programme, while Iran has maintained it would not include its missile programme in nuclear talks.
The latest strikes echo a June 2025 conflict that involved a 12-day air war. During that period, the United States joined an Israeli campaign against nuclear installations, and Iran retaliated by launching missiles at the Al Udeid air base in Qatar.
Regional response
Following the strikes, Israel's military declared a state of emergency, closed its airspace to civilian flights and issued what it called a "Proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel".
In Qatar, the US Embassy implemented shelter-in-place orders for all personnel and recommended that American citizens in the country do the same.
Tehran has previously warned that it would retaliate against American bases in neighbouring countries if Washington targeted Iranian territory.
