Iran newest: Explosions heard in Tehran after U.S. and Israel launch strikes
The US and Israel have launched co-ordinated strikes across Iran, including Tehran, on Saturday, in a “preventative attack”.
President Donald Trump confirmed a “major combat operation” in an eight-minute speech, stating Iran could never have a nuclear weapon and adding: “It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to take it any longer.”
Witnesses said they heard the blasts in the Iranian capital, while footage appears to show columns of smoke rising above the city.
Iran and Israel have closed their airspace, while officials in Tehran said their supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to a secure location.
The development comes amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme – its long-running effort to enrich uranium, which Western powers fear could be used to produce nuclear weapons.
In Washington on Friday, the US president, Donald Trump, signalled frustration with the latest round of negotiations. Speaking to reporters, he said he was “not happy” with how discussions were progressing.
“I’d rather do it the peaceful way, but they’re very difficult people…they’re very dangerous people,” Mr Trump said.
Meanwhile, staff have been withdrawn from the British Embassy in Iran, while at the US embassy in Jerusalem, non-emergency US staff and their families have been told to leave Israel due to safety risks.
Trump: ‘We are going to raze their missile industry to the ground’
In his video address, Donald Trump refers to the recent nuclear negotiations, saying: “We sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried.”
He adds that “we are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally … obliterated.”
The US president also said they were planning to “annihilate their navy”.
An Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran will retaliate.
Breaking: Trump confirms ‘major combat operations’ in Iran
Donald Trump has confirmed US strikes on Iran in an eight-minute video on Truth Social, stating that Washington had begun “major combat operations”.
In his first comments since Saturday’s strikes, the US president said: “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
He said Tehran’s “menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world”.
“For 47 years,” Trump adds, “the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed.”
He continued: “It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to take it any longer.”
Explosions heard in five cities as missiles hit near presidential palace
Explosions have been heard in cities across Iran, according to Iranian media.
The Fars news agency reports that explosions were heard in the cities of Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.
Tasnim News Agency reports that seven missiles have hit areas near the presidential palace and supreme leader Khamenei’s compound.
In pictures: Smoke seen above Tehran as Israel and US launch strikes
US airstrikes being carried out by air and sea
US strikes against Iran are being carried out by air and sea, a U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday.
They are being carried out in co-ordination with Israel.
A US official told CNN that the strikes were focused on military targets.
Iran preparing for ‘crushing’ retaliation
An Iranian official has said that Tehran is preparing for retaliation and stated that the response will be ‘crushing’, Reuters reports.
Both Iran and Israel close airspace to civilian flights
Officials have confirmed that both Israel and Iran have closed their airspace to civilian flights following the attack on Iran on Saturday morning.
The Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reports Iran’s airspace has also been closed as strikes are underway.
Iran’s supreme leader transferred to secure location, official says
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location, an official told Reuters on Saturday.
Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday, with multiple explosions reported in Tehran.
Breaking: U.S. participating in Iran strikes
A U.S. official has confirmed that U.S. strikes are underway in Iran.
It is not immediately clear the full extent of its involvement, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military operations.
Israel’s operation against Iran was coordinated with US, Israeli official says
The Israeli operation against Iran on Saturday was coordinated with the U.S., an Israeli defence official told Reuters.
The operation was planned or months and the launch date was decided weeks ago, the official added.
Source: independent.co.uk
