TEHERAN/WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM/BAGHDAD/ABU DHABI – The United States and Israel on Saturday launched “major combat operations” against Iran after the recent US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva failed to yield a deal to avert the crisis.
In response, Iran began a new wave of missile attacks on Israel, according to the Iranian media. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the launch of its “first wave” of drones and missiles targeting Israel.
US President Donald Trump said the US military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation in Iran. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats” from Iran, he said in a video shared on social media.
Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, he said, adding: ” We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”
Sources told CNN that Trump’s assertion that Iran was working on missiles that could reach the US is not supported by US intelligence.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli Defense Ministry said that the country had launched a “preemptive” strike against Iran “to remove threats to Israel.”
Apparent strikes in Teheran happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, media reports said, adding that the supreme leader is not in the capital and has been moved to a secure location.
Israel did not rule out targeting the Iranian Supreme Leader in its new airstrikes on Iran, Israel Broadcasting Authority reported.
Media reports cited Israeli sources as saying all members of Iran’s leadership are targets of Israeli attacks.
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The first phase of attacks against Iran will last four days, according to media reports.
Saturday’s first wave of Israeli strikes started with hitting central Teheran, with blasts heard and columns of smoke seen by local residents. Multiple missiles also hit University Street, Jomhouri area and elsewhere in Teheran. Explosions were also heard in other Iranian cities including Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah and Ilam.
Iran closed its airspace while the attack was ongoing. Mobile phone services have been cut in parts of Teheran.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a special and immediate state of emergency in all areas of Israel. Sirens were sounded across Israel to warn the public to prepare for the possibility of Iranian retaliation. Israeli airspace has been closed to civilian flights, according to Israeli Airports Authority.
Takeoffs and landings at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv have been halted, and passengers were advised not to come to the airport, according to the airport’s authority.
The Israeli Defense Ministry warned that a missile and drone attack against Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has prohibited educational activities, public gatherings, and attendance at workplaces, allowing exceptions for essential services.
Local media in Lebanon, meanwhile, reported quoting the IDF that Israel is also carrying out strikes against the infrastructure of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The attacks against Iran came after the US-Iran nuclear talks concluded in Geneva on Thursday. Tensions between the US and Iran were soaring amid massive US military buildup in the Middle East and the stalled nuclear talks.
Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria close airspace
Iraqi authorities on Saturday closed the country’s airspace following Israeli strikes against Iran.
The closure was preceded by the clearing of all aircraft from Iraqi skies to ensure safety during escalating regional tensions, said spokesperson for the Iraqi Transportation Ministry Maetham al-Safi.
The General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates also announced a temporary and partial closure of the UAE airspace as an exceptional precautionary measure to ensure the safety and security of civil aviation.
As part of precautionary measures taken in response to recent regional developments, the authorities of Kuwait, Qatar and Syria also announced temporary closure or partial closure of their airspace.
‘State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention’
Earlier on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Iran as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention” amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
In a press statement, Rubio attributed the designation to Iran’s continued arrests and imprisonment of “innocent Americans” as well as other foreigners as political leverage.
The move does not impose penalties immediately, but Rubio said that if Iran does not stop, additional measures will be imposed, including “a potential geographic travel restriction on the use of US passports to, through, or from Iran.”
“No American should travel to Iran for any reason. We reiterate our call for Americans who are currently in Iran to leave immediately,” he said.