Israel has launched a preemptive attack on Iran, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday.
“The State of Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Katz said.
Israel declares state of emergency
Katz also said that he declared an “immediate state of emergency throughout the entire country.”
According to Israeli media and claims on social media, multiple explosions have been heard including in Tehran.
Iran shuts down airspace
Iran International reported that the office of Iran's Supreme Leader, the main headquarters of Ali Khamenei in downtown Tehran, has been targeted in an attack on Saturday.
Iran promises to respond
Following the surprise US-Israel strike, Iran said it is preparing for retaliation.
Iran is preparing for retaliation following the attacks, with the response set to be crushing, an Iranian official has told Reuters.
Iran is preparing to “take revenge” on Israel and deliver “strong response”, Iran's state tv reported.
Majid Akhavan, spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, has announced that “the entire country’s airspace has been closed until further notice”.
According to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, explosions have been heard in the north and east of Tehran, as well as in Isfahan, Karaj, and Kermanshah.
US military buildup near Iran
The strike comes after weeks of US military buildup in the region, the largest of its kind since the invasion of Iraq.
A US official has told Al Jazeera that joint US-Israeli air strikes aim to dismantle Iran’s security apparatus.
