As Israel launched pre-emptive strikesin Iran, with help from America, US President Donald Trump announced that the military operations in Iran were to protect the people of his country. “Short time ago,
the US military began major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” he said. “Terrible and malicious people. Iran must not have nuclear weapons. Never. This regime will learn that it must not challenge American military power…We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their Navy.”
#BreakingNews | "They Will Never Have a Nuclear Weapon" US President Donald Trump Confirms Attacks On Iran
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Trump also told Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard to lay down their arms, saying they will be treated fairly with total immunity — or face certain death.
Israel launched a daylight attack Saturday on Iran’s capital, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city’s downtown. The first apparent strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.
State television acknowledged an explosion in the area of the offices. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei had been in his office at the time. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown.
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The attack comes as the United States has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program. Roads to Khamenei’s compound in downtown Tehran had been shut down by authorities as other blasts rang out across the capital. Neighbouring Iraq closed its airspace, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Targets in the Israeli campaign included Iran’s military, symbols of government and intelligence targets, according to an official briefed on the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic information on the attack.
Trump wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests. Iran had hoped to avert a war, but maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and does not want to discuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Iran would immediately strike back, but it had warned that American military personnel and bases spread across the region would be targets for any retaliation.
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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attack as being done “to remove threats.” He did not immediately elaborate.
Several hospitals in Israel launched their emergency protocols, including moving patients and surgeries to underground facilities. In Tehran, witnesses heard the first blast by Khamenei’s office. Iranian state television later reported on the explosion, without offering a cause.
Sirens sounded across Israel at the same time as it closed its airspace. The Israeli military said that it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.” More explosions struck Iran’s capital after Israel said it was attacking the country. Authorities have offered no casualty information from the strikes.
Meanwhile, Iran shut down its airspace and mobile phone services were cut. The warning to pilots came out as explosions rang out across Tehran, the Iranian capital.
With AP, Agency inputs
