Israel attacks Iran's capital with explosions booming across Tehran
Israeli PM Netanyahu speaks on strikes in Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speaks after Israeli attacked nuclear facilities in Tehran.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Israel has attacked Iran's capital, with explosions booming across Tehran.
The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
People in Tehran awoke to the sound of the blast. State television acknowledged the blast. It wasn't immediately clear what had been hit, though smoke could be rising from Chitgar, a neighborhood in western Tehran.
Breaking: Israel launches air strikes against Iran
According to reports, Israel attacked Iran's capital, Tehran, with explosions booming across the city early Friday morning. The attack comes as tensions between the two nations have reached new heights over Iran's advancing nuclear program. LiveNOW’s Andrew Craft and Austin Westfall are speaking to Dr. Alon Burstein as more images start to come in from the Middle East. A blast was heard by residents in Tehran, with state television acknowledging the event. Smoke was seen rising from Chitgar, a neighborhood in western Tehran, though the exact target of the blast was not immediately clear. Initial reports say that the United States had no involvement in Israel’s strikes on Iran, according to one U.S. official. An Israeli military official has confirmed the attack has targeted nuclear sites in Iran. An immediate comment from the White House has not yet been made available. The attack comes as President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress on Thursday evening.
Israel attacks Iran's capital
What they're saying:
Israel attacked Iran's capital of Tehran early Friday, and an Israeli military official confirmed that the attack had targeted Iranian nuclear sites, without identifying them.
The official spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation, which is also targeting military sites.
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said that his country carried out the attack, without saying what it targeted.
"In the wake of the state of Israel’s preventive attack against Iran, missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected immediately," he said in a statement.
The statement added that Katz "signed a special order declaring an emergency situation in the home front."
"It is essential to listen to instructions from the home front command and authorities to stay in protected areas," it said
Dig deeper:
The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones.
Israel for years has warned it will not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn't want — though official there have repeatedly warned it could. The U.S. has been preparing for something to happen, already pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East.
A general view of Tehran after several explosions were heard in Tehran on October 26, 2024. (Credit: ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)
As the explosions in Tehran started, President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes.
What they're saying:
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address on YouTube that the country launched "a targeted military operation roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival."
He added that the attacks will continue "for as many days at it takes to remove this threat."
Trump earlier said he was urging Netanyahu to hold off from taking action for the time being while the administration negotiated with Iran.
"As long as I think there is a (chance for an) agreement, I don’t want them going in because I think it would blow it," Trump told reporters.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took "unilateral action against Iran" and that Israel advised the U.S. that it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defense.
"We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," Rubio said in a statement released by the White House.
Rubio also issued a warning to Iran that it should not target U.S. interests or personnel.
Head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard feared dead
Iranian state television says the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is feared dead after an Israeli attack.
The report offered few other details about what happened to Gen. Hossein Salami of the Guard.
The report on air added that one other top Guard officials, as well as two nuclear scientists were also feared dead.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this story. This story was reported from Los Angeles.