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Investing.com-- Israel launched a large‑scale pre‑emptive airstrike on Iran early Friday, hitting “dozens” of military and nuclear targets, media reports showed.
"Following the preemptive strike by the State of Israel against Iran, a missile and UAV (drone) attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate timeframe," Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
Explosions echoed throughout Tehran, Natanz, which are home to one of Iran’s key nuclear sites, with local media reporting that air defences were fully activated.
Sirens and a state of emergency were declared across Israel amid warnings of an imminent missile and drone counter‑strike from Tehran.
Iran’s state media reported that there were unconfirmed reports saying that Israel has killed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a recorded video that the military campaign would continue "for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," urging citizens to brace for a potential Iranian response.
Iran, meanwhile, pledged a “harsh” retaliation against both Israel and the United States.
Two U.S. officials told Reuters that Israel acted alone, with no American involvement.
CNN reported that President Donald Trump convened a cabinet meeting, continuing to urge diplomacy as nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran scheduled for Sunday now appear jeopardised.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel carried out its military action against Iran independently, citing self-defense as the driving motive behind the strikes.
"Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," Rubio said in a statement.
However, public broadcaster Kan reported that despite U.S. efforts to publicly distance itself from Israel’s military action, an Israeli official said the operation had been coordinated with Washington.
The White House had earlier warned it would consider military measures should nuclear negotiations fail, with a key response deadline ending Thursday.