Israel launches preemptive strikes on Iran, targets nuclear program; top military official killed
PTC News Desk: Israel began a preemptive strike against Iran on Friday, Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz said, as per The Times of Israel.
Katz declared an emergency situation across the country due to Israel's action in Iran. The IDF confirmed that it launched an aerial campaign against Iran's nuclear program, as per the Times of Israel. Dozens of targets across Iran related to the nuclear programme and other military facilities are being struck by the Israeli Air Force, it says. The operation is dubbed "Nation of Lions."
The IDF said that Iran has enough enriched uranium to build several bombs within days, and it needs to act against this "imminent threat."
Sirens that sounded across Israel a short while ago were a preemptive warning issued by the IDF, ahead of a possible reaction by Iran.
Meanwhile, Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was killed in an Israeli strike within the Iranian capital of Tehran, according to local media reports.
Israel’s military strikes against Iran shook global markets, as oil prices surged and stocks tumbled on worries that the attacks could set off a broader Mideast conflict that would disrupt the world’s energy supplies.
Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions including at the country's main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, while Israel declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliatory missile and drone strikes.
- With inputs from agencies
