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Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Saturday that Israel carried out a “preemptive” strike against Iran, saying the action was intended “to remove threats.” He offered no immediate details about targets or damage.
Witnesses in Tehran reported an explosion, but it was not immediately clear what was hit. Iran’s government had not issued a comment at the time of the report.
Why did Israel strike? The action comes amid sharply heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. The United States has deployed a large force of fighter jets and warships to the region in an effort to pressure Tehran.
Within Israel, sirens sounded across the country. The Israeli military described the alerts as a proactive measure to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state. Israel’s airports authority said the country’s airspace was closed to civilian flights.
The US Embassy in Qatar ordered all personnel to shelter in place and advised US citizens in the country to do the same until further notice.
Edited by: Rana Taha