Iran's capital was rocked by blasts on Saturday morning after Israel and the US confirmed they had launched a pre-emptive strike, with reports suggesting the explosions also occurred near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As per an unnamed Iranian official quoted by Reuters, Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been moved to a "secure location.”
As of now, there is no official information available about his health or location.
The Associated Press reported that the strike hit an area near the offices of Iran's Supreme Leader in Tehran.
Also Read: Israel, US Attack Iranian Cities Including Tehran As Nuclear Talks Stall
Israel's defence minister Israel Katz, said in a statement that “the State of Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel”.
“As a result, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future.”
In a video posted on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump said that the US has started “major combat operations” in Iran.
“The United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground it,” he said.
Reports from Iranian news outlets indicated that explosions were felt in several districts of Tehran, including the city's central, northern and eastern areas. Video shared by ISNA, a semi-official news agency, appeared to show smoke billowing near Pasteur Street, where the president's office is based.
Tasnim News Agency reported that blasts were also heard in Seyyed Khandan, a northern district of Tehran, while other Iranian outlets reported strikes in multiple parts of the country.
A US official told Al Jazeera that the strikes were conducted as a joint operation by Israel and the United States, which has deployed a substantial force of fighter aircraft and naval vessels to the region in an effort to push Iran towards an agreement on its nuclear programme.
Reuters quoted an Israeli defence official as saying the operation had been in preparation for months, with the timing agreed weeks earlier, even as nuclear talks continued between the United States and Iran.
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