Israel announced a pre-emptive strike against Iran on Saturday, escalating regional military confrontation and diminishing prospects for a diplomatic resolution to Iran's nuclear dispute.
The attack follows repeated warnings from the United States and Israel regarding Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated, "The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel."
Explosions were reported in Tehran. This action occurs despite renewed US-Iran negotiations in February aimed at resolving the decades-long dispute diplomatically. Israel has insisted that any agreement with Iran must include the dismantling of its nuclear infrastructure and restrictions on its missile program.
Iran has previously stated its willingness to discuss nuclear program curbs in exchange for sanctions relief but has ruled out linking the issue to missiles. Tehran has also warned neighboring countries hosting U.S. troops of retaliation against American bases if Washington were to strike Iran. Last June, the U.S. joined an Israeli military campaign against Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting a missile response from Tehran towards the U.S. Al Udeid air base in Qatar.
Western nations have expressed concerns that Iran's ballistic missile development threatens regional stability and could potentially deliver nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies.