Air raid sirens sound across Israel as the Israeli army announces school closures, instructs residents to work from home, and bans public gatherings.
Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran's long-running nuclear dispute with the West.
The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war in June, follows repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes."The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported.
Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights on Saturday, the airport's authority said, on Saturday after Israel launched what the defense minister said was a pre-emptive attack against Iran.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location, an official told Reuters on Saturday.
MOBILE PHONE LINES HAVE BEEN CUT IN PARTS OF EASTERN AND WESTERN TEHRAN.
INTERNET CONNECTIVITY HAS WEAKENED IN SOME AREAS.
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