Israel strikes Tehran in daylight attack near Khamenei’s offices

Israel launched a daylight strike on Iran’s capital Tehran on Saturday, with a cloud of smoke seen rising from the city’s downtown area near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

It was not immediately clear whether the 86-year-old leader had been present at the time of the attack. Khamenei has not appeared publicly for several days amid mounting tensions with the United States.

The strike comes as Washington has deployed a large fleet of fighter jets and warships to the region in an apparent effort to pressure Iran into negotiations over its nuclear programme.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz described the operation as one carried out “to remove threats”, though he did not provide further details.

Witnesses in Tehran reported hearing a blast, and Iranian state television later confirmed an explosion but did not specify the cause. At the same time, sirens sounded across Israel, with the military saying it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.”

Further explosions were reported in Tehran after Israel confirmed it was carrying out strikes on Iran. Authorities have not released any information on casualties.

In response, Iran shut down its airspace following the attack. The notice to pilots was issued as explosions continued to echo across the capital.

The US military declined to comment immediately on the developments.

More to follow...

With AP/PTI inputs