Israel says it targets Iranian military and nuclear sites, explosions heard in Tehran
Israel attacked Iran's capital earlier on Friday, and Israel said the explosion broke out in Tehran.
The attack was as tensions reached new heights in Tehran's rapidly developing nuclear program. For the first time in 20 years, the IAEA's board of directors condemned Iran for not cooperating with inspectors. Iran immediately announced that it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and replace some centrifuges with more complete centrifuges.
Israel has warned for years that it would not allow Iran to build nuclear weapons, which Tehran insists is not wanted – despite repeated warnings from officials there. The United States has been preparing for something to happen, having withdrawn some diplomats from the Iraqi capital and providing voluntary evacuation to the U.S. family in the wider Middle East.
The people in Tehran awakened the sound of the explosion. State TV admitted the explosion.
It is unclear what hit it has been, although smoke may have risen from Chitgar, a neighborhood in western Tehran. There are no known nuclear sites in the area – but it is not clear if anything has happened in the rest of the country.
An Israeli military official said his country targeted Iranian nuclear sites without identifying them.
The official spoke with reporters on anonymous to discuss ongoing operations, which also targeted military sites.
No immediate comment from the White House
Israeli Defense Minister Katz said his country carried out the attack without saying its target.
“The attack on Israel and its civilians is expected to be immediate after the preventive attacks on Iran by the State of Israel.”
The statement added that Katz “signed a special order to declare an emergency in the Family Front.”
It said: “The Family Front command and the authorities’ instructions to remain in the reserve must be listened to.”
The White House did not immediately comment Thursday night.
With the explosion in Tehran, U.S. President Donald Trump mixed the White House lawn with U.S. Congressmen. It is unclear whether he has been told, but the president continues to shake hands and pose for a few minutes.
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