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Israel and US Launch Pre-Emptive Strikes on Iran, Triggering Regional Emergency

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Israel and the United States launched a large-scale pre-emptive attack on Iran early Saturday, triggering explosions in Tehran and at least five other cities and prompting states of emergency and airspace closures across the region cnn +1. Sirens sounded across Israel around 08:15 local time as the government shut schools, workplaces and civilian airspace amid fears of Iranian retaliation reuters.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the country had “launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” while U.S. President Donald Trump declared that American forces had begun “major combat operations” aimed at destroying Iran’s missile capabilities cnn +1. Iran closed its airspace, reported telecommunications disruptions and dispatched ambulances as smoke rose over central Tehran; no verified casualty figures were immediately available reuters +1.

How the Joint Operation Unfolded

Explosions were reported in Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah and Tabriz in the early hours of Saturday, with some strikes occurring near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other key government facilities, according to Iranian and international media bbc +1. The Israeli operation, reported to be code‑named “Roaring Lion,” had been planned for months, with officials saying the launch date was agreed with Washington weeks in advance cnn +1.

In Israel, authorities declared a nationwide emergency, closing most schools and workplaces and ordering restrictions on public gatherings, while several hospitals moved operations into underground facilities cnn +1. The U.S. military said its participation focused on Iranian missile and military infrastructure, building on strikes last year that targeted nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow but failed to fully eliminate Iran’s capabilities nbcnews +1.

Threat of Wider War and Retaliation Scenarios

Iranian officials and state‑aligned media vowed a “crushing response,” warning that U.S. bases and countries hosting American forces could be targeted bbc. Iraq closed its airspace, and regional governments began reviewing air-defense postures and critical infrastructure protection amid fears of missile, drone or proxy attacks across the Middle East theguardian.

Military analysts warned that Iran’s sizable arsenal of short- and medium‑range ballistic missiles, drones and naval assets, coupled with its network of allied militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, created a high risk of rapid escalation beyond direct Israel‑Iran exchanges nbcnews. Scenarios under discussion included missile barrages on U.S. facilities, intensified attacks on Israel and potential disruption of Gulf shipping lanes and energy infrastructure, which could send oil markets into renewed turmoil nbcnews +1.

The Bigger Picture

The strikes came against the backdrop of stalled nuclear talks and a year‑long shadow war that saw Israel and the U.S. hit Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 and Iran retaliate with missile attacks and proxy operations across the region nbcnews +1. With both Tehran and Washington framing Saturday’s operation in existential terms — one as aggression demanding revenge, the other as necessary self‑defence — diplomats and security experts warned that the next moves in the coming hours and days could determine whether this remains a contained campaign or slides into a broader regional war.