Five explosions were reported heard across Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj early on Saturday morning, according to Iranian media, in what is alleged to be the beginning of an Israeli retaliatory attack on Iran.
Israeli officials confirmed to Army Radio that Israel had started striking targets across Iran.
الناطق باسم #الجيش_الإسرائي يصدر الان بيانا يعلن فيه تنفيذ ضربات دقيقة في انحاء #ايران ويؤكد ان لا تغيير في تعليمات الجبهة الداخلية في #اسرائيل pic.twitter.com/b8XBbOdktm
— Majdi مجدي الحلبي (@majdihalabi24) October 25, 2024
“The IDF is currently attacking precise targets in Iran,” IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement. “This is in response to persisting attacks by the Iranian regime on the State of Israel.”The IDF is completely prepared in attack and in defense. We are following the developments from Iran and its proxies in the region.”
In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel—right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran. The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking… pic.twitter.com/OcHUy7nQvN
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 25, 2024
No change in Home Front Command orders was announced.
Reports of explosions at the Imam Khomeini International Airport in the Iranian capital were also received.
Arab media reported that Israel attacked the location of the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in Iran.
There were no planes flying over Syria or northern Iraq during the time of the suspected attack. Iran closed its airspace following the attack, according to Maariv.
The White House was notified shortly before the strikes on Tehran began, according to Fox News. Israel’s Security Cabinet also convened in order to approve the strikes.
Karaj one of the cities where explosions were heard contains one of Iran’s nuclear power plants.
Earlier explosions
On Friday, a fire was reported at an Iranian Defense Ministry site in Tehran, although the Tehran Fire Department denied any connection.
Explosions were also heard in Syria and Iraq, and air defense systems were reportedly activated, according to Maariv.
Syrian media confirmed that Syrian air defense confronted aerial “hostile targets” around Damascus early Saturday morning.
This is a developing story.