Israel initiated a pre-emptive strike against Iran on Saturday, escalating tensions in the Middle East and casting a shadow over hopes for a diplomatic resolution to Iran’s prolonged nuclear dispute with Western nations, as reported by Reuters citing Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz.

“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” stated Defence Minister Katz.

The New York Times, referring to a U.S. official, reported that American strikes on Iran were also in progress. On Saturday, explosions were reported in Tehran, according to Iranian media, and sirens rang out across Israel around 08:15 local time. The Israeli military described this as a proactive alert to prepare the public for a potential incoming missile strike, as reported by Reuters.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran at the time and had been relocated to a secure location, according to Reuters, quoting unnamed sources.

This attack follows a 12-day air conflict between Israel and Iran in June last year and comes after repeated warnings from the U.S. and Israel that they would take action if Iran continued its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The operation had been meticulously planned over several months in collaboration with Washington, with the launch date determined weeks in advance, according to an Israeli defense official quoted by Reuters.

In June, the U.S. joined Israel’s military campaign against Iranian nuclear facilities, marking the most direct American military intervention against the Islamic Republic to date. In retaliation, Tehran launched missiles toward the U.S. Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest such base in the Middle East.

Western countries have expressed concerns that Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a threat to regional stability and could potentially deliver nuclear weapons if further developed. However, Tehran denies any intentions of pursuing atomic bombs.

(Colombo/February 28/2026)