Iran pledges 'decisive' counterattack as Israel strikes nuclear program

Israel has launched what it describes arsenic a "preemptive" onslaught connected Iran's capital, pinch explosions booming crossed Tehran arsenic Israel said it targeted atomic and subject sites.

The onslaught comes arsenic tensions person reached caller heights complete Tehran's quickly advancing atomic program.

Iran's apical subject leaders arsenic good arsenic elder atomic scientists were targeted successful nan opening strikes and "chances are expanding that they were eliminated", an Israeli information root told reporters.

A abstracted root acquainted pinch nan specifications said immoderate elder Israeli officials person been moved to "secret locations" pursuing Israeli attempts to destruct elder Iranian officials.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency is quoting an anonymous charismatic saying Iran will connection a "decisive" consequence to Israel's attack.

The study did not elaborate.

However, Iranian authorities tv put a achromatic set complete nan area of its broadcast, suggesting nan onslaught had been important capable to spark nationalist mourning.

The Board of Governors astatine nan International Atomic Energy Agency for nan first clip successful 20 years yesterday censured Iran complete it not moving pinch its inspectors.

Iran instantly announced it would found a 3rd enrichment tract successful nan state and switch retired immoderate centrifuges for more-advanced ones.

Israel for years has warned it will not let Iran to build a atomic weapon, thing Tehran insists it doesn't want — though officials location person many times warned it could build them.

The US has been preparing for thing to happen, already pulling immoderate diplomats from Iraq's superior and offering voluntary evacuations for nan families of US troops successful nan wider Middle East.

People successful Tehran awoke to nan sound of nan blast.

State tv acknowledged nan blast.

It wasn't instantly clear what had been hit, though fume could beryllium rising from Chitgar, a neighbourhood successful occidental Tehran.

There are nary known atomic sites successful that area — but it wasn't instantly clear if thing was happening successful nan remainder of nan country.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said successful an reside connected YouTube that nan state launched "a targeted subject cognition rotation backmost nan Iranian threat to Israel's very survival".

He added that nan attacks will proceed "for arsenic galore days astatine it takes to region this threat".

An Israeli subject charismatic says that his state targeted Iranian atomic sites, without identifying them.

The charismatic said to journalists connected information of anonymity to talk nan ongoing operation, which is besides targeting subject sites.

Black fume was seen complete Iran's main atomic enrichment installation astatine Natanz though it wasn't clear really bad nan harm was.

Iranian authorities tv concisely showed nan unrecorded image pinch a reporter.

Natanz is partially supra ground, partially beneath ground, pinch aggregate halls of centrifuges spinning uranium state for its atomic program.

Netanyahu had said Israel targeted nan tract successful today's attack.

Natanz antecedently has been targeted by nan Stuxnet cyberattack and aggregate sabotage campaigns apt carried retired by Israel.

Iranian authorities tv said nan caput of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was feared dormant successful nan attack.

The study offered fewer different specifications astir what happened to General Hossein Salami of nan Guard.

The study connected aerial added that 1 different apical Guard officials, arsenic good arsenic 2 atomic scientists, were besides feared dead.

State tv besides reported nan onslaught group nan office of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard ablaze.

Benchmark Brent crude spiked connected nan attack, rising astir 5 per cent connected nan news.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said that his state carried retired nan attack, without saying what it targeted.

"In nan aftermath of nan authorities of Israel's preventive onslaught against Iran, rocket and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian organization are expected immediately," he said successful a statement.

The connection added that Katz "signed a typical bid declaring an emergency business successful nan location front".

"It is basal to perceive to instructions from nan location beforehand bid and authorities to enactment successful protected areas," it said.

US 'not involved' successful strikes

The US was not progressive successful nan strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, noting that Israel had "advised" nan US that it believed nan "action was basal for its self-defence".

"We are not progressive successful strikes against Iran and our apical privilege is protecting American forces successful nan region," Rubio said successful a connection released by nan White House.

Rubio besides issued a informing to Iran that it should not target U.S. interests aliases personnel.

US President Donald Trump convened a Cabinet-level gathering Thursday evening, which was expected to attraction connected nan US consequence to nan processing events successful Iran, a White House charismatic and 2 sources acquainted pinch nan plans told CNN.

As nan explosions successful Tehran started, Trump was connected nan section of nan White House mingling pinch members of Congress.

It was unclear if he had been informed but nan president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for respective minutes.

Trump earlier said he was urging Netanyahu to clasp disconnected from taking action for nan clip being while nan management negotiated pinch Iran.

"As agelong arsenic I deliberation location is simply a (chance for an) agreement, I don't want them going successful because I deliberation it would rustle it," Trump told reporters.