Israel hit by missiles as Iran retaliates for strikes on nuclear sites
Air raid sirens have sounded across Israel as Iranian missiles struck the country in retaliation for deadly Israeli attacks on nuclear sites and military leaders.
The rumble of explosions could be heard throughout Jerusalem on Friday, and Israeli TV stations showed plumes of smoke rising in Tel Aviv after an apparent missile strike. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The army said dozens of missiles were launched, and the army has ordered residents across the country to move into bomb shelters.
Israel launched a wave of strikes across Iran that targeted its nuclear program and military sites, killing at least three top military officers and raising the prospect of an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversaries. It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq.
The strikes came amid simmering tensions over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. For years, Israel had threatened such a strike and successive American administrations had sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran's dispersed and hardened nuclear program.
Iran's supreme leader vows revenge for Israeli attacks
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In a recorded message to the nation broadcast as Iranian missiles flew toward Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the military was prepared to counterattack.
'Don't think that they (Israel) hit and it's over. No. They started the work and started the war. We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed,' he said.
Israel says Iran has launched missiles
An explosion is seen during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Source: Associated Press)
The Israeli military's Home Front Command has instructed people to move into shelters ahead of an expected Iranian missile attack.
The army says Iran has launched missiles, and the safety order applies to the entire country.
Israel's Channel 13 TV says the missiles are expected to take about 10 minutes to arrive.
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Israeli military briefing cut short by possible incoming Iranian attack, official says
Israel's military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that despite Israel's attack, 'Iran has capability to hurt Israel's civilian front in a meaningful way'.
Defrin's briefing was cut short. An Israeli military official says this was due to an incoming Iranian attack on central Israel. The official spoke on condition pending a formal announcement.
Israel claims striking an Iranian nuclear site in Isfahan; Iran does not immediately acknowledge
The facility in Isfahan, some 350 kilometres southeast of Tehran, employs thousands of nuclear scientists. It also is home to three Chinese research reactors and laboratories associated with the country's atomic program.
France says conference on two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is postponed
French President Emmanuel Macron says a top-level UN conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed because of renewed tensions in the Mideast.
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France and Saudi Arabia were due to co-host the conference in New York next week, and Macron had been scheduled to attend.
Macron said Friday it was postponed for logistical and security reasons and because some Palestinian representatives couldn't come to the event.
US fighter jets take flight to protect personnel and installations in Middle East
American fighter jets are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, according to a US official. The official spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.
It comes at the same time as the Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean. A second destroyer also has begun moving forward so it can be available if requested by the White House.
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Otago Daily Times
4 hours ago
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