Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, reported early this Saturday of a “pre-emptive strike” against Iran amid tensions in the region following the Israeli offensive against the country in June 2025. The New York Times has reported that the United States has also joined the attack.
“The State of Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran to eliminate threats to the State of Israel,” said the Israeli minister, who has declared “a special state of emergency” throughout the country, according to a statement issued by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
Three explosions in Tehran
The semi-official Iranian news agency Fars has reported at least three explosions in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Other official media such as the IRNA news agency have assured – citing correspondents on the ground – that the city center has been enveloped in dense columns of smoke as a result of the aforementioned explosions, the origin of which has not yet been determined.
Thus, the Israel Defense Forces have activated alarms throughout the country to warn the population to remain near bomb shelters in the event of a possible response from Iran. “As a result, missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected in the near future,” reads the note from the Hebrew Ministry.
Airspace closed
“This is a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missile launches towards the State of Israel,” the Hebrew Army explained in a social media post in which it announced that, starting at 8:00 a.m. (local time), “immediate changes will be made to the Home Front Command Guidelines,” which include the “prohibition of educational activities, meetings and workplaces, except essential sectors.”
In addition, the Israeli Ministry of Transport has announced the cancellation of all flights and the closure of its airspace, according to the newspaper ‘Times of Israel’ (TOI). In parallel, the Hebrew authorities have asked the population not to go to the airports “until further notice” and have urged those who are abroad to stay informed through official channels of the situation. The airspace, they have added, will be reopened when safety conditions allow and a 24-hour notice will be established.
