Citizens in Tehran woke to the sound of explosions early Saturday morning, with Iranian state television acknowledging the blasts. Eyewitnesses reported hearing six consecutive explosions, and smoke plumes were seen rising from Chitgar, a neighborhood in western Tehran. No known nuclear sites are located in the Chitgar area.
Israel has carried out a pre-emptive strike on Iran and expects retaliation imminently, Sky News reported. The Israeli Ministry of Defense officially confirmed the offensive against Iran, describing it as a “preventive attack” aimed at countering an imminent threat, the Jerusalem Post reported.
In response to the escalating situation, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz declared a “special state of emergency” and announced that missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected immediately. Katz emphasized the need for civilians to comply with instructions to stay in protected areas.
At approximately three in the morning on June 13, sirens sounded across Israel to warn citizens of a possible retaliatory attack from Iran, marking a state of emergency, Sky News and the Jerusalem Post reported. The Israeli Army announced that all areas of the country have transitioned to full operational status, with essential activity prioritized.
President Donald Trump had explicitly warned against the attack earlier this week, expressing concern that it could jeopardize ongoing negotiations with Iran, according to El Nuevo Día. “As long as I think there is an agreement, I don’t want them going in, because I think that would ruin it,” remarked President Trump, according to a report by La Razón. The President wrote on his Truth Social account that the United States remained committed to a “diplomatic solution” to the Iranian nuclear issue and that his administration had been instructed to negotiate with Iran.
A sixth round of nuclear negotiations with Iran is scheduled for this Sunday, the 15th, in Muscat, Oman, under Omani mediation, with President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff leading the talks, the Jerusalem Post reported. Countries in the Middle East hope the talks could reduce escalating tensions.
For years, Israel and the United States have warned that they will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, a position reiterated by President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Iran insists it does not intend to build a nuclear weapon, though Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that they could, and they are threatening to rebuild any nuclear facilities damaged in a possible attack.
Iran’s uranium enrichment level is currently at 60%, well above the 3.67% limit established under the 2015 nuclear deal, and is close to the 90% threshold necessary to manufacture an atomic bomb, Fox News reported. Tehran maintains that uranium enrichment “is not negotiable,” while Washington considers this measure a “red line,”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors censured Iran on Thursday for the first time in 20 years for not cooperating with its inspectors. In response to the ongoing tensions, Iran announced it would establish a third enrichment site, increasing its production of enriched uranium.
In light of the Israeli strike, the United States is reportedly displeased and may let Israel act alone.
Brent crude oil jumped above $73 a barrel following reports of the attack, with August Brent crude futures trading at $73.22 per barrel, up 5.57% from the previous session, as reported by El Nuevo Día. In connection with the rising tensions, the U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of “all non-essential government employees” from Iraq and the Gulf region.
The international community is watching the situation with extreme concern as tensions grow in the Middle East, raising fears of a broader regional confrontation, La Razón reported. Iran has allies such as Russia and China, who do not want to see Iran weakened or humiliated.
Israel’s preventive strike marks an escalation in the already tense relations between the two nations.
