Israel has carried out a pre-emptive strike on Iran and expects retaliation imminently, says its defence minister.
Explosions were heard northeast of capital Tehran early on Friday, reported Iran’s state-run Nour News.
Defence minister Israel Katz announced a “special situation” and said schools would stay shut on Friday.
The country’s military said a “pre-emptive, precise, combined offensive based on high-quality intelligence” had been launched “to strike Iran’s nuclear programme”.
Sky’s Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said Israelis were woken in the early hours by air raid sirens and a phone alert warning there could be “severe retaliation”.
Mr Katz’s statement said: “Following the State of Israel’s pre-emptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future.”
He said a “special state of emergency” was in effect across Israel.
Iran not complying with nuclear obligations for first time in almost 20 years, says UN watchdog
Three alleged Iranian spies appear at Old Bailey
Iran has stockpiled near nuclear weapons-grade uranium, UN watchdog finds
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Israel had taken “unilateral action” and that America was not involved in the strikes.
He said Israel believed the strikes were necessary for its self defence and that “necessary steps” had been taken to protect US forces in the region.
“Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” Mr Rubio warned.
The attack comes amid fears over Iran’s nuclear programme, with a warning this week that the country is not complying with its obligations for the first time in 20 years.
Israel and the US have long feared Iran wants to develop a nuclear weapon, something Tehran has repeatedly denied.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
