Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Iran and declared a state of emergency
This was announced by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, according to The Times of Israel.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a "state of emergency throughout the country." According to him, a pre-emptive strike against Iran was necessary to neutralise existing threats to the State of Israel.
Sirens are sounding throughout the country. The IDF Home Front Command has called on the civilian population to stay close to bomb shelters and avoid non-essential travel due to the difficult security situation.
The Israel Defence Forces noted that the "proactive warning" is intended to prepare the population for a possible missile attack on Israeli territory.
"At this point, there is no need to take shelter, but citizens should know where the nearest protected area is located," the IDF said.
Against the backdrop of the rapidly escalating situation in the Middle East, the administration of US President Donald Trump has been considering scenarios that could change the course of events in the coming weeks.
The White House believes that it would be much more advantageous for the United States from a political point of view if Israel took the first step in the military sphere. The president's advisers believe that such a development would give Washington a more comfortable position before the possible start of its own large-scale operation.
During the February talks in Oman, Tehran offered to transfer its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium to Russia — an amount that could potentially be enough to create twelve nuclear warheads. In addition, Iranian officials allowed for the possibility of freezing the enrichment process for a period of three years.
Despite these signals of dialogue, the situation is teetering on the brink of global conflict. Washington is officially considering options for countering Iran's missile programme, and sources in American circles say that diplomatic resources are almost exhausted.
