Israel says it has launched attack on Iran, as explosions reported in Tehran

Israel has woken up this morning at war with Iran for the second time in less than a year.

Tel Aviv’s beaches are largely empty this weekend morning, as the city waits for Iran’s response. Memories are fresh here of Iranian ballistic missiles slamming into apartment blocks during the 12-Day War last June.

Iran’s own air defences were severely depleted in that war, and its key nuclear sites badly damaged. Internal protest, and the weakening of its proxy militia around the region have left it extremely vulnerable.

But where Israel sees an opportunity to strike its regional enemy, Iran’s weakness may become a reason for it to respond more forcefully than in the past.

Israelis across the country are waiting.

Israel has closed its airspace to civilian flights following the attack on Iran on Saturday morning, according to reports in Israeli media.

The Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reports Iran's airspace has also been closed.

The US coordinated with Israel on the attack on Iran, reports in Israeli and US media say.

CNN has reported that Israel's attack was coordinated with the US, and Israel's Ynet News has reported the same.

The BBC has reached out to officials in the US for confirmation.

Iran's state-run rolling news channel IRINN, in a running caption, has confirmed reports of strikes on 28 February in Tehran, following what Israel described as a "pre-emptive attack" against Iran.

The broadcaster briefly experienced an audio interruption around 06:30 GMT, before resuming programming, displaying a ticker reporting plumes of smoke and the sound of explosions in parts of the capital.

IRINN subsequently aired pre-recorded footage of pro-establishment rallies accompanied by music and archive remarks from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for unity against "enemies", alongside interviews with supporters of the Islamic Republic opposing foreign intervention.

Sirens sounded across Israel at around 08:15 local time (06:15 GMT), alerting people of the threat of a possible missile attack. The Israeli strikes happen amid diplomatic efforts between US and Iranian officials for a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear programme and avert a war, and negotiations were expected to continue next week.

Iran had made concessions in the talks, although US President Donald Trump - who had previously threatened to attack Iran to put pressure on its leaders to accept a deal - said yesterday he was not “thrilled” with the way the discussions were going.

Trump has ordered the largest US military build-up in the Middle East since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, but has done little to explain why there could be the need to take military action now. Iran, meanwhile, has vowed to respond to an attack with force.

The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said the “pre-emptive strike” was to “remove threats against the State of Israel”. Last June, Israel launched an attack on Iran, leading to the 12-Day War. The US eventually joined Israel in the conflict, targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Recently, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had warned of what they described as a threat posed to his country by Iran’s ballistic missiles, and expressed his opposition to a deal that focused only on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iran had rejected discussing limits to its ballistic missile programme as well as ending its support for proxies in the region, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen, saying those demands were a breach of its sovereignty.

Israel has launched what it has called “pre-emptive attack” against Iran.

In a statement this morning, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has declared a "special and permanent state of emergency" across Israel.

Three explosions have been heard in downtown Tehran, according to Iranian media.

The Fars News Agency says it has received reports that several missiles have hit the Republic area of the Iranian capital.

The BBC has just received images of smoke rising in Tehran, over Jomhouri Square and Hassan Abad Square.

Further reports of explosions in Tehran are now emerging in Iranian media.

The state-affiliated Fars news agency in Iran is reporting that several new explosions were heard in the north and east of Tehran.