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. 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.
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. 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 a 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 limiting 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.
