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The latest:
- Israeli minister says attack done ‘to remove threats.’
- Strike hit near offices of Iran’s supreme leader.
- Iran closes airspace.
- Sirens blare in Israel.
Israel launched a daylight attack Saturday on Iran’s capital, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city’s downtown. The apparent strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were being done “to remove threats.” He did not elaborate on his comments.
In Tehran, multiple blasts were heard. Iranian state television later reported on the explosion, without offering a cause. The country subsequently closed its airspace.
Sirens sounded across Israel at the same time. The Israeli military said that it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.”
The U.S. military declined to immediately comment on the attack.
The attack comes as the U.S. has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.
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