Foreign Media: "US and Israel Carry Out Strike Against Iran"
On the 28th (local time), Israel launched a sudden airstrike against Iran, which had been experiencing difficulties in military deterrence negotiations with the United States. According to major foreign media outlets such as The New York Times (NYT), the United States is also reported to have participated in this operation.
According to major news agencies including the Associated Press (AP), the Israeli Minister of Defense announced on the same day that Israel had carried out a "preventive missile strike" against Iran.
The Israeli military authorities sounded air raid sirens across the entire country so that citizens could prepare for possible retaliatory missile launches from Iran. After the attack on Iran, Israel declared a national state of emergency, announcing the closure of workplaces and the suspension of schools nationwide.
According to major media outlets such as the NYT, a U.S. government official stated that U.S. airstrikes against Iran were carried out. Therefore, there is speculation that this operation may have been a joint operation between the U.S. and Israeli military forces.
Iran's state-run TV reported that thick smoke rose along with explosions in downtown Tehran, the capital of Iran. Foreign media reported that the explosion in Tehran occurred near the office of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
It has not been confirmed whether Khamenei, who is 86 years old this year, was in his office at the time of the explosion. In recent days, as tensions with the United States have escalated, he has not appeared in public.
Israel has continued to claim that Iran threatens its national security by increasing its stockpile of airstrike weapons such as drones and missiles, and by advancing its nuclear weapons development.
This attack occurred amid peak tensions between Iran and the United States over Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and other issues. While prioritizing diplomatic solutions, U.S. President Donald Trump had also left open the possibility of military action against Iran during ongoing negotiations.
The United States has increased pressure on Iran by deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups and a large number of fighter jets to the Middle East, while also holding three rounds of nuclear negotiations with Iran in countries such as Switzerland and Oman.
The previous direct military clash between Israel and Iran was the "12-Day War" about eight months ago in June last year, during which Iran's nuclear facilities and military leadership suffered significant damage.
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