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TRANSCRIPT
These were the sirens that sounded across Israel early in the morning, to prepare the public as Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed a pre-emptive strike on Iran.
Reports from Iran have indicated the initial attacks happened in central Tehran, where the office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also known as the House of Leadership, is located.
CGTN correspondent Ehsan Keivani was nearby.
“After 9:30 in the morning in Tehran, we heard the sound of fighter jet - at least one fighter jet - into Tehran's sky. After that, we heard two or three big explosions. And following the incident, there was a huge smoke in the south of Tehran, or almost the southwest of Tehran.”
Reuters has reported Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is not in Tehran; and has been transferred to a secure location.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes Ali Khameini has been killed - a claim denied by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi who says all senior leaders remain alive.
Mr Netanyahu says the aim of the operation was to oust the Supreme Leader.
"The objective of the operation is to put an end to the threat from the Ayatollah regime in Iran... This operation will continue as long as necessary.”
US President Donald Trump has released a video on the Truth Social platform, saying the United States is working with Israel on the operation.
“A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”
Israel's army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir says the attacks against Iran are part of 'an unprecedented' cooperation with the U-S army.
An Israeli defence official says the launch date had been decided weeks ago.
The attack against Iran has been launched during the holy Muslim month of fasting known as Ramadan, and ahead of the Jewish holiday of Purim, which traditionally commemorates the salvation of Jews from annihilation in ancient Persia.
It follows a 12-day air war in June last year between Israel and Iran, and repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
President Trump says Iran has targeted the United States for decades:
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted 'Death to America' and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries.”
He listed incidents such as the takeover of the U-S Embassy in Tehran in 1979, an attack on a U-S Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, and the attack on the USS Cole in 2000.
“The regime's proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed in the Middle East in recent years, as well as US naval and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes. Its been mass terror, and we're not going to put up with it any longer.”
In his first term, Trump was the architect of the maximum pressure doctrine aimed at weakening Iran economically and diplomatically.
In 2018, he pulled the United States out of the international agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, which offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for limiting its ambitions.
The Iranian regime has always denied it's pursuing nuclear weapons, saying its program is aimed at developing civilian nuclear power.
But given the length of time that Iran has been a concern for the international community, there appears to be little appetite for the hope that a diplomatic solution to the standoff can be found - and strong backing for decisive action.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has declared that Iran's 'violence and arbitrariness' led to the US-Israel attacks.
"The regime in Tehran had every opportunity to prevent a force scenario and was given opportunities for diplomacy and finding solutions.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for maximum restraint, saying that ensuring nuclear safety is critical.
The exiled son of Iran's deposed Shah, Reza Pahlavi, has welcomed the US and Israeli attacks, describing them as a humanitarian intervention.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also released a joint statement with Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong that says they see little alternative.
"For decades the Iranian regime has been a destabilising force, through its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, support for armed proxies, and brutal acts of violence and intimidation... We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security.”
Iran has responded by launching missiles at Israel; as well as at US bases across the region, including in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has previously warned that a US attack on Iran could trigger regional conflict.
“This man keeps claiming that we have brought warships to the region and done this or that. I think you shouldn't scare the Iranian nation with such remarks. It doesn't fear rightful confrontation. We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it.”
That appears to now be unfolding.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari says they struck 14 US bases in the region and hit "vital security and military centres" of Israel, in a swift response to the US-Israel military strike.
"Dear honourable nation of Iran, in this morning's aggression against Islamic Iran, the criminal United States and the brutal Zionist regime once again showed that they understand no language other than the language of force and proved their barbaric nature to the world and brought the innocent people and innocent students of our country to the ground and bloodshed.”
Blasts have been heard over Jerusalem, with the military reporting that an additional barrage of missiles was launched towards Israel.
In preparation ahead of those strikes, Defence Minister Katz declared a state of emergency across Israel, and schools and workplaces were closed.
Authorities have also placed a ban on public airspace for civilian flights, while the airports authority has asked the public not to go to any of the country's airports.
Benjamin Netanyahu sees the operation as an opportunity for the Iranian people to overthrow the Ayatollah's regime.
"Whoever lays down their weapons, including among the regime forces, will ensure their safety and secure their future. The Iranian people in all their diversity, Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Balochs, Abkhazians and all other citizens of this wonderful nation, this is your opportunity to establish a new and free Iran. Take your destiny into your own hands.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has urged the US, Israel and Iran to "de-escalate" the crisis and return to the negotiating table.
“ I deplore the military strikes across Iran this morning by Israel and the United States of America, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran. As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price. Bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but only result in death, destruction, and human misery.”
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