In the early hours of Saturday morning, accounts surfaced of major blasts shaking Tehran, following claims from Israel that it had conducted a preemptive strike.
Loud Blasts and Smoke Reported in the Heart of Tehran
According to eyewitness accounts, two loud blasts were heard in the city on Saturday. Simultaneously, two plumes of thick smoke were seen rising over the centre and east of the city.
“The nature of explosions suggests that this is a missile attack,” a media outlet reported, without immediately provide further details.
Context: Rising Tensions and Prior Developments
The incident occurs against a background of severely escalated tensions in the Middle East. Key developments preceding this strike include:
- US Military Buildup: A massive build-up of American warships in the Middle East, featuring the repositioning of aircraft carriers.
- Nuclear Talks: Latest talks between the United States and Iranian officials on Tehran's atomic program ended inconclusively, with indications of more discussions scheduled.
- Official Rhetoric: Before the attack, a senior US official had described Iran as “the world’s number one sponsor of terror” and delivered threats regarding its missile program.
- Diplomatic Deadline: Allegedly, a deadline of roughly two weeks had been presented to Iran to settle the nuclear dispute or face severe consequences.
Iranian Response
In response to earlier allegations, Iranian authorities had accused the United States of spreading “big lies” about its missiles programme. They dismissed assertions about missile development and protest deaths as baseless.
These developments remains fast-moving, with further updates anticipated as the situation develops.
