Israel has launched missile strikes against Iran, with a United States official confirming that Washington took part in the operation.
Multiple explosions were reported in Iran’s capital, Tehran, early Saturday, as smoke rose over parts of the city.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization announced that the country’s airspace had been shut down until further notice.
Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the agency, said in an interview that “the entire country’s airspace has been closed until further notice”.
Reports from Tehran also indicated that cellphone communications were disrupted in several areas of the capital, raising fears of a possible wider internet shutdown.
An American official told Al Jazeera that the strikes were carried out as a joint military operation between the United States and Israel.
In response to the attack, the Israeli military declared a state of emergency and instructed citizens to remain close to shelters. Sirens were sounded across the country, warning residents to stay near protected areas amid fears of retaliatory missile launches.
Israeli authorities also announced the closure of the country’s airspace and said schools, public gatherings and non-essential workplaces would be shut as the nation moved from “full activity” to “essential activity”.
Security sources in Israel said both Israel and the United States had concluded in the past 24 hours that there was no path forward for negotiations with Iran, despite recent diplomatic efforts.
Analysis from regional experts suggested the strikes could further derail attempts at dialogue between Tehran and Washington, deepening tensions in an already fragile Middle East security landscape.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no immediate official response from Iranian authorities on casualties or the extent of the damage caused by the strikes.
