The crisis between Tehran on one side, and Washington and Tel Aviv on the other, escalated into a full-scale military confrontation this morning, in a war scenario that has been expected for weeks. The White House and the Israeli military announced the start of a "major military operation" targeting strategic and military Iranian sites in Tehran and other cities. This was met with an immediate Iranian response involving the launch of missiles toward Israel and strikes targeting American bases in neighboring Arab countries.
1. The Western Attack (Preemptive Operation):
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Series of Explosions in Tehran: Violent explosions rocked the Iranian capital, hitting the fortified "Pasteur" area, which houses the sovereign headquarters of the Iranian leadership.
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Targeting Vital Areas: The bombardment extended to Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah, with reports indicating strikes on military facilities and infrastructure.
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Communication Blackout: The capital, Tehran, experienced severe weakness and outages in communication networks coinciding with the bombing.
2. The Iranian Response:
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Missiles Towards Israel: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of waves of missiles targeting the Israeli heartland, prompting Tel Aviv to activate air raid sirens and declare a state of emergency.
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Targeting American Bases: Iranian missiles hit American bases in several Arab countries, with reports of explosions heard in the Gulf.
Official Positions and Political Escalation
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United States: President Donald Trump announced in an official address that the US has entered the war, justifying it as a defense of the American people and the elimination of Iranian threats. Trump confirmed that the operation aims to completely destroy Iran's nuclear program, missile capabilities, and naval fleet.
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Israel: Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the start of a "preemptive strike" and declared a comprehensive state of emergency across Israel, expecting continued targeting by missiles and drones.
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Iran: Tehran closed its airspace, and reports confirmed the safety of President Masoud Pezeshkian, while Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was moved to a safe location.
Collapse of Diplomatic Efforts
This war brings an end to indirect negotiations hosted by Oman to calm the situation regarding Iran's nuclear activities. Despite assurances from the Omani and Iranian foreign ministries prior to the attack regarding the "peaceful nature of the nuclear program," the massive American military buildup in the region accelerated the start of this confrontation.
