Israel launches attack on Iran, defence minister says

Source: Hacker News

Sirens have sounded across Israel

Sirens sounded across Israel at around 08:15 local time (06:15 GMT), alerting people to the threat of a possible missile attack. The Israeli strikes occur amid diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iranian officials to curb Iran’s nuclear programme and avert a war, with negotiations expected to continue next week.

Iran had made concessions in the talks, although U.S. President Donald Trump—who had previously threatened to attack Iran to pressure its leaders—said he was not “thrilled” with the way the discussions were progressing. Trump has ordered the largest U.S. military build‑up in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but has offered little explanation for a potential military action now. Iran, meanwhile, has vowed to respond to any attack with force.

The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said the “pre‑emptive strike” was intended to “remove threats against the State of Israel”. Last June, Israel launched an attack on Iran, leading to the 12‑Day War, after which the United States joined Israel in targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of a threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missiles and expressed opposition to a deal that focuses solely on Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran has rejected discussions on limiting its ballistic‑missile programme and ending its support for regional proxies—including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen—arguing that such demands breach its sovereignty.