Explosions ring out across Iran’s capital as Israel claims it is attacking the country

An Israeli military official says that his country targeted Iranian nuclear sites, without identifying them.

The official spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation, which is also targeting military sites.

Air-raid sirens preventatively rang out in Israel.

What to know:

1. Head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard feared dead: The report from Iranian state television offered few other details about what happened to Gen. Hossein Salami of the Guard. The report on air added that one other top Guard officials, as well as two nuclear scientists were also feared dead.
2. Iran’s nuclear program: The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency censured the nation for the first time in 20 years after it refused to work with inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more advanced ones.
3. How the US has responded: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took “unilateral action against Iran,” warning Iran not to target U.S. forces in retaliation. In recent days, the U.S. began pulling some diplomats from Iraq’s capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — (AP) — Israel attacked Iran’s capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran.

The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones.

Israel for years has warned it will not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn’t want — though official there have repeatedly warned it could. The U.S. has been preparing for something to happen, already pulling some diplomats from Iraq’s capital and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of U.S. troops in the wider Middle East.

People in Tehran awoke to the sound of the blast. State television acknowledged the blast.

It wasn’t immediately clear what had been hit, though smoke could be rising from Chitgar, a neighborhood in western Tehran.

Benchmark Brent crude spiked on the attack, rising over 2%.

The White House did not have an immediate comment Thursday night.

As the explosions in Tehran started, President Donald Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes.

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