Explosions rang out across Iran's capital early Friday local time as Israel said it was attacking the country. People in Tehran awoke to the sound of the blasts. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced a "special situation" in Israel over the attack on Iran and declared a nationwide special state of emergency, saying schools would be closed in the country on Friday. He described it as a "pre-emptive strike" and said a missile and drone counterattack "is expected in the immediate time frame," the New York Times reports.
The White House did not have an immediate comment Thursday night. As the explosions in Tehran started, President Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress, the AP reports. It was unclear if he had been informed, but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes. The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. On Thursday, the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency censured Iran for the first time in 20 years over its failure to work with inspectors.
(More
Iran stories.)