Live – Explosions rock northern Israel as Iran launches retaliatory strikes on country

Explosions rocked northern Israel on Saturday as the country worked to intercept incoming Iranian missiles after launching a nationwide attack with the US on Iran.

The blasts echoed just after the Israeli military said it would be using its air defence systems to bring down the Iranian fire.

There was no immediate word on any damage or casualties from the ongoing attack.

Air raid sirens also sounded in neighbouring Jordan.

Tehran said earlier that it was preparing to retaliate after Israel launched air strikes on Iran on Saturday morning, an Iranian official told the Reuters news agency.

The unnamed official warned that the Iranian response would be “crushing.”



“In response to the aggression of the hostile and criminal enemy against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the first wave of large-scale missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the occupied territories has begun,” the statement said.

The IRGC said more information would be released in due course.

The son of Iran’s last shah voiced confidence on Saturday in victory against the Islamic republic after the United States and Israel launched coordinated air strikes.

“We are very close to final victory. I want to be by your side as soon as possible so that together we can take back and rebuild Iran,” Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the Washington area, said in an online video address.

Pahlavi is popular in Iran and is widely considered one of the most prominent opposition figures, with his popularity surging during recent anti-government protests, where his name was frequently chanted.



The Jerusalem municipality ordered schools and workplaces to close on Saturday after Israel launched strikes on Iran, saying the closure would be in effect until 1800 GMT on Monday.

“In accordance with the assessment of the situation by the Home Front Command and the launch of a preemptive strike against Iran, it has been decided to change the guidelines and transition from full activity to essential activity throughout the country,” it said in a statement.

“There will be no educational activities, no gatherings, and no going to work, except for workers defined as essential. This policy is in effect from Saturday (2/28) at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) until Monday (3/2) at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT).”

US President Donald Trump acknowledged on Saturday that there could be American casualties following Iran strikes, saying “that often happens in war.”

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” he said in a video posted to social media early Saturday morning.

After the June attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, Trump said, “We warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons. And we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried.”

He added that Iran “rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions and we can’t take it anymore.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is “safe and sound”, state media reported on Saturday, following US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.

“President Masoud Pezeshkian is safe and sound and has no problems,” the IRNA news agency reported, alongside the Mehr and ISNA agencies.

Iraq’s Ministry of Transport said on Saturday that the country’s airspace has also been closed following airstrikes on neighbouring Iran.

The ministry’s spokesman, Mitham al-Safi, told state-run Iraqi News Agency that “the closure was preceded by the evacuation of all air traffic from Iraqi airspace.”

Both Iran and Israel earlier said their airspace was closed to all civilian aircraft.

The US embassies in Qatar and Bahrain told their staff to seek shelter on Saturday and advised US citizens to do the same after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

The embassies said in two separate statements they were “implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel. We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice,” and urged US citizens to “find a secure location within your residence or another safe building.”

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States had begun “major combat operations” in Iran.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said.

Trump referred to the Iranians in the video as a “vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”

He called the attacks on Iran “a noble mission,” saying they were necessary because of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and missile systems that could reach the US.

He called on Iranian officials to “lay down your arms” or “you will face certain death,” and encouraged the Iranian people to “take over your government — it will be yours to take.”

US President Donald Trump repeatedly warned Tehran to finalise a nuclear deal with Washington “before it is too late”.

Commenting on the talks which had taken place in Geneva, Trump said on Friday he was “not thrilled” with Iran’s attitude in the talks, but hadn’t yet decided on whether to attack.

You can read more about Trump’s comments and both the US and Iranian positions in the article below.

Tehran is preparing to retaliate after Israel launched air strikes on Iran on Saturday morning, an Iranian official told the Reuters news agency.

The unnamed official said the Iranian response would be “crushing.”

Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights on Saturday after announcing it had carried out “preventive strikes” on Iran and sounding sirens in Jerusalem.

“Following the security developments, the Minister of Transportation has ordered the Director of the Israel Civil Aviation Authority to close the airspace of the State of Israel to civilian flights,” the minister, Miri Regev, announced.

Iran also said it had closed its airspace until further notice, following multiple blasts in the capital Tehran and elsewhere, the civil aviation agency said.

“The airspace of the entire country is cosed until further notice,” announced the spokesman of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, quoted by Tasnim news agency.

Iranian media are reporting attacks are happening nationwide as Israel and the US launched air strikes targeting the country, with initial explosions reported in the capital Tehran.

Explosions have also reportedly been heard in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah.