Israel has launched what it is calling a “preemptive strike” against Iran and declared a state of emergency, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz.
“Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Katz said in a statement.
Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv following the announcement.
The U.S. did not provide any assistance or have any involvement in the Israeli strike, a U.S. official told ABC News.
The strikes come as the U.S. has planned nuclear talks with Iranian officials this weekend.
Before the strike, President Donald Trump spoke of the negotiations on Thursday, saying, “We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue! My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday, ahead of the strike, his country will continue to enrich uranium and vowed to rebuild facilities should they be destroyed, as tensions in the Middle East have escalated.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen attend the address of Argentina’s president to a session of the Israeli parliament at its headquarters in Jerusalem on June 11, 2025.
Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images
“We will go our own way, and we will have the enrichment,” Pezeshkian said during remarks in Ilam, a western province of Iran.
“We will build this country with these very young people. It’s not like if, for example, someone bombs our place, that’s the end of it. All this is in mind. Whatever they do, we will rebuild,” Pezeshkian added.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked about the possible military action during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday.
“What I know is that Bibi Netanyahu is going to put his country first, and we’re going to put our country first, and we’re positioned properly in the region … for any potential contingency,” Hegseth said of Israel’s prime minister.
Hegseth added that the U.S. and President Donald Trump remain “committed to creating the conditions for peace.”
ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston and Othon Leyva contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
