(Reuters) — Israel announces “pre-emptive” strike against Iran.
Reports of explosions and smoke in Tehran.
Israeli action dims hopes for a diplomatic solution with Iran.
Iran and West have a decades-long dispute over nuclear program.
New Israeli attack comes after 12-day air war with Iran in June.
U.S. and Iran renewed negotiations in February and met this week.
President Donald Trump has now commented on the Iran strikes. Here are his key statements:
“A short time ago the U.S. began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Iran attempted to rebuild its nuclear program. Iran is developing long range missiles that threaten the U.S. and others. We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. We’re going to annihilate their navy. We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.”
The United States has deployed aircraft carriers, fighter jets, guided-missile destroyers and other capabilities to the Middle East in recent weeks.
President Trump has described it as a massive naval armada.
It includes two of the largest U.S. warships — the Gerald R. Ford and the Abraham Lincoln.
The Ford is the United States’ newest and the world’s largest carrier. It has a nuclear reactor on board and can hold more than 75 military aircraft. It also includes sophisticated radar that can help control air traffic and navigation.
The Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered carrier which can hold some 90 military aircraft, moved to the region from the Asia-Pacific in January.
In early February one of its fighter jets shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the ship, the U.S. military said.
Iran is preparing for retaliation after Israel launched an attack on Saturday, an Iranian official told Reuters.
The official said the response is set to be crushing.
This is a developing story.
