It was a night that could hardly have unfolded more dramatically, even in a Middle East long accustomed to conflict. Shortly after midnight, loud explosions shook the Iranian capital, Tehran. Sirens wailed, people ran in panic through the streets, and thick smoke rose over the southern outskirts of the city. What initially appeared to be a technical accident quickly revealed itself to be what many had feared: a targeted military strike by Israel on Iranian territory - right in the heart of the capital. Even as state television tried to downplay the situation, the IRNA news agency confirmed that Imam Khomeini International Airport had suspended all flights. Tehran had been placed on high alert. Early reports pointed to attacks on facilities that may be linked to Iran’s nuclear program. An official statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is still pending.
The strike comes at a time of unprecedented tensions between the two archenemies. Israel’s government had repeatedly warned of a “point of no return” that Iran’s nuclear program was rapidly approaching. In Tel Aviv, officials are convinced that Tehran is only a few steps away from building a functioning nuclear weapon - a red line Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unwilling to see crossed. That this attack now strikes directly at the center of the Islamic Republic marks a new level of escalation.
The international reaction was swift. While diplomats in New York hastily convened emergency meetings, US President Donald Trump stepped onto the White House lawn in the early hours of the morning. A noticeably quiet Trump appeared before the assembled press - with a serious expression but no comment. The symbolic message, however, was unmistakable: the United States is not standing in the way. In Tehran itself, chaos reigns. Videos of burning buildings, people in hazmat suits, and a now fully closed airspace are circulating on social media. Eyewitnesses report at least three heavy detonations in the southern part of the city. In cities such as Qom and Isfahan, where nuclear facilities are suspected, security precautions have reportedly been taken.
Whether this is a one-time warning strike or the beginning of a broader military campaign - that is the question not only in the region but around the world this Friday morning. The UN Security Council has been convened, Europe is calling for de-escalation, while Russia and China have already condemned the Israeli action in their initial statements.
A war in the shadow of the atomic bomb is no longer a distant fiction. It appears to have begun tonight - over the rooftops of Tehran.
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