Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has spoken out on X, describing the attack on the Islamic Republic as “aid” to US President Donald Trump and supporting what he called Trump’s “humanitarian intervention”.
“The aid promised by the President of the United States to the brave people of Iran has now arrived. It is a humanitarian intervention; and its target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus and its slaughterhouse – not the country and the great nation of Iran,” Pahlavi wrote, while declaring that “Iran is collapsing.”
Pahlavi’s comments on X come after Israel launched a “preemptive strike” on Iran, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Saturday. “The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Iran to eliminate threats to the State of Israel,” Katz said.
Here you can follow all the latest updates from the clashes between Israel and Iran
According to Israeli media and claims on social media, several explosions were heard, including those in Tehran.
Images showed billowing smoke as explosions were heard in five cities in Iran, including Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, as well as the capital, a BBC report said.
Israel and Iran also closed their airspace after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government launched “preemptive” airstrikes against Tehran.
Airspace closed
Following the strikes, Israel’s transport ministry said the country had closed its airspace on Saturday following security developments and asked citizens to stay at airports. It added that it would notify passengers 24 hours before resuming flights.
The Iranian government also closed its airspace after the attacks, the AP reported.
Tensions remain high between the US and Iran, with both participating in talks to deter US attacks on the Islamic Republic. Even as the US says the door to further diplomacy remains open, President Donald Trump has amassed a massive military presence in the Middle East and sent a second aircraft carrier to Israeli waters, Bloomberg reported.
Has Iran launched retaliatory strikes?
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Iran fired missiles at Israel in response to the attack. In a statement, the IDF said: “Sirens were sounded in several areas across the country following the identification of rockets fired from Iran towards the State of Israel.”
The Israeli Air Force is operating to intercept and strike threats, the IDF added.
