Explosions were heard across Iran's capital city Tehran on Saturday morning after Israel formally confirmed it had launched a military strike against Iran, marking a dramatic and dangerous escalation in an already volatile region. Air raid sirens simultaneously wailed across Israel, as the Israeli military issued a "proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel," signaling that the conflict could quickly spiral into a broader exchange of fire.
The strike lands at one of the most sensitive diplomatic moments in recent memory — just days before a critical deadline for Iran to reach a nuclear deal with the United States.
The timing of the Israeli attack is striking. Only hours before the explosions were reported in Tehran, US President Donald Trump had publicly voiced frustration with the stalled nuclear negotiations, warning that Washington faced a "big decision" in the coming days. The statement was widely interpreted as a signal that military options remained firmly on the table if diplomacy failed.
"We have a big decision to make. You know that. Not easy," Trump said on Friday. "We have a country that's been for 47 years blowing people's legs off, arms off, and the face. They've been knocking out ships, killing people. Not only Americans, but lots of people."
Trump also expressed direct dissatisfaction with Iran's posture at the negotiating table. "I'm not happy with the fact that they're not willing to give us what we have to have. I'm not thrilled with that. We'll see what happens," he said.
The backdrop to Saturday's violence is a diplomatic process that had, until now, shown cautious signs of progress. Talks between Washington and Tehran were held in Geneva on Thursday, mediated in part by Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi. While the sessions were described as constructive, they ended without a definitive agreement, leaving the fate of any deal uncertain.
Albusaidi, who has been playing a key intermediary role between the two sides, struck an optimistic tone even as the situation deteriorated. Writing on X, he urged both parties to stay the course, stating: "No nuclear weapons. Not ever. Zero stockpiling. Comprehensive verification. Peacefully and permanently. Let's support the negotiators in closing the deal." The Omani minister also told CBS News that a deal between Tehran and Washington was now "within reach" — a claim that now appears deeply uncertain in the wake of the Israeli military action.
The Israeli strike thrusts the Middle East into its most dangerous chapter in years. For months, the region has been on edge as the US and Iran engaged in a delicate diplomatic dance over Tehran's nuclear programme, with the clock ticking toward a deadline that was already being described as make-or-break. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran has long been Israel's stated red line, and Israeli leadership has consistently signaled that it would act unilaterally if it believed diplomacy was failing to prevent that outcome.
The question now is how Iran will respond — and whether the United States, already deeply invested in the negotiating process, will be drawn further into the conflict. Trump's comments about a "big decision" take on an entirely new dimension in the aftermath of the Israeli strike, raising urgent questions about Washington's next move and whether any path to a negotiated settlement remains viable.
For civilians in both Tehran and cities across Israel waking up to sirens and the sound of explosions, the abstract language of diplomacy and deterrence has given way to a very immediate and frightening reality. The world is watching to see whether cooler heads can still prevail — or whether the Middle East is on the brink of another devastating war.
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