Explosions were reportedly heard in Tehran early Saturday after Israel confirmed it had launched strikes on Iran. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel as the military issued what it described as a proactive alert, warning the public to prepare for the possibility of incoming missile fire.
According to the Associated Press, US officials said Washington participated in the strikes.
The escalation comes just hours after US President Donald Trump said he was “not happy” with the pace of nuclear negotiations with Tehran and that a “big decision” was imminent.
Meanwhile, Badr Albusaidi, Oman’s foreign minister and mediator in the talks, said an agreement between Washington and Tehran was within reach.
“No nuclear weapons. Not ever. Zero stockpiling. Comprehensive verification. Peacefully and permanently. Let’s support the negotiators in closing the deal,” he posted on X, alongside a clip of his interview with CBS News.
Trump signals frustration over talks
On Friday, Trump said the United States faced a major decision following negotiations that ended without a definitive outcome. His comments came as a self-imposed deadline for Iran to agree to limits on its nuclear programme approaches.
“We have a big decision to make. Not easy. We have a very big decision to make,” Trump said, criticising Iran’s past regional actions and reiterating that Tehran “cannot have nuclear weapons.”
While expressing dissatisfaction with the pace of negotiations, Trump indicated he was still open to giving diplomats more time to avert a broader conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re not exactly happy with the way they’re negotiating,” he said, according to the AP. “They cannot have nuclear weapons.”
Mixed signals from Geneva talks
The latest round of US-Iran discussions, mediated by Oman, took place in Geneva. Although the talks concluded without a formal agreement, Iranian officials characterised them as constructive.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television that negotiators had made “very good progress” and had seriously entered the core elements of a potential agreement, covering both nuclear issues and sanctions relief.
However, reports suggested that some US negotiators were less optimistic about the outcome.
A further round of talks is expected to be held in Vienna next week, as diplomatic efforts continue against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions and an expanded US military presence in the Middle East.
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