US-Israel attacks on Iran: Supreme Leader moved to ‘secure location’; President Masoud Pezeshkian ‘safe and sound’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was moved to a secure location outside Tehran on Saturday after Israel launched what it described as a pre-emptive military attack, triggering a fresh confrontation between Israel and Iran, international media reported.

While The New York Times reported that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been moved to a secure location, Reuters and Middle East Eye said President Masoud Pezeshkian was “safe and sound.”

Explosions were heard across Tehran, Iranian media reported, as Israeli officials confirmed the operation was aimed at neutralising threats linked to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes. The strike has sharply escalated tensions and dimmed prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the long-running dispute between Tehran and Western powers.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the assault was intended to “remove threats to the State of Israel,” calling it a necessary step to counter what Israel views as advancing Iranian military capabilities.

An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with Washington, with the timing finalised weeks in advance. Sirens sounded across Israel as a precaution against possible retaliatory missile fire, and authorities ordered the closure of schools, workplaces and public airspace, allowing only essential services to function. Civilian flights were suspended, and the public was advised to avoid airports.

The latest escalation follows a 12-day air conflict between the two countries in June and repeated warnings from the United States and Israel that further action would follow if Iran continued developing its nuclear and missile programmes.

Diplomatic efforts had resumed as recently as February, with Washington and Tehran exploring a negotiated solution to the decades-old standoff. Israel, however, insisted that any agreement must dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and address its missile capabilities, while Tehran signalled willingness to limit nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief but rejected linking the issue to its missile programme.

Iran has said it will defend itself against any attack and previously warned that countries hosting U.S. forces could face retaliation if American bases were used to launch strikes.

Western governments argue that Iran’s ballistic-missile development threatens regional stability and could eventually be used to deliver nuclear weapons — an accusation Tehran continues to deny, maintaining that its programme is for civilian purposes.

The situation remains volatile, with fears that further military exchanges could widen the conflict across the region.