It also wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei was in his offices at the time. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said a state of emergency has been declared in Israel. Authorities have instructed residents to remain close to designated safe rooms, though they have not been ordered to enter them at this stage.

As the strikes unfolded, Israel’s intelligence agency, the Mossad, issued a message in Persian on its official Telegram channel, appealing directly to the Iranian public. In the statement, the agency said it had created a secure and dedicated Telegram platform for Iranians and urged them to join. “Our Iranian brothers and sisters, you are not alone,” the message read. “Together we will return Iran to its glorious days.” The Mossad also encouraged people inside Iran to send photos and videos documenting what it described as their “just struggle against the regime.”

Our Global Desk is verifying reports of maritime movement in the Strait of Hormuz and monitoring live statements from US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Stay tuned for real-time alerts, satellite imagery analysis, and diplomatic breakthroughs.