US Participating In Israeli Strikes On Iran: Report

The United States is participating in the latest round of Israeli strikes against Iran, which began on Saturday, a US official and a person familiar with the operation told news agency AP.

While the extent of the involvement was not immediately clear, an Israeli defence official also told news agency Reuters that the operation had been coordinated with the US. The operation was planned for months and the launch date was decided weeks ago, the official said.

Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday morning and Israel confirmed that it had launched pre-emptive strikes on Iran.

"The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," Defence Minister Israel Katz said as sirens sounded in the country and its airspace was closed. Live Updates

The first strike reportedly targeted areas near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Reuters reported, citing a source, that the Ayatollah was not in the city and has been transferred to a secure location.

The US and Iran have also been engaged in negotiations. On Friday, Trump had said he was not happy with the talks but indicated he would give negotiators more time. 

"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. We're talking later. We're not exactly happy with the way they're negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons," the US president said. 

Asked about the risks of the US getting involved in a long-drawn conflict, he added, "I guess you could say there's always a risk. You know, when there's war, there's a risk of anything, both good and bad."

(With inputs from agencies)