U.S. Attack on Iran: Air Defense Systems Activated and Explosions Heard in Tehran

Air defense systems were activated in Iran and several explosions were heard after the U.S. defense secretary threatened a powerful strike. A senior U.S. official confirmed, the attack has begun. The United States launched strikes in Iran overnight, Thursday, a senior U.S. official confirmed, after reports that air defense systems had been activated in several areas of the country. Among other places, the systems were reported to have been activated in Fars province, on Qeshm Island and in the capital, Tehran. In addition, explosions were reported on Kish Island, on Qeshm Island and in Sirik near the Strait of Hormuz.

A few minutes earlier, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters that the United States would “hit hard” in Iran tonight. “CENTCOM will be busy tonight. We will bomb key facilities in Iran, the strikes will be hard and clear,” he said. He added that the operations “will advance U.S. military interests and advance Washington’s diplomatic position.”

Earlier, Axios reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had convened a Situation Room meeting at the White House about the possibility of additional American strikes against Iran. The meeting took place hours after Trump told reporters that the United States would “hit Iran again hard today.” Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Cain, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior officials took part in the meeting. Hegseth participated from U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

American officials said one option under consideration by the president is a broad but short-term operation aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran and causing it to change its position in the negotiations with Washington. Against the backdrop of the meeting, mediators from Qatar held talks over the past day with senior Iranian officials in Tehran, in an effort to revive contacts around the agreement the countries have been negotiating in recent weeks.

Earlier in the evening, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee hinted at a significant expected attack. “Things may get a little ‘hot’ in the neighborhood soon,” Huckabee wrote on his X account. In response, Iranian President Pezeshkian wrote: “Threats to strike infrastructure are not a show of strength, but a sign of despair. Iran will stand firm against any pressure or threat.”