Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, is no longer in Tehran and has been moved to a secure location, according to an Iranian official who spoke to Reuters.
The development comes after Israel and the United States carried out preemptive strikes on Iran early Saturday morning. Explosions were reported across Tehran, while Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency.
At the time of the surprise assault by the Israel Defense Forces, authorities issued an urgent nationwide advisory, instructing citizens to remain close to protected spaces.
“This is a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the State of Israel,” the military said in a statement.