DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel launched airstrikes early Monday targeting central and western Iran in response to missile fire from Tehran, attacks that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a regional war.Monday marked the 100th day of the Iran war, launched Feb.28 when Israel and the United States killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders.
The war raged until reaching a nominal ceasefire on April 8, but a permanent end to the hostilities have been challenged by Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime, as well as fighting between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.With global energy supplies threatened, Iran still holding a vast stockpile of highly enriched uranium and even Yemen's Houthi rebels apparently getting involved in the fighting Monday, the risks of the war fully erupting again appears to be rising.Iranian state television reported the sound of explosions being heard in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz and Tehran, without immediately elaborating.A witness in Tehran described hearing at least one large blast somewhere to the west of the country's capital city.
Iran closed the airspace around Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, the country's main airfield, after the Israeli attack.Sirens sounded across Israel on Monday after its military said a missile launched from Yemen targeted the country, without elaborating.Israel's rescue services said there were no reports of casualties or impacts from the launch from Yemen.Yemen is home to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
The Houthis have fired missiles at Israel during the Israel-Hamas war and later, but haven't been fully involved in the Iran war.The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take them hours or even days to acknowledge their assaults.In Iran, officials offered no details on what had been struck, nor any damage informat...