US and Israel launch attacks on Iran

The US and Israel have launched attacks on Iran, which is a country in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump said in a video that the American military has begun "major combat operations" in Iran.

In a statement, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country was working with the US to remove what he called a threat to both countries.

It comes after US talks with Iran to try and stop them from developing a nuclear weapon, something that Iran denies it is doing.

Responding to the attacks, the Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country would act in self-defence, and use all its military means to protect itself.

The UK did not take part in the US-Israeli strikes.

On Saturday morning, explosions were heard across cities in Iran, including the country's capital, Tehran.

The Iranian news channel IRINN, which is run by people in charge of the country, also reported on the strikes.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that these were a "pre-emptive attack" against Iran, which means that they believed Iran was planning to attack Israel first.

A state of emergency has been declared across Israel, and warning sirens have been in place.

The country's military, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), has said that Iran has fired missiles at Israel in response.

Explosions - thought to be Iranian attacks - have been heard in the nearby countries of Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. All of those countries are allies of the US, and Iran had said previously it would target US military bases in the region if it was attacked.

In a video posted on his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump told Iran's military that "you must lay down your weapons".

His message to the people of Iran was: "Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside."

He told Iranians that "When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take."

"For many years, you have asked for America's help... Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let's see how you respond."

Israel is a country in the Middle East, with a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. In 1948 Israel was created as a homeland for Jewish people, following World War Two and the Holocaust.

Iran is also a country in the Middle East, bordering many countries including Afghanistan in the east and Iraq in the west.

In Iran, most people follow the Shia interpretation of Islam. It is an Islamic Republic, where religious leaders have a big say in the running of the country.

Israel and Iran have been enemies for many years, but in recent times the tension between the countries has resulted in military attacks on each other.

The US has traditionally been a strong ally, or friend, of Israel, and supported Israeli attacks on Iran last year. Donald Trump also ordered American strikes on Iran, targeting what he said were sites which were developing Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons are extremely powerful explosive bombs that get their energy from splitting or joining tiny particles inside an atom.

Nuclear bombs can be more powerful than even the biggest non-nuclear bombs. The explosions they produce are so powerful that just one nuclear bomb can destroy a large city.

There are five legally recognised nuclear weapons states: Britain, France, the US, China and Russia.

They mostly developed their nuclear weapons following World War Two, although China was slightly later in the mid-1960s.

There are other countries which claim to have nuclear weapons - North Korea, India and Pakistan - and it is widely believed Israel has them too, although it has not confirmed or denied this.

Iran has been long suspected of trying to build a nuclear bomb, which it has always denied.

It says its nuclear research is for peaceful purposes, like making electricity. For many years a United Nations body (called the IAEA) has said that Iran has not been following rules on sharing information about its nuclear programme.

In President Donald Trump's video statement after launching the attack, he said that Iran "can never have a nuclear weapon" and that Americans "will never be threatened by a nuclear armed Iran".

Around the world, flights have been cancelled to, or diverted around, affected areas in the Middle East.

A spokesperson from the UK government has said that " Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region", adding that they do "not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict".

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to chair a meeting of the government's Cobra committee, which is where senior ministers and officials gather to plan an emergency response to a crisis.

Norway's foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, has called the US-Israeli strike "not in line with international law".

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that they "support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon" and that "Australia stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression."