At the heart of the current crisis lies Israel’s fear that Iran is nearing the development of a nuclear weapon — a red line it has long vowed to prevent. Israel’s latest airstrikes reportedly targeted uranium enrichment facilities and military sites suspected of aiding Iran’s nuclear programme.

The attack comes after decades of mutual hostility and a long-running shadow war of covert strikes and sabotage.

Israel launched an unprecedented attack against Iran on Friday, targeting its nuclear program and military leaders. Iran began retaliatory strikes on Friday night.