Explosions have been heard in downtown Tehran, as Israel announced it had launched a missile attack on the country.

Several missiles have struck University Street and the Jomhouri area in Tehran, Fars news agency reported. Some was seen rising in the city, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground.

“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

The Associated Press news agency reports that strike in Iran’s capital, happened near offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.