Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on Israel killing at least three people, after a series of Israeli attacks struck the heart of Iran's nuclear program

After Israel carried out a preemptive strike on Iran, Tehran launched missile strikes on Israeli targets and called nuclear talks with the US 'meaningless', accusing Washington of complicity

The United States is the main international backer of Israel, Iran's biggest regional foe. It is also a close ally of Sunni Gulf monarchies which for years pursued their own rivalry with the Islamic Republic, seeing it as their main regional threat.

The obsession began long before headlines declared centrifuges spinning in Natanz or uranium being enriched to near-weapons grade. It dates back to 2002, when secret Iranian nuclear facilities came to light.

National security experts warn that Israel's attack on Iran shows why Chinese land and asset purchases in the U.S. pose a significant threat to American security.

Sirens sounded in Israel as Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles in retaliation for Israel's strikes on its nuclear facilities.

The retaliatory strikes came after Israel attacked Iran, killing top military leaders and scientists. The assault destroyed an aboveground nuclear enrichment plant near Natanz, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said.

The United States has pulled some diplomatic staff and military families out of the Middle East, citing unspecified regional security risks.