Israel launched a "preemptive" strike against Iran on Saturday, igniting renewed military tensions in the Middle East. Experts said the attack further diminishes prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the long-standing nuclear dispute between Tehran and the West. The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day conflict last June, follows repeated US-Israeli threats that they would strike again under the pretext of Iran's nuclear enrichment and its ballistic missile program. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, while Iran's state media said the country is preparing for a "a crushing response" to the attacks, according to a CNN report. Witnesses in Iran reported a large explosion, though there was no immediate comment from the government about the blast. "The State of Israel launched a preemptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, decl...