The United States and Israel have launched coordinated strikes against Iran, with Israel shutting its airspace to civilian flights as tensions rapidly escalated across the region.
Early reports indicate that at least one U.S. official described the operation as “not a small strike” and that in response, U.S. bases in Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait have been targeted.
The action followed an announcement from Israel’s defense ministry of a “pre-emptive strike” against Iran. Sirens sounded in Jerusalem, and residents nationwide received mobile alerts warning of an “extremely serious” threat.
A statement from the ministry read: “The State of Israel has launched a pre-emptive strike against Iran. Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared a special and immediate state of emergency throughout the country.”
Iranian state television confirmed what it called an “aerial aggression by the Zionist regime” targeting the country.
The Fars news agency reported “seven missile impacts” in Tehran’s Keshvardoost and Pasteur districts, areas that include the residence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. AFP journalists in Tehran said two loud blasts were heard on Saturday morning local time, with plumes of thick smoke rising over central and eastern parts of the capital.
The Fars news agency stated: “The type of explosions suggests this is a missile attack,” without immediately providing further details.
In a separate development, the Israeli military posted on Telegram: “In response to Hezbollah’s repeated violations of the ceasefire understandings, the IDF is striking Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” using its official acronym.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed American involvement in a video posted to Truth Social, stating that the military had begun “major combat operations” in Iran.
Trump added: “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”
He further stated: “Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world.”
Trump concluded: “For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted Death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops and the innocent people in many countries.”
