For a third consecutive day, U.S. and Israeli forces have launched widespread strikes across Iran, targeting more than a thousand sites, including government and military buildings in Tehran. The initial early Saturday assault reportedly killed Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with dozens of senior officials. U.S. and Israeli aircraft and cruise missiles have continued operations aimed at degrading Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.
President Trump, speaking as additional U.S. forces move to the region, said the United States has “the strongest and most powerful” military and “will easily prevail.” He warned the confrontation could last “four or five weeks” and did not rule out the possibility of a U.S. ground operation. U.S. officials say the fighting could extend for a month or longer as both sides sustain and escalate attacks.
Iran’s military has mounted large counterstrikes, firing missiles and launching drones that have hit sites in at least 11 countries across the Middle East. Iranian strikes reportedly struck a U.S. operations center in Kuwait, killing six American service members. In a separate incident in Kuwait, three U.S. F-15 fighter jets were reportedly shot down; all six crew members ejected safely.
The human cost has been high. The Red Crescent reported more than 500 people killed across Iran, and Iranian state media said a strike on a girls’ elementary school killed more than 100 children. Iranian attacks also damaged a hotel in Dubai, an apartment building in Bahrain, and several neighborhoods in Israel, including a strike near Jerusalem that left multiple dead and dozens wounded.
The violence has disrupted travel and daily life across the region: commercial flights have been sharply curtailed, governments have issued missile and rocket alerts urging people to shelter and stay away from windows, and the U.S. State Department evacuated the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, after an unnamed threat. The State Department has also advised Americans to leave 14 countries in the region.
U.S. and Israeli officials say their strikes are systematically aimed at Iran’s missile launchers and military infrastructure. Israeli authorities estimated roughly half of Iran’s launchers have been destroyed and suggested Iran is conserving remaining missile stockpiles. On the battlefield, U.S. fighter jets, aircraft carriers and Tomahawk cruise missiles have been employed in sustained operations.
In public remarks, President Trump honored U.S. troops killed in the fighting and pledged a “ferocious, unyielding resolve” to eliminate the threat posed by Iran. He portrayed the U.S. military as overwhelming and expressed confidence it will prevail, even as allies and partners watch the conflict and civilian casualties mount.
Journalists on the scene say sirens and the constant threat of incoming fire have driven many civilians across Israel and neighboring countries into shelters. Thousands of travelers remain stranded after airlines suspended flights through the region. With missiles reportedly streaking toward Israel, U.S. officials continue to move forces and equipment into the area as the crisis enters what they describe as an especially dangerous and volatile phase.