U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iran early Saturday in what officials described as an unprecedentedly planned operation. A senior Israeli military official told reporters the joint action followed weeks of extensive planning and said the campaign would continue “as long as necessary” to cripple Iran’s capabilities. Assessments of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal range from the high hundreds to the low thousands, the official said.
President Trump announced on social media that the U.S. had begun “major combat operations in Iran,” later describing the campaign as a “massive and ongoing operation” to destroy Iran’s missile industry, annihilate its navy and degrade proxies that destabilize the region. He warned the strikes could cost American lives and urged Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and security forces to lay down their weapons, offering immunity to those who surrender while urging Iranian civilians to “take over your government” after the operation. He also said his aim was freedom for the Iranian people and a “safe nation.”
Sources told CBS News the first round of strikes targeted sites near Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Masoud Pezeshkian; the AP reported early strikes appeared to target Khamenei’s home in Tehran, though Iranian media said leaders were safe. Iranian outlets reported strikes across multiple cities, including Tehran, Isfahan (near a major nuclear facility), Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah, Lorestan and Tabriz.
Iran responded with multiple missile volleys. The Israel Defense Forces said a second barrage of missiles was launched toward Israel and reported intercepts; alerts and emergency sirens sounded across Israel and a national state of emergency was declared. Iran also launched attacks aimed at U.S. facilities across the region, and Iranian state media claimed U.S. bases in the Middle East were being targeted, naming bases in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain. Local reports said a missile attack on Abu Dhabi killed one person, the first reported fatality from Iran’s counterattacks.
Sources reported missiles targeted a major U.S. base in Bahrain — the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters — and U.S. bases in Jordan. Explosions were heard in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, where the defense ministry said missiles had been intercepted. There were no immediate confirmations of direct hits on U.S. bases in initial reports.
U.S. embassies across the Middle East issued shelter-in-place warnings for staff and advised U.S. citizens to shelter in secure locations in at least five countries, including Jordan, Israel, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. Flights were canceled or diverted as Israel closed its airspace; airlines including Air France and Lufthansa suspended regional services.
NetBlocks reported a near-total internet blackout in Iran, with national connectivity dropping to about 4% of ordinary levels, echoing tactics used during earlier protests. The Israeli military posted warnings in Farsi urging Iranians to stay away from military installations and to evacuate areas near military-industrial sites, saying those locations were dangerous.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the operation — which he named “The Roar of the Lion” — intended to “remove the existential threat” posed by Iran and create conditions for the Iranian people to determine their own future. The U.S. Defense Department appeared to dub the strikes “Operation Epic Fury.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. and Israeli assault as a gross violation of territorial integrity and vowed its armed forces would use “all their might and resources” to repel the aggression. Iran’s supreme leader had earlier warned that U.S. strikes would spark a “regional war.”
Political reactions were divided. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham praised the operation as “necessary and long justified.” Democratic Sen. John Fetterman expressed support for the strikes, while Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Iraq War veteran, criticized the action and warned Americans should not die for “a war that hasn’t been explained or justified.”
Allied and regional leaders weighed in. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese voiced support for U.S. action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and criticized the Iranian regime’s human rights record. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, urged Iranians to return to the streets and called on security forces to side with the people.
Background: The strikes follow months of heightened U.S. pressure over Iran’s nuclear program and proxy activities. The U.S. and Iran held multiple rounds of talks earlier this year aimed at a nuclear accord, but negotiations stalled. The U.S. had previously struck three Iranian nuclear facilities in June. In the weeks before the latest strikes, the U.S. surged naval and air assets to the region, including at least two aircraft carriers and multiple escort ships and warplanes.
Domestic context in Iran includes large anti-government protests in late 2025 and early 2026, which drew international attention and U.S. threats of consequences if the regime violently suppressed demonstrators. Trump has framed recent threats and strikes as aimed at preventing a nuclear-armed Iran and weakening the regime’s ability to fund and arm proxies across the Middle East.
Civilian and infrastructure impacts were emerging: Iranian media reported strikes in multiple cities, and international travel and communications were severely disrupted. Emergency measures and shelter orders remained in effect across regional U.S. posts and allied countries. The situation remained fluid, with missile exchanges and counterstrikes continuing as officials on multiple sides warned of further escalations.
