Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West.
The New York Times, citing a US official, reported that US strikes on Iran were underway.
US strikes against Iran are being carried out by air and sea, a US official told Reuters on Saturday.
A source told Reuters that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.
US President Donald Trump later confirmed on Saturday that the United States has launched “major combat operations” in Iran, following Israeli pre-emptive air strikes earlier in the day.
In an eight-minute video posted on his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump said the operations are aimed at eliminating imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime and preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said.
“Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. They are attempting to rebuild their nuclear programme and developing long-range missiles that threaten the United States and others.”
Trump added that the US military would target Iran’s missile capabilities, naval forces, and infrastructure, vowing to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground” while ensuring Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons.
The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war in June, follows repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with Washington, and that the launch date was decided weeks ago.
Explosions were reported across multiple Iranian cities, according to local media.
The Fars news agency said blasts were heard in cities including Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.
In Tehran, several missiles reportedly struck University Street and the Republic area, with smoke rising over the city centre, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
The US operations mark a significant escalation in tensions following Israel’s confirmation of a pre-emptive strike against Iran, heightening concerns of a wider conflict in the region.
Iran is preparing for retaliation after Israel launched an attack on Saturday, an Iranian official told Reuters.
The official said the response is set to be crushing.
Sirens sounded across Israel around 08:15 local time in what the military said was a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of an incoming missile strike.
The Israeli military announced the closure of schools and workplaces, with exceptions for essential sectors, and a ban on public airspace.
Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights, and the airport authority asked the public not to go to any of the country’s airports.
The US and Iran renewed negotiations in February in a bid to resolve the decades-long dispute through diplomacy and avert the threat of a military confrontation that could destabilise the region.
Israel, however, insisted that any US deal with Iran must include the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, not just stopping the enrichment process, and lobbied Washington to include restrictions on Iran’s missile programme in the talks.
Iran said it was prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions, but ruled out linking the issue to missiles.
Tehran also said it would defend itself against any attack.
It warned neighbouring countries hosting US troops that it would retaliate against American bases if Washington struck Iran.
In June, the US joined an Israeli military campaign against Iranian nuclear installations, in the most direct American military action ever against the Islamic Republic.
Tehran retaliated by launching missiles toward the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest in the Middle East.
Western powers have warned that Iran’s ballistic missile project threatens regional stability and could deliver nuclear weapons if developed. Tehran denies seeking atomic bombs.
