BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Iran’s Foreign Ministry declared on Saturday that the country “will not hesitate” in responding to a sweeping joint military assault by the United States and Israel, signaling a potentially dangerous new phase in the long-running confrontation between Tehran and its adversaries.
In a statement posted on social media, the ministry said the time had come to defend the homeland and confront what it described as an enemy military aggression. The message came hours after coordinated strikes hit multiple targets across Iran, including locations in the capital, Tehran.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that American forces had begun what he called “major combat operations in Iran,” framing the campaign as both a response to decades of hostility from Tehran and a decisive effort to counter its nuclear ambitions. In a video address, Trump accused Iran’s leadership of waging sustained violence against American interests and allies and urged the Iranian people to ultimately “take over your government” once the operation concluded — a striking appeal that suggested objectives extending beyond military deterrence.
The first wave of strikes appeared to target the heavily secured compound associated with Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in central Tehran. It was not immediately clear whether he was present at the time. Witnesses in the capital reported hearing powerful explosions, and plumes of smoke were seen rising over several districts. Authorities shut down roads leading to key government sites as additional blasts reverberated across the city.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s participation in the operation, describing Iran as an existential threat and saying the joint action was intended to eliminate that danger. He added that the campaign would create conditions for the Iranian people to determine their own future, echoing Trump’s remarks.
According to an official briefed on the operation, Israeli targets included military installations, intelligence facilities and symbolic centers of state authority. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details that had not been made public.
The confrontation quickly widened beyond Iran’s borders. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had launched a “first wave” of drones and missiles toward Israel in retaliation. Sirens sounded nationwide in Israel as air defense systems activated to intercept incoming projectiles. Explosions were reported in several areas as interceptions took place. There were no immediate confirmed reports of casualties, though emergency services and hospitals moved into crisis mode, transferring some patients and sensitive procedures to fortified underground units.
In the Gulf, authorities in Bahrain said a missile attack targeted the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Witnesses in Kuwait and Qatar reported hearing sirens and blasts. Iraq and the United Arab Emirates temporarily closed their airspace as a precaution, while warning systems were activated in Jordan.
The Iranian-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen signaled that it would resume attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and on Israeli targets, according to senior officials familiar with the group’s position. Such actions could threaten one of the world’s most vital maritime trade routes and further destabilize the region.
Trump asserted that the military campaign followed months of mounting pressure aimed at compelling Iran to curb its nuclear program. The United States had assembled additional fighter aircraft, naval assets and air defense systems in the region in recent weeks. The president claimed Tehran had continued advancing its nuclear capabilities and missile development despite diplomatic overtures. He acknowledged the possibility of American casualties, noting that such risks accompany warfare.
Iran has insisted that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes and has maintained a self-imposed limit on the range of its ballistic missiles to approximately 2,000 kilometers, placing much of the Middle East within reach but not extending to intercontinental distances. Western governments have long criticized Iran’s missile and space programs, arguing they could eventually provide a pathway to longer-range delivery systems.
Tensions had already been elevated following a brief but intense 12-day conflict earlier this year between Israel and Iran that damaged several strategic facilities. Since then, international inspectors have faced restrictions in accessing certain sites, raising concerns in Western capitals about the transparency of Tehran’s nuclear activities. Satellite imagery in recent weeks has indicated renewed activity at some previously targeted locations.
Iranian state media reported that strikes were carried out across multiple provinces on Saturday, though officials provided no immediate casualty figures. In Tehran, residents described chaotic scenes as authorities restricted access to central districts and security forces increased their presence.
U.S. embassies and consulates in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Israel instructed personnel to shelter in place and advised American citizens in those countries to do the same until further notice.
The scope and coordination of the operation, combined with Tehran’s swift retaliation, have intensified fears of a broader regional war. While the United States and Israel have emphasized neutralizing security threats, Iran’s leadership has framed the assault as a direct attack on national sovereignty, pledging a response that could extend well beyond its borders.
As missiles and drones crossed skies from the Levant to the Gulf, the crisis marked one of the most significant escalations in decades of hostility between Iran, Israel and the United States — with the potential to reshape the balance of power across the Middle East.
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