The United States and Israel have launched a major joint military offensive against Iran, dubbed “Operation Fury,” with explosions heard and seen in Tehran and other cities early this morning.
The strikes follow months of military build-up and escalating tensions, with both nations saying the campaign aims to eliminate “imminent threats” posed by Iran’s regime.
Iran has responded with missile launches toward Israel and vowed a “crushing” retaliation.
This live blog will carry continuous updates on the conflict, battlefield developments, political reactions and global implications.
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Israel says it has completed strikes on Iran’s defense systems
Israel’s military says it has completed a “broad strike on strategic defense systems of the Iranian regime. The IDF struck multiple strategic aerial defense systems, including an advanced SA-65 system in the Kermanshah area of western Iran.”
Russia condemns “unprovoked aggression” against Iran
Lavrov said the strikes “completely disregard the grave consequences for regional and global stability” and violate fundamental international legal pillars.
Iran is ready to talk – Foreign Minister
Iran says it has the right to defend itself and will consider no limits in doing so after the United States and Israel launched military attacks Saturday morning.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC Iran is however open to dialogue once the military strikes end.
“This is a war of choice by the United States, and they have to pay for that,” he added. “But as far as we are concerned, we don’t want war.”
“We are not, we are not the one who started this aggression,” he added. “It was the United States and Israel who started this aggression. So there is no limit for us to defend ourselves, but once the aggression is stopped, we would also stop our self-defense.”
“There is no communication right now,” Araghchi said. “But if Americans want to talk to us. They know how they can contact me. We are certainly interested in de-escalation.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is alive.
Speaking with NBC from Tehran where a large part of the country remains without internet, Araghchi insist the country’s leader remains alive “as far as I know,”.
The minister also confirmed at least two commanders have been killed in Israeli strikes earlier today but denied earlier reports that a number of the regime’s senior officials have been killed. “All high-ranking officials are alive,” he said. “So everybody is now in its position, and we are handling this situation, and everything is fine.”
On Saturday morning, United States and Israel announced they have launched a major attack on Iran, with President Donald Trump saying they will destroy the country’s military, obliterate its military program, and could even topple its regime.
Saudi Arabia condemns strikes by Iran on UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan
Saudi Arabia has released the statement below on X:
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the treacherous Iranian aggression and the blatant violation of the sovereignty of each of the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, affirming its full solidarity and standing by the side of the sister states, and placing all its capabilities at their disposal to support them in all measures they take, and warning of the grave consequences of the continued violation of the sovereignty of states and the principles of international law.”
Trump says he wants “freedom” for the Iranian people
US President Donald Trump says his main concern is “freedom” for the Iranian people.
“All I want is freedom for the people,” Trump has told the Washington Post, speaking with the newspaper in a brief phone call just after 04:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Saturday.
Asked about what he hoped the legacy of the military operation would be, he said: “I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have.”
Iran hits back with attacks targeting U.S. bases and Israel
Iran has launched strikes on Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Tehran and other Iranian cities early Saturday.
Several blasts were reported in Jerusalem following air raid sirens in the city, after the Israeli military said it had detected multiple barrages of missiles launched from Iran.
“An additional barrage of missiles was launched towards the State of Israel. The public is requested to continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command, the public is requested to stay in protected spaces until official notice,” the military said in a statement.
U.S. labels Iran strikes ‘OPERATION EPIC FURY’
The U.S. Department of War said on Saturday that US strikes against Iran were named “OPERATION EPIC FURY.”
Netanyahu: Time for Iranians to take destiny into their own hands
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran launched on Saturday “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.”
“For 47 years, the Ayatollah regime has cried ‘Death to Israel’, ‘Death to America’. It spilled our blood, murdered many Americans and slaughtered its own people. We must not allow this murderous terrorist regime to arm itself with nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said.
“It’s time for all the people of Iran… to shed from themselves the burden of tyranny and bring forth a free and peace-seeking Iran.”
Trump announces “major combat operations” in Iran by the U.S.
US President Donald Trump said the United States had begun “major combat operations” in Iran.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said in a statement on X.
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We are going to annihilate their navy.”
He added that the US would ensure “that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.”
In a direct appeal to Iranians, Trump said: “Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.”
Israel’s operation against Iran “coordinated with US”
Israel’s Saturday operation against Iran was a long-preplanned mission coordinated closely with U.S. officials.
According to an Israeli defense source, the strike had been in development for months, with the specific launch window finalized weeks before the first missiles were fired.
Reuters
Iran’s supreme leader “transferred to secure location”
Reuters quotes an official as saying that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location.
It comes after Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday, with multiple explosions reported in Tehran.
Reuters
Israel confirms Iran attack, prepares for possible retaliation
Israel has confirmed it attacked Iran early Saturday.
An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with the United States, and that the launch date was decided weeks ago.
Sirens sounded across Israel in what the military said was a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of an incoming missile strike.
Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights, and the airports authority asked the public not to go to any of the country’s airports. The Israeli military has announced the closure of schools and workplaces, with exceptions for essential sectors, and a ban on public airspace.
Explosions in Tehran
Loud blasts were reported in Tehran, the Iranian capital, on Saturday morning, and plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the city.
“The type of explosions suggests that this is a missile attack,” the Fars news agency reported, without immediately providing further details.
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