Operation 'Epic Fury': Israel, US launch attacks against Iran
Smoke rising from an explosion in Tehran caused by Israeli airstrikes. PHOTO: X
Israel and the US conducted joint strikes against Iran on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to the West's long-standing agenda to denuclearise Iran, despite Iran's repeated assertions that it will not pursue nuclear weapons.
According to the Fars news agency, explosions have been heard in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah. Explosions can also be heard in the Iranian city of Tabriz in the northwest.
A source told Reuters that Iranian officials were the main target of the first US-Israel attack wave.
According to Iran's state media, the port city of Bushehr has been attacked. It is unclear whether the Bushehr nuclear power plant was damaged. According to the Israeli military, multiple missile barrages have been launched from Iran towards Israel, and Israeli air defence systems are operating to intercept them.
The Tasnim news agency has confirmed this: according to the IRGC, a first wave of missile and drone attacks was launched against Israel in retaliation.
Bahrain's state news agency states that the service centre of the US Fifth Fleet had come under missile attack.
The air defence system in Iran has been activated, as per the Tasnim news agency.
Witness reports in Abu Dhabi state that loud "bangs" can be heard, and other witnesses state that smoke can be seen from Bahrain's Juffair housing area near a US Navy base.
Several ministries in the south have been targeted, an Iranian official told Reuters, and seven missiles hit the area near the presidential palace and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's compound, according to the Tasnim news agency.
The Iranian health ministry stated that hospitals are on alert, as a US official tells Reuters that the US military is expected to carry out a multi-day operation against Iran.
BREAKING: War on Iran starts.
Israel has just hit Tehran. pic.twitter.com/ZUxiXLIBqNAn official told Reuters that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location, and the news agency Mehr is reporting that Iran's President is "safe". The New York Times, citing a US official, reported that US strikes on Iran were underway.
US strikes are being launched by air and sea, a US official tells Reuters. Speaking to CNN, a US official claims that the strikes are "only on military targets".
Previously, an Iranian official said that Tehran is preparing for retaliation, "The response will be crushing."
The sound of three explosions in central Tehran pic.twitter.com/LrxS3t9r0X
"The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Israeli Defence officials state that this operation was planned months ago, with the launch date decided some weeks prior. They added that this attack was coordinated with the US, and the US has planned "several days of attacks" against Iran.
Iranian state media says that mobile phone lines have been cut in parts of western and eastern Tehran, and internet connectivity has been weakened in some areas. International monitor Netblocks says that, according to network data, Iran is now under a near-total media blackout.
Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, and 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.
They stated that their forces are deployed and ready for an offensive "across all sectors", adding that air force strikes will continue across Iran as needed.
The attack comes after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war in June, following repeated US-Israeli threats that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
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 has repeatedly said that it has never sought nuclear weapons.
Always pleased to engage with President Erdoğan and FM Fidan on Iran-Turkiye bilateral relations and regional issues of common concern.
In our conversations, I reiterated that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and is ready to embrace a fair and equitable nuclear deal that… pic.twitter.com/YLEHYpUkgmIran 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.
Trump's video address
US President Donald Trump, in a video address, said the US is carrying out "major operations" in Iran.
"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating immediate threats from the Iranian regime."
He added that Iran can "never have a nuclear weapon," claiming that they tried to rebuild their nuclear program despite repeated Iranian assertions to the contrary.
He said they are developing "long-range missiles" that "threaten the US."
"We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground...we're going to annihilate their navy... Americans may be lost, and we may have casualties."
Trump addressed the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, telling them to "lay down their arms...You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death."
In a statement to Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the US and Israel have embarked on an operation to remove the "existential threat" posed by the Iranian regime."
"The operation will create conditions for Iranian people to take destiny into their own hands."
Pakistani reactions
Pakistan’s air traffic controllers have been directed to maintain strict monitoring of the country’s airspace. Air traffic controllers have also been instructed to closely monitor the Iran-Afghanistan region and adjoining airspace.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a travel advisory for Pakistani nationals regarding Iran, advising against all non-mandatory travel.
🔊PR No.5️⃣7️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Travel Advisory for Pakistani Nationals Regarding Iranhttps://t.co/ON0V0mPmlM
🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Z2bIessIfPPakistani airlines have been ordered not to use Iranian airspace.
Spokesperson of the Jafaria Alliance, Allama Baqir Zaidi, released a statement condemning Israel’s attack on Iran.
"Israel has initiated war and put the region at risk," he said. "The people of Pakistan stand with the Iranian people."
Chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, said that the joint US and Israeli attack on Iran is open terrorism. "The entire region is being pushed into war. Once again, the United States used negotiations as a deception."
"Donald Trump’s 'Board of Peace' is in fact a 'Board of War'," he said, adding that the US and Israel have put the entire Middle East at risk to achieve their "sinister objectives".
He called upon Muslim rulers to open their eyes, as over the past 25 years, several stable Muslim countries have been targeted under US "patronage", spreading chaos and conflict there, he said.
"Pakistan’s rulers should also remember this lesson: the United States is no one’s friend."
Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has condemned Israel’s attack on Iran.
Bilawal termed Israeli aggression against Iran alarming for peace in the region. "To cover up its atrocities in Gaza, Israel carried out a cowardly attack on Iran. The United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation should take all possible measures to stop Israeli aggression against Iran."
"The international community should take notice of Israel’s open violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.
International reactions
The US embassy in Jerusalem has directed their governement employees to go to shelters until further notice, as well as the US embassy in Bahrain.
The Israeli airport authority has stated that land crossings to Egypt and Jordan remain open.
Iraq has closed its airspace, according to its state news agency.
The Russian transport ministry has stated that due to airspace closures, alternate flight plans have been worked out in advance, but that flight times will increase due to distance. Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said that Trump, "the peacemaker," has once again shown his true colours.
The US Embassy in Qatar has issued a duck and cover warning to US citizens until further notice, warning that an Iranian missile strike is imminent. Before this, it had implemented a shelter-in-place order for all personnel, urging American citizens in the country to take similar precautions.
In a message posted on X, the embassy recommended that all U.S. nationals in Qatar shelter in place until further notice.
Message for U.S. Citizens:
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar is implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel. We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice.
Actions to Take:
- Find a secure location within your residence or another safe building. Have a supply of… pic.twitter.com/ENogjpfK5rThe embassy advised Americans to find a secure location within their residence or another safe building and to ensure they had adequate supplies of food, water, medication and other essential items.
The US embassy in the UAE has implemented shelter-in-place protocols for all personnel.
The Lebanese Prime Minister issued a statement saying, "We will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity," in an indirect message to the armed group Hezbollah.
Lufthansa has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Oman.
The Polish president was aware of strikes on Iran thanks to "communication channels with allies."
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's powerful Security Council, chided US President Donald Trump for the attack on Iran and questioned Washington's staying power given the relatively short history of the United States compared to that of Persia's civilisation.
"The peacemaker once again showed his face," Medvedev, a former Russian president, said. "All negotiations with Iran are a cover operation. No one doubted it. No one really wanted to negotiate anything."
"The question is who has more patience to wait for the inglorious end of their enemy. The USA is only 249 years old. The Persian Empire was founded more than 2,500 years ago. Let's see in 100 years…"
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly