Strikes reported across Middle East after US and Israel launch war on Iran
Tehran carries out extensive retaliatory strikes on Israel and US air bases as region is plunged into fresh conflict
Israel and the US have launched a war on Iran, unleashing waves of air attacks across the country in an attempt to bring about regime change and plunging the region into a conflict that could last weeks or months.
The sudden offensive triggered Iranian retaliatory strikes throughout the day across a swathe of the Middle East, with explosions reported in Israel, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
In a televised address, Donald Trump claimed Operation Epic Fury would end a security threat to the US and give Iranians a chance to “rise up” against their rulers. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the joint attack “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands” and “remove the yoke of tyranny”.
Iranian officials said they had not been surprised by the US attacks and that the consequences would “be long lasting and extensive. All scenarios were on the table including ones that were not previously considered.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened all US bases and interests in the region and said Iran’s retaliation would continue until “the enemy is decisively defeated”.
The first wave of Israeli and US strikes early on Saturday morning targeted senior Iranian officials as well as air defence systems, Israeli military officials said, adding that the offensive would continue as long as necessary to make a change that would last “for years to come”. Satellite images showed extensive damage at the secure compound of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though his whereabouts remains unclear.
Analysts have repeatedly warned in recent weeks that an open-ended US or Israeli military offensive against Iran risked severe regional destabilisation and could bring chaos and violence across much of the Middle East.
Experts cautioned that the unfolding campaign, arguably the most ambitious US effort to alter political realities in the region since the 2003 Iraq war, would have grave economic and political consequences for the region and the world.
The strikes could rattle global markets, particularly if Iran is able to make the Strait of Hormuz unsafe for commercial traffic. A third of worldwide oil exports transported by sea passed through the strait in 2025.
The UN security council called a rare emergency meeting on Saturday to address “the situation in the Middle East”. It was due to start at 4pm (21.00 GMT). Dozens of countries issued statements calling for an immediate de-escalation.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a statement: “The escalation under way is dangerous for everyone. It must stop … The outbreak of war among the United States, Israel and Iran has serious consequences for peace and international security.”
In Iran, there were reports of dozens of explosions across the country including in Tehran. Iranian state media said dozens of pupils had been killed at a primary school in southern Iran.
In response, Iran launched waves of attacks at Israel throughout the day, prompting repeated alerts to Israelis to head for bomb shelters. Two minor injuries were reported, suggesting that most, if not all, incoming projectiles were successfully intercepted by air defence systems or stopped by Israel’s regional allies before reaching Israeli airspace.
Outside Israel, Iran’s retaliatory strikes appear to have focused primarily on US military bases across the Middle East, though some other targets appeared to have been hit. There were reports of attacks in Abu Dhabi, Manama in Bahrain, and near Erbil in northern Iraq.
Experts said Tehran had many other options for retaliation, including cyber-warfare and the use of militant groups it has long supported, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen.
The US-Israeli offensive had been planned for months and involved close cooperation, Israeli military officials said, adding that 70,000 Israeli reservists had been called up, mainly air defence personnel.
The attack began hours after Trump said he was “not happy” about the latest negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme. On Thursday, diplomats from Oman mediated indirect talks between Iran and the US in Geneva and further technical negotiations were due to take place on Tuesday.
Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who has been leading the negotiations, said on X: “Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined.” He was referring to similar Israeli-US attacks during nuclear negotiations last year.
“Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this,” he said. “And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further.”
Oman called on Saturday for all parties to stop fighting, warning of the danger of the conflict escalating into something with “dire consequences for the region”.
The US had built up a large military presence in the region in recent weeks in preparation for an attack, including two aircraft carrier strike groups.
Trump, who repeatedly said he preferred a diplomatic solution to the crisis, told Iranians the “hour of your freedom is at hand”, urging them to rise up and “take over your government” in a video on his Truth Social platform. He offered the Iranian military “immunity” should they surrender, or “certain death” if not.
Israel directly addressed Iranians in a Persian-language post on a dedicated Telegram channel.
“Our Iranian brothers and sisters, you are not alone!” the post said, calling on Iranians to upload photos and video of anti-regime protests. “Together we will return Iran to its glorious days.”
An Israeli official said the supreme leader and Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, were targeted but that the result of the strikes was not clear.
Israeli military officials and an Iranian source close to the establishment said that several political officials and senior commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had been killed.
Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Israel have all closed their airspace, and international airlines have cancelled hundreds of flights to or around the region.
The strikes create a dilemma for many allies of the US. While European leaders firmly oppose Iran’s nuclear programme and crackdowns by its hardline theocracy, they are loath to embrace unilateral military action by Trump that could breach international law and lead to a broader conflict.
It was unclear whether US allies were given any advance warning of the attacks. The German government said it was only given notice on Saturday morning, while France’s junior defence minister said France knew something would happen, but not when.
Macron called on Iran’s leadership to commit to negotiations on its nuclear and ballistic programmes.
“The Iranian people should also be able to build their future freely,” he said. “The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime disqualify it, and necessitate that the people be given a voice.”
A UK government spokesperson reiterated Britain’s support for a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,” they said.
Iranian state television reported that Pezeshkian was “safe and sound”, while the Fars news agency said seven “missile impacts” were reported in the Keshvardoost and Pasteur districts of Tehran.
The strikes come weeks after Iranian authorities killed thousands of people in a crackdown on mass protests, according to rights groups. Trump then promised to intervene to support protesters and ordered the buildup of US forces around Iran.