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In a dramatic escalation of long-standing tensions, the United States and Israel launched a series of military strikes against Iran early Saturday morning. This concerted effort came after weeks of intensifying friction between Washington and Tehran.
In response, Iran swiftly retaliated by deploying drones and ballistic missiles targeting Israel as well as several Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. These actions have heightened the already volatile situation in the region.
The military campaign, known as “Operation Epic Fury,” commenced just after midnight. The primary objective of the strikes was to dismantle Iran’s regime security infrastructure and neutralize sites identified as posing an “imminent threat,” according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command (Centcom).
President Trump had been contemplating military action against Iran for several weeks. On Friday, he expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of nuclear negotiations involving Iranian officials, which may have influenced the decision to proceed with military intervention.
In the aftermath of the strikes, Iran’s foreign minister remarked on Saturday morning that the nation “may have lost one of two commanders.” However, he confirmed that other senior figures, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “as far as I know,” had survived the attack.
Here are the five takeaways:
US, Israel target key government buildings and military assets
The U.S. and Israel began the large-scale operation at 1:15 a.m. ET, targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control facilities, ballistic missile and drone launch sites, military airfields and Iranian air defense systems.
The Israeli Air Force conducted the largest military flyover in the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) history, with over 200 jets striking Iran’s missile sites and the IRGC’s air defense systems in western and central Iran, the IDF said on Saturday.
The joint mission killed more than 200 people in Iran and injured nearly 750, Iran’s Red Crescent said to Iranian state TV, adding that the strikes hit 24 out of the 31 provinces.
One of the sites the Israeli Air Force targeted was a launching site of surface-to-surface missiles in Tabriz. The IDF said its forces hit more than 500 targets, including Iranian missile launchers and aerial defense systems.
Thick, black smoke could be seen from a burning ship in Iran’s Kanarak naval base, according to satellite imagery provided by Vantor. Drones were dispersed and the runway was blocked at the Konarak drone strip.
The U.S. military fired munitions from air, land and sea assets in the region, according the Centcom, which added that its Task Force Scorpion Strike used its low-cost, one-way attack drones for the first time in combat.
Centcom said it was looking into reports that strikes hit a girls’ school in southern Iran, which Iranian officials said killed more than 80 students.
“The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm,” Capt. Tim Hawkins, the Centcom spokesperson, said in a statement.
The U.S. military successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian drone and missile attacks and there were no reports of U.S. service member casualties or related injuries, according to Centcom.
The command added that the damage to U.S. installations was “minimal and has not impacted operations.”
“Operation Epic Fury involves the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation,” Centcom said in a statement.
Iran strikes back at US bases across Middle East, spurring threats of retaliation
Iran quickly pulled Gulf states off the sidelines on Saturday with drone and missile strikes on U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait — as well as a barrage of attacks on Israel.
Saudi Arabia announced it would aid countries in repelling Iranian attacks.
“Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed the Kingdom’s full solidarity with the countries concerned and its firm support for them, stating that it would mobilize all its capabilities to assist them in any measures they undertake,” the ministry said in a statement.
The UAE, in a statement, emphasized that the country’s security is “indivisible” from its Gulf neighbors “and that any infringement on the sovereignty of any state constitutes a direct threat to the security and stability of the entire region.”
Bahrain and Qatar also said they reserved the right to retaliate. Qatar also called for “efforts to contain the crisis in a manner that preserves the security of the region, safeguards the interests of its peoples, and prevents a slide into broader confrontations.”
Iran’s foreign ministry called on Muslim and non-aligned states to demand an urgent meeting of the UN security council.
In a post on X, it said, “all bases, facilities, and assets of hostile forces in the region are considered legitimate military targets. Iran will exercise this inherent right decisively until the aggression is completely and unequivocally halted.”
Trump eyes regime change; Pahlavi previews ‘final action’
Trump in his video posted overnight on Saturday urged members of Iran’s military to lay down their arms and called on Iranians to topple the hardline regime that has controlled the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
“Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it,” he said.
“Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let’s see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force,” he added. “This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.”
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, who helped lead mass protests in the country last month, told Iranians to lie low for now and follow his messages online or over radio waves.
“Stay vigilant and ready so that, at the appropriate time—which I will announce to you precisely—you can return to the streets for the final action,” he said in a post on X.
“We are very close to final victory. I want to be by your side as soon as possible so that together we can take back and rebuild Iran,” he added.
Trump monitored the situation with his national security team at Mar-a-Lago and spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. There alongside the president was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Dan Caine, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill.
Before the strikes took place, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called all eight members of the so-called Gang of Eight to notify them of the operation, according to Leavitt.
Prior to the attacks, Rubio called all members of the Gang of Eight to provide congressional notification, and he was able to reach and brief seven of the eight members.
War powers debate heats up in Congress
Within hours of the first bombings in Iran, lawmakers pushing to check Trump’s war powers called for a vote to end the Iran operation as soon as possible.
“Donald Trump has launched a war on Iran and Congress must convene on Monday to vote on [Rep.] Thomas Massie’s [R-Ky.] and my war powers resolution to stop this war,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said in a video posted on X, arguing Americans do not want to be embroiled in an overseas conflict.
Last week, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) became the second Republican to back Khanna’s resolution aimed at limiting Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran.
“We need a government small enough to fit within the Constitution,” Davidson wrote Saturday on X. “We need a government effective enough to solve problems and serve its own people. Or, we need a new Constitution.”
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) called on senators to vote on Sen. Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) war powers resolution. “Trump once again started a cycle of violence that has already escalated and could spiral out of control. This is unacceptable,” Kim wrote in a post on X.
However, most Republicans quickly came out in support of Trump’s sweeping strikes on the longtime American adversary, making any war powers vote an uphill battle — especially with some House Democrats opposing the measure.
“I am confident this operation will be successful and the liberation of the long suffering people of Iran is at hand,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a fierce Iran hawk, wrote on X.
Shipping halts through Strait of Hormuz; oil prices set for swings
While Iran has not moved to close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial lane for global energy supplies, major shipping companies are reportedly steering clear of the area.
Reuters reported that several tanker owners, oil majors and trading houses have suspended crude oil, fuel and liquefied natural gas shipments through the strait.
“Our ships will stay put for several days,” one top executive told the outlet.
The Wall Street Journal reported that a loaded supertanker chartered by Shell is now idle in the Arabian Gulf, rather than seeking to traverse the strait. It said dozens of tankers are avoiding the Persian Gulf for the time being.
What these disruptions mean for global oil markets, which are closed until Monday, remains to be seen.
Iran exports some 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, most of it going to China. If that supply is disrupted, Chinese customers would look elsewhere for oil on the global market, potentially driving up prices.