US launches ‘major combat operations’ against Iran
American and Israeli warplanes bombed Tehran Saturday morning, the start of what President Donald Trump called a “massive and ongoing operation” against Iran.
Explosions were reported throughout the Iranian capital of Tehran, as well as cities including Isfahan and Tabriz, among others, and both Israeli and American officials confirmed the launch of airstrikes against Iran’s military infrastructure. The extent of the attack is unclear, as is the number of casualties in Iran. At least one strike was reported near the offices of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who was reported to have been moved to a “secure location.”
In an 8-minute-long video posted to social media, Trump announced the operation, saying that it was being launched with the goal of “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” although he did not elaborate on what those were. The attack comes shortly after a round of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Geneva over Iran’s nuclear program, mediated by Oman. Trump acknowledged negotiations but said that the attacks were being done to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, something Iran’s government denies seeking. Trump also acknowledged last year’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which he had previously claimed completely obliterated Tehran’s nuclear program.
Trump instead said early Saturday that the United States would “annihilate” Iran’s navy and “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated.”
In a post to X, the Department of Defense called the attack “Operation Epic Fury” but did not provide additional information. The United States has a large military presence in the Middle East. In addition to its established bases, the U.S. military has two carrier strike groups nearby, as well as several warships and dozens of fighter jets that had been brought into the region in recent weeks. As of press time it is unclear what units took part in the attacks on Iran.
Reuters and other outlets report that the operation is expected to last several days. Iran is also planning a large retaliation, Reuters reported. Task & Purpose reached out to the U.S. military about the attacks after the airstrikes started but before Trump’s video statement. U.S. Central Command told Task & Purpose it had nothing to share, while the Pentagon said it had nothing to share beyond the president’s statement.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz, who first announced the attack against Iran, said it launched strikes to “remove threats to the State of Israel”. Shortly after 3 a.m. Eastern Time explosions were reported in northern Israel.
In his video message, Trump said that his administration has taken “every possible step” to minimize risk to American military personnel, but said the U.S. “may have casualties.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group are operating near Oman, while the USS Gerald R. Ford is in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The military also moved several F-15, F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets to the Middle East, including some that had previously been deployed in support of U.S. military operations in the Caribbean. Trump had initially threatened military action against Iran weeks ago in response to Tehran’s violent crackdown on protesters, but shifted since to warning Iran’s government that military action could come if it did not abandon its nuclear program.
This is a developing story.
Task & Purpose Video
Conversation5 Comments
We want Task & Purpose to be a nice place to chat and and swap stories, but please
read and follow our guidelines here.