Israel launched a pre-emptive strike on Iran, with full U.S. coordination. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel launched a "pre-emptive attack against Iran" to remove threats later.
An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months and the launch date decided weeks earlier. The Israeli military said its fighter jets were striking "dozens of military targets" across Iran "with full synchronization and coordination" with U.S. forces.
Targets included military sites in Tehran, areas near Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's offices and the presidential compound, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah. Israeli officials said senior Iranian figures, including Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, were among those targeted. Impact is being assessed.
Netanyahu Seeks to Remove Existential Threat
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement, said the joint operation aimed to "remove [the] existential threat posed" by Iran and would "create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands and cast off the yoke of tyranny."
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States had begun "major combat operations" under Operation Epic Fury, while Israeli codename was Operation Roaring Lion. Trump said the goal was to "destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground," eliminate imminent threats from the Iranian regime, and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He urged Iranians to "seize control of your destiny" and told the IRGC to lay down arms.
Iranian media reported multiple explosions and plumes of smoke rising over Tehran and other cities. Communication blackouts were reported in the capital. Iran's Supreme National Security Council described the attacks as a "brutal air operation" and vowed a response. Iranian forces launched strikes on U.S. military bases in the Gulf region including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and UAE.
Israel declared a nationwide 48-hour state of emergency, closed its airspace to civilian flights and activated civil-defence protocols. Sirens sounded across Israel in anticipation of possible Iranian retaliation.
