US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the “US has begun major combat operations in Iran” after joint strikes with Israel in Iran’s capital Tehran and possibly in other places in the country.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said in a video shared on social media.
Follow: Live updates on the airstrikes in Iran
He had two separate messages for the people of Iran and the country’s armed forces.
Directing his words at the common people of Iran, he said, “The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered, don’t leave your home.”
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Saying that “tonight, bombs will be dropping everywhere”, he warned the Iran’s army, the Islamic Revolution Guard: “You should lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death.”
Trump claimed Iran had continued to develop its nuclear weapons programme and had plans to develop missiles to reach the US.
“We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon,” he said in the video.
The US-Israel attack started with the first apparent strike happening near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian media reported strikes nationwide, and smoke could be seen rising from the capital.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei was in his offices at the time. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown. But US officials told news agencies he may have been moved to a secure location outside Tehran already.
Roads to Khamenei’s compound in downtown Tehran had been shut down by authorities as other blasts rang out across the capital. Neighboring Iraq closed its airspace, news agency AP reported.
Targets in the Israeli campaign included Iran’s military, symbols of government and intelligence targets, according to an official briefed on the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic information on the attack.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Iran would strike back, but it had warned that American military personnel and bases spread across the region would be targets for any retaliation.
What Trump wants
Trump wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear programme, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests.
Iran had hoped to avert a war, but maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and does not want to discuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attack as being done “to remove threats”. He did not elaborate.
What’s happening inside Iran
Several hospitals in Israel launched their emergency protocols, including moving patients and surgeries to underground facilities, AP reported.
In Tehran, witnesses heard the first blast by Khamenei’s office. Iranian state television later reported on the explosion, without offering a cause.
Sirens sounded across Israel at the same time as it closed its airspace. The Israeli military said that it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.”
Meanwhile, Iran shut down its airspace and mobile phone services were cut.
The warning to pilots came out as explosions rang out across Tehran, the Iranian capital.