In the early hours of Saturday, the United States (US) Government and Israel carried out coordinated military strikes on Iranian cities, with explosions reported in the capital, Tehran, and other locations.
Saturday Telegraph reports that the development marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, following disagreements over Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes.
Speaking on the development, President Donald Trump confirmed the military action in a video shared on his Truth social media.
According to Trump, the objective of the operation was “eliminating imminent threats” from Iran. He also warned Iranian forces of “immunity” or “certain death” and told citizens the “hour of your freedom is at hand”.
“The United States’ military began major combat operations in Iran,” Trump said.
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy.”
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, described the operation as a “Preventive strike”.
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Witnesses in Tehran reported hearing loud blasts early Saturday, followed by visible plumes of smoke rising above parts of the city. Journalists on the ground observed two large columns of smoke over the central districts.
An office worker who spoke anonymously recounted the moment of impact: “I saw with my own eyes two Tomahawk missiles flying horizontally toward targets. At first, we heard a dull noise and thought it was a fighter jet.”
Iranian state television reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian was “safe and sound.” The Fars news agency said “seven missile impacts were reported in the Keshvardoost and Pasteur districts” of Tehran.
Iran’s health ministry confirmed that ambulances were dispatched to affected areas but did not immediately provide details on casualties.
As the strikes unfolded, Iran, Iraq and Israel closed their airspace to civilian traffic. US diplomatic missions in Qatar and Bahrain urged American citizens to remain indoors and take necessary precautions.
Sirens were activated in Jerusalem, while Israeli authorities issued mobile alerts warning residents of an “extremely serious” threat.
The military action follows a significant US troop and naval presence in the region, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford near Israel’s coast.
The strikes came shortly after talks between US and Iranian officials in Geneva. On Friday, Trump said Tehran was “not willing to give us what we have to have”.
However, Oman, which facilitated the discussions, presented a more optimistic account. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi indicated that Iran had agreed to end uranium stockpiling and convert existing reserves into fuel.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Israel for further consultations. He had earlier warned it would be a “very big problem” if Iran declined to engage on missile-related concerns.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cautioned that “success in this path requires seriousness and realism from the other side and avoidance of any miscalculation and excessive demands”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency announced plans to hold technical discussions with Iranian officials and urged Tehran to cooperate “constructively,” according to a confidential report cited by AFP.
Iran had previously accepted limits on uranium enrichment under a 2015 agreement, which Trump withdrew from during his first term in office. In recent weeks, tensions have intensified amid political unrest within Iran and renewed international scrutiny over its weapons capabilities.
The latest military action signals a significant deterioration in diplomatic efforts and raises concerns about broader instability across the Middle East.
