Tehran, Iran — A dramatic escalation in Middle Eastern tensions unfolded early Saturday as the United States and Israel launched a coordinated military assault on targets across Iran, marking one of the most significant direct confrontations between Washington and Tehran in decades. The offensive, described by U.S. officials as “major combat operations”, began in the early hours of the morning with missile and air strikes that reverberated across multiple Iranian cities.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the launch of the strikes in a video address, stating that U.S. forces had begun operations alongside Israeli military assets and urging Iranians to “take control of your destiny” by rising up against the country’s leadership. Trump framed the action as both a security necessity and an opportunity for regime change in Tehran.
Smoke and explosions were reported over Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, and other cities, with Iranian state media broadcasting scenes of chaos and panic as residents scrambled for safety. Iran’s government declared that national defence forces were mobilising and that retaliation would be swift and “decisive.”
One of the most haunting reports from the first hours of the assault came from the southern province of Hormozgan, where a primary school in Minab was struck, killing at least 108 people, most of them young girls, and injuring dozens more, according to Iranian authorities. The attack on a civilian target has drawn widespread condemnation and fears of mounting civilian casualties as the conflict unfolds.
Amid the bombardment, Iranian military forces launched what they described as a first wave of missile and drone strikes against Israeli territory and U.S. bases across the Middle East, including missile launches reported toward the Gulf region. Iranian officials vowed that the retaliation would continue until “the aggressors are decisively defeated.”
The death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was claimed by U.S. sources, though this remains unverified and Iran has not confirmed it. Reports suggest several senior Iranian officials may have been killed or injured in the opening strikes—raising the stakes of a conflict that could reshape regional geopolitics.
As panic spreads through major Iranian urban centres and global markets react to the sudden violence, world powers have responded with calls for restraint and concern about a broader regional war, even as the U.S. and its allies press on with military objectives.
