The United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran on Saturday, targeting sites across the country and prompting retaliatory attacks from Tehran, escalating tensions in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump simultaneously called on the Iranian people to “grab over your government,” a statement interpreted by many as signaling a potential push for regime change.
The initial strikes appeared to focus on a compound in downtown Tehran associated with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though it remains unclear if he was present at the time. Smoke was reported rising from the capital city, according to multiple news agencies. Trump, in a video released on social media, justified the attacks by citing decades of alleged Iranian aggression and support for terrorism. “For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted Death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder,” he stated. He urged Iranians to seek safety during the strikes, then added, “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.”
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard responded swiftly, announcing the launch of a “first wave” of drones and missiles targeting Israel. Sirens sounded across Israel as the military worked to intercept the incoming projectiles. Several hospitals initiated emergency protocols, moving patients and surgeries to underground facilities.
The conflict quickly expanded beyond Iran and Israel. Explosions were reported in multiple Gulf states, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait, suggesting Iranian retaliation was targeting American military presence in the region. Bahrain confirmed a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters. Iraq and the United Arab Emirates closed their airspace, and sirens sounded in Jordan. The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen also vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and on Israel, according to senior Houthi officials.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a defiant statement, declaring the country “will not hesitate” in its response and asserting its right to defend itself. “The time has approach to defend the homeland and confront the enemy’s military assault,” the ministry said in a post on X.
According to reports from Iranian media, at least 51 people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a school in Minab, Hormozgan province. The claim has not been independently verified. Trump acknowledged the possibility of American casualties, stating, “that often happens in war.”
The U.S. Attack, described by Trump as “major combat operations,” followed a build-up of American military assets in the region intended to pressure Iran over its nuclear program. Trump claimed Iran continues to develop its nuclear capabilities and is working on missiles capable of reaching the United States. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Associated Press has indicated renewed activity at Iranian nuclear sites previously targeted in 2026, suggesting efforts to assess and potentially recover materials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the joint operation aimed to “remove an existential threat posed” by Iran and create conditions for the Iranian people to “take their fate into their own hands.” Targets in the Israeli campaign included Iranian military sites, government buildings, and intelligence facilities, according to an official briefed on the operation.
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters stated the government was “monitoring the military strikes in the Middle East closely” and advised New Zealand citizens in Iran or Israel to shelter in place or abandon if safe to do so.
