The United States launched large-scale combat operations in Iran on Saturday, according to a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump. The announcement triggered immediate disruptions to air travel across the region as tensions escalated sharply.
Trump confirmed the operations and stated that 48 Iranian leaders were killed in the strikes, according to a report by Delfi. “Nobody can believe how successful we’ve been: 48 leaders down with one strike. And the situation is changing rapidly,” Trump said, as quoted by news outlets. He also dismissed concerns about potential oil price increases resulting from the conflict, stating, “I’m just doing what’s right. Eventually, everything works out.”
The attacks came in response to what Trump described as Iran’s continued rejection of opportunities to abandon its nuclear ambitions, a position he said the U.S. “can no longer tolerate.”
Iran responded to the U.S. And Israeli strikes with retaliatory attacks against Israel and claimed to have targeted four U.S. Military bases in the Middle East. Iranian state media reported the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, according to LRT. The Iranian Human Rights Agency, based in Washington, reported at least 133 civilian deaths and over 200 injuries from the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a statement characterizing Khamenei’s assassination as a declaration of war against Muslims, particularly Shia Muslims worldwide. “The assassination of the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the prominent leader of Shia Islam throughout the world (…) is perceived as an open declaration of war against Muslims, especially Shia Muslims, all over the world,” Pezeshkian stated, as broadcast by state television.
Israel’s Defense Minister Katz announced a “preventive strike” against Iran on Saturday. The White House indicated that the U.S. Operation in Iran was progressing faster than anticipated, describing the Iranian regime as “one of the most brutal regimes in history.”
According to reports, Iran is now seeking negotiations with the U.S. Trump stated he has agreed to talks, saying, “They seek to talk, and I agreed to talk, so I’ll be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have put something very practical and easily implementable on the table earlier. They waited too long.” Trump noted that some Iranian officials involved in recent negotiations have died in the strikes, stating, “A lot of those people are gone. Some of the people we were talking to are no longer around because it was a big… it was a big hit.”
The United Nations Security Council has convened an emergency session following the strikes against Iran. Diplomats are anticipating a follow-up meeting next week, according to a statement from President Trump.
