(This story has been updated to include further details from Trump’s statement, and updates from the Israel Defense Forces)
On Saturday, President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. military began “major combat operations” in Iran.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said in a video message posted on his Truth Social account.
Trump’s announcement came as Israel launched a preventive missile attack against Iran earlier on Saturday. Following the strike, Israel’s military activated air raid sirens across the country “to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward Israel” in retaliation, according to a Reuters report.
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated,” Trump said.
A U.S. official told Al Jazeera that the attacks were carried out as a joint military operation between Israel and the U.S, while Reuters reported that attacks were being carried out by air and sea.
In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel. “The Aerial Defense Array is currently identifying and intercepting threats,” IDF said.
The attack comes as the U.S. has been assembling a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.
In December, Trump had warned Iran, saying the United States could authorize another major strike if Tehran moves to reconstitute its nuclear or ballistic missile capabilities, after U.S. B‑2 bombers hit three key sites in June.
(This is a developing story.)
Photo: Shutterstock
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