Israel, US strike Iran

The Israel Defense Forces launched a preemptive strike against Iran on Saturday morning to neutralize threats against the Jewish state, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced.

He signed an order declaring a special state of emergency across the entire country.

Iran subsequently fired many dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, as sirens continued to blare across the country. Some of the missiles were intercepted, while others struck open areas.

There were reports of missile and interceptor fragments hitting across Israel, with one person lightly wounded.

In addition, the Jewish state intercepted more than 10 unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Iran, the IDF said on Saturday night.

President Donald Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social that the United States 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. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world,” he said.

“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries,” Trump continued.

The U.S. president noted that Iran is the “world’s number one state sponsor of terror, and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the streets as they protested.

“It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again: they can never have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump, on the 10th day of his deadline for Iran, added, “For decades, and decades, they rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said the operation was launched to remove “the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran,” while thanking our “great friend, President Donald Trump, for his historic leadership.”

Netanyahu stressed that for decades, the ayatollah “has spilled our blood, murdered many Americans, and massacred its own people. This murderous terrorist regime must not arm itself with nuclear weapons that would allow it to threaten all of humanity.

“Our joint action will create the conditions for the courageous Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands. The time has come for all segments of the Iranian people—the Persians, the Kurds, the Azeris, the Baluchis and the Ahwazis—to throw off the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peace-loving Iran,” continued Netanyahu.

The prime minister emphasized that in the coming days the Israeli home front will be required to demonstrate “endurance and fortitude.”

“Together we will stand, together we will fight, and together we will ensure the eternity of Israel,” he said.

According to Iranian media, explosions were heard in Tehran and other cities, targeting the Ministry of Intelligence, the Ministry of Defense, the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

The Parchin military complex, located 19 miles southeast of Tehran, was also reportedly attacked. There were also reports in Iran of cyberattacks.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were targeted in Saturday’s joint U.S.-Israel attack, a senior Israeli official confirmed to Fox News.

The official noted that military forces focused on taking out “those responsible for commanding the mass murder of Iranian protesters.”

It is thought that Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was slain in the Israeli attack.

The IDF operation was codenamed “Roaring Lion.” June’s 12-day operation against the Islamic Republic was named “Rising Lion.”

The U.S. Defense Department codenamed the operation begun on Saturday “Operation Epic Fury.”

Ahead of the preemptive attack on the Islamic Republic, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told Israeli pilots: “Strike your targets—you are making history.

“At dawn on Saturday, ‘Operation Roaring Lion’ commenced. You are authorized to execute. I have full confidence in you. Good luck to us all,” said Zamir.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the IDF international spokesperson, posted a message to Iranians in English and Farsi, advising them to avoid arms production facilities and military infrastructure.

Following a situational assessment, the IDF announced immediate changes to Home Front Command guidelines, moving all areas of the country from Full Activity to Essential Activity.

Under the guidelines, educational activities, gatherings, and workplaces are prohibited, except in essential sectors.

In addition, Israel closed it airspace to civilian traffic, as did Iran and Iraq, resulting in flight suspensions across the region.