Trump: Strikes aim to eliminate ‘imminent threats’ from Iran regime

President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that the United States had launched military strikes targeting the Islamic Republic.

“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,” said Trump in a video posted to Truth Social.

“Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world,” he continued.

“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 said.

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.”

The Pentagon announced the name of the operation as “Epic Fury,” while Israel, which joined the American strikes on Iranian regime targets, codenamed the operation “Roaring Lion.” June’s 12-day operation against the Islamic Republic was named “Rising Lion.”

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.

The Israeli military later confirmed that Iran fired ballistic missiles, and that defense systems were operating to intercept the enemy projectiles.

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.

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.

The warning came as sirens blared throughout Israel and alerts were sent to cell phones.

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