Tehran retaliates across region; 200+ reported dead, Trump calls for uprising
The United States and Israel on Saturday launched a massive, coordinated military campaign against Iran, targeting senior leadership and strategic infrastructure in what analysts describe as the most direct confrontation with Tehran in decades.
Codenamed “Operation Epic Fury” by Washington and “Roaring Lion” by Israel, the strikes hit multiple locations across the country. Iran’s Red Crescent Society said attacks struck 24 provinces, killing at least 201 people and injuring 747, according to Mehr News Agency. More than 220 Red Crescent rescue teams were deployed, with operations continuing late into the day.
Explosions rocked Tehran, Isfahan, Qom and Karaj. Satellite imagery indicated heavy damage near the compound of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It was not immediately clear whether the 86-year-old leader was present.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive “as far as I know,” and condemned the assault as “unprovoked, illegal and absolutely illegitimate.”
Reports suggested Khamenei may have been moved to a secure location before the strikes. Unconfirmed accounts indicated that senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials may have been killed.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the launch of “major combat operations” in a video address, urging Iranians to “seize control of your destiny” and rise up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled since 1979. “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” he said, calling it a rare opportunity for change.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed that message, saying the operation aimed to create conditions for the Iranian people to “take their fate into their own hands.”
Tehran retaliated by launching waves of missiles and drones toward Israel and US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that at least 57 people were killed at a girls’ school in southern Iran amid the exchanges. Missiles were also fired toward the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with explosions reported in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Riyadh. A missile was intercepted over Qatar, according to reports. A strike in Dubai reportedly killed one person, while shrapnel was reported in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.
It was not immediately clear whether US facilities such as Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi or Al Udeid Air Base in Doha were directly hit. Several countries temporarily closed their airspace as a precaution.
The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting, while Iran requested an urgent session of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors over threats to nuclear facilities.
The strikes follow weeks of heightened tensions, stalled nuclear talks and a significant US military buildup in the region, raising fears of further escalation.