Israel carried out a daylight strike on Tehran on Saturday, sending a column of smoke over the city and hitting a target near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to initial reports. Israeli officials said the raid struck elements of Iran’s military, government symbols and intelligence sites. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the operation as intended “to remove threats.” Sirens sounded across Israel as authorities closed the country’s airspace and issued alerts for possible incoming missiles.
Iran replied with widespread missile strikes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its strikes hit “all Israel and US bases in the region.” Iranian missiles and projectiles were reported to have targeted multiple Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan. Several Gulf countries temporarily closed airspace and activated air defenses; Qatar and Kuwait reported intercepting incoming missiles.
The UAE said one person was killed in Abu Dhabi after shrapnel from intercepted missiles struck the capital, a casualty reported by state media. Bahrain reported a missile attack targeting the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama. Qatar reported blasts in Doha and said it had downed missiles aimed at the country. Explosions and loud bangs were also reported in parts of Iran — including Dezful, Kharg Island, Bushehr and Minab — and witnesses reported blasts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Iranian state media said five students were killed in southern Iran after what it described as Israeli-U.S. airstrikes in Minab, Hormozgan province, where an IRGC base is located. The U.S. and Israel had not publicly confirmed the specific strikes inside Iran cited by Iranian sources.
The U.S. said it participated in strikes on Iran. President Donald Trump described the operations as “major combat operations” aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and crippling its naval capabilities. The Pentagon announced the campaign under the name “Operation Epic Fury.” Trump warned of possible U.S. casualties and urged members of the IRGC to lay down arms, offering immunity to those who did so.
Regional repercussions were immediate. The U.S. Mission in the UAE told embassy and consulate staff to shelter in place. Airlines including Air India and IndiGo suspended flights to parts of the Middle East and rerouted or canceled services as airspace closures and security risks spread. India and other countries issued advisories urging nationals in the region to stay indoors and exercise caution.
Iraq reported airstrikes that killed one person and wounded three at a Hashd Shaabi (PMF) headquarters south of Baghdad. Iran closed its entire airspace, and Iraq and Israel also temporarily halted air traffic. Lebanon’s prime minister warned against dragging the country into regional confrontations, while Iran’s foreign ministry said the nation would “not hesitate” to respond to attacks and declared the time had come to defend the homeland.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they planned to resume missile and drone attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and on Israel in solidarity with Iran, raising fears of a broader regional conflagration involving state and non-state actors across the Gulf and Red Sea.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the joint U.S.-Israeli operation as aimed at undermining Iran’s regime and its nuclear and missile ambitions, saying it would “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.” Amid the fighting, Iran’s supreme leader was reported to have been moved from Tehran to a secure location.
Multiple governments and international organizations continued to monitor the situation closely as strikes and retaliatory actions unfolded across the Middle East. Reporting compiled from agency sources.
