**Livewire** Trump: ‘Major Combat Operations’ Underway to ‘Obliterate’ Iranian Missile Factories

The United States has launched a major military operation alongside Israeli forces against the Islamist regime in Iran on Saturday, in what is being described as one of the largest regional concentrations of “American military firepower in a generation”. U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “is dead” and has called on the people of Iran to rise up and topple the government in Tehran.

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This is the original livewire and is no longer being updated. For the latest updates beyond Monday morning, please click here

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8:35 AM: In a press conference alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said that Operation Epic Fury was the “culmination of months and in some cases years of deliberate planning and refinement against this particular target set.”

“Across every domain: land, air, sea, cyber, the U.S. joint force delivered synchronized and layered effects designed to disrupt, degrade, deny, and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct and sustain combat operations.”

8:30 AM:  In his first press conference since the start of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that the military action taken by the United States was in response to 47 years of the Islamist regime in Tehran waging a “a savage, one-sided war against America”.

“We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump we are finishing it,” Secretary Hegseth said.

7:45 AM:  U.S. Central Command has announced the death of a fourth American military service member amid Operation Epic Fury in Iran. CENTCOM said that the service member was “seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries.”

“Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.”

7:40 AM: Jerusalem has vowed to kill Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem after the terror group apparently broke the 2024 ceasefire agreement on Sunday by firing rockets into northern Israel. Defense Minister Israel Katz said that they will send Qassem to the “depths of hell” alongside Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

7:35 AM: According to the Times of Israel, IDF have claimed to have killed, Hussein Makled, the head of intelligence for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon during retaliatory strikes after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel on Sunday in a “revenge” strike over the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Initial figures from the Lebanese Health Ministry said that 31 people were killed and 149 people were wounded, the Times of London reports.

7:25 AM: U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he is “very disappointed” with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for initially refusing to allow UK military bases to be used by American forces to strike Iran, a decision which he u-turned on Sunday evening, over a day into the conflict. President Trump told London’s Daily Telegraph that it “took far too long” for Starmer to change his mind, adding: “That’s probably never happened between our countries before… It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”

7:10 AM: U.S. Central Command has confirmed the loss of three F-15E Strike Eagle fighters on Sunday evening in the skies over Kuwait. The jets were in “active combat” with Iranian aircraft but suffered an “apparent friendly fire incident” after being “mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.”

CENTCOM said that “all six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition”.

12:05 AM: Israel Defence Force Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, the head of Northern Command, said that retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah targets Lebanon will continue and said that their “intensity will increase,” the Times of Israel reported.

“Shortly after Hezbollah’s rocket fire, in accordance with planning, we launched a first wide wave of strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon, targeting senior operatives, headquarters, and terror infrastructure. We are also working to evacuate the population in southern Lebanon for its protection ahead of additional strikes,” Milo said.

MONDAY 12:00 AM:  One of the top remaining members of the Islamist regime, Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on Monday that Tehran will “not negotiate with the United States.”

He added: “Trump plunged the region into chaos with his ‘delusional fantasies’ and now fears more American troop casualties. With his delusional actions, he turned his self-made ‘America First’ slogan into ‘Israel First’ and sacrificed American soldiers for Israel’s power-hungry ambitions.”

11:00 PM: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will hold his first press conference on Monday to discuss Operation Epic Fury in Iran. The Pentagon said that Hegseth will address the press at 8:00 a.m. EST alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.

10:55 PM: In phone call with ABC reporter Jonathan Karl, President Donald Trump — referencing alleged attempts by the Iranian regime to assassinate him — reportedly said of Ayatollah Khamenei: “I got him before he got me.”

“They tried twice. Well, I got him first,” President Trump is said to have quipped.

9:05 PM: U.S. Central Command has released fresh footage of strikes against Iranian military assets, including fighter jets being destroyed. CENTCOM said that attacks are continuing as American forces take “bold action to eliminate imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime.”

9:00 PM: The Islamist Hezbollah terror organization has reportedly claimed responsibility for rockets fired from Lebanon into northern Israel on Sunday evening, according to the Times of Israel. The Iranian proxy group said that it launched the attack in “revenge for the blood of the Supreme Leader of the Muslims, Ali Khamenei.” It is the first time that Hezbollah has struck Israel since a ceasefire was negotiated in 2024.

The Israeli Defence Forces said that it intercepted one rocket and let the others fall to the ground. There were no injuries or significant damage reported as a result of the rockets. The IDF said that in response, it is striking Hezbollah targets inside of Lebanon.

8:50 PM: Britain’s RAF Akrotiri military base in Cyprus has been hit in a “suspected drone strike”, a Ministry of Defence spokesman told the Times of London.

“Our force protection in the region is at the highest level and the base has responded to defend our people,” the spokesman said. “This is a live situation and further information will be provided in due course.”

A spokesman for the government of Cyprus said: “Regarding the incident that occurred shortly after midnight at the Akrotiri Base, information received through various channels indicates that it involved an unmanned drone, which caused limited damage.

“The competent authorities immediately activated the prescribed security protocols and are closely monitoring the situation, in continuous coordination with both the Government of the United Kingdom and the administration of the British Bases.”

“The National Security Council remains in continuous session under the President of the Republic. Further information will be provided as it becomes available.”

It comes after British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer announced that the UK would allow the United States to use its military bases to strike Iran, after previously refusing to do so. According to NBC News, the UK specifically granted the Pentagon permission to use the Akrotiri base in Cyprus, which is currently home to thousands of UK Armed Forces personnel and their families.

7:35 PM: Oil prices surged in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Sunday, with the conflict potentially endangering crucial supply lines, such as through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman. According to the Times of London, oil traders recorded a 10 per cent spike in the price of Brent crude, taking it to over $80 a barrel.

6:30 PM: According to the Times of Israel, rockets have been fired from Lebanon into northern Israel for the first time since the American-led attack on Iran on Saturday. The paper noted that Hebrew media reports indicate that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group was likely behind the strikes, potentially marking the first missiles launched since the 2024 ceasefire. However, it remains unclear if another terror group launched the rockets, as Hezbollah has yet to claim responsibility.

5:00 PM: The European Union’s naval presence in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean area will be “reinforced” with additional ships, the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said, according to Le Figaro. The additional ships will be added to the ranks of Operation Aspides, which was launched in 2024 in response to Houthi terror attacks on shipping vessels in the region.

4:35 PM: British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer said that while the United Kingdom will not actively participate in the conflict in Iran, Downing Street has decided to give permission to the United States to use its military bases to strike Iran. Starmer said the indiscriminate attacks by the Iranian regime across the Gulf pose a danger to the hundreds of thousands of citizens in the region and putting British interests at risk. He said that British bases would be used by the U.S. to strike missile launchers in Iran and prevent further attacks throughout the region.

4:25 PM:  Addressing the conflict in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the “entire” military command structure of the Islamist regime has been wiped out and said that “many” more want to surrender. The President said that the Iranian government had waged war on “civilization itself”.

3:30 PM: France, Germany, and the United Kingdom stated that they are prepared to take “proportionate defensive actions” in order to “destroy at the source Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones.” Le Figaro reported that the leaders of the three nations said they were “appalled by the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched by Iran against countries in the region”.

2:55 PM: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the United Arab Emirates has announced the closure of its embassy in Tehran and the withdrawal of its ambassador from Iran following missile attacks on its territory from the Islamist regime.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that this decision comes as an embodiment of the state’s firm and firm position in rejecting any aggression that affects its security and sovereignty, and in light of the continuation of the aggressive and provocative approach that undermines the chances of calm and pushes the region towards very dangerous paths, threatening regional and international security and stability, energy security, and the stability of the global economy,” the UAE said in a statement.

2:25 PM: More than 100 fighter jets from the Israeli Air Force have struck a series of Iranian military headquarters across Tehran, including dozens owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Israeli Defence Force said Sunday afternoon.

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said, “These are significant and powerful strikes. These headquarters operated against Israel and the entire world. Today, they were destroyed along with everyone operating in them.”

The Israeli Defence Force also published footage ofIranian defence and missile systems being destroyed by the IAF.

2:05 PM: The son of the last Shah of Iran, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, has called on the Iranian people to “demonstrate your satisfaction with and support for the crushing of the Islamic Republic through nightly chants, and to shout your demands for Iran’s future. My strength comes from your strength and your support.

He also told remaining officials in the Islamist regime to surrender and “declare your loyalty to my plan and our transition framework, and hand over power without further bloodshed.”

1:45 PM: Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reported that clashes have broken out between protesters and police outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Le Figaro reported. Earlier, the embassy told American citizens to “exercise increased caution, keep a low profile, limit their movements, and shelter in place as needed.”

Violent scenes were also seen outside of the Karachi U.S. consulate in Pakistan, with nine people being killed after police opened fire on the mob after it attempted to storm the building.

1:30 PM: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for a “credible transition” in Iran that reflects the “democratic aspirations of the brave people of Iran”. The EU chief added that it also must mean an end to Tehran’s military nuclear and ballistic missile programmes as well as an end to its destabilising action in the region.

1:15 PM: Britain’s Ministry of Defence said that a Royal Air Force Typhoon jet shot down an Iranian drone with an air-to-air missile as it was travelling towards Qatar. The MoD said that it took the defensive action to ensure the “security of Qatar’s airspace and British interests in the region.”

1:10 PM: U.S. President Donald Trump has said that American forces have “destroyed and sunk” nine Iranian naval ships, some of which he claimed were “relatively large and important”.

“We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!” he wrote on Truth Social.

12:35 PM: The NATO military alliance said on Sunday that it will the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Alexus G. Grynkewich of the United States Air Force, will “continue to adjust” force posture to “ensure the security of its 32 member nations and to defend the Alliance from potential threats, such as ballistic missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles,” amid the conflict in Iran.

12:00 PM: CENTCOM has confirmed that the United States deployed B-2 stealth bombers on Saturday evening, striking Iran’s “hardened ballistic missile facilities” with 2,000lb bombs.

11:35 AM: U.S. President Trump said that he plans on communicating with the remnants of the Iranian regime, telling The Atlantic: “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.”

11:30 AM: The Israel Defence Forces said on Sunday that they have mobilized 100,000 reserve troops amid the conflict with Iran. This comes on top of the 50,000 reservists already on duty, the Times of Israel reported.

The IDF said that it “will prepare and provide the reserve service members with all the logistical means necessary to operate under the best conditions.”

11:10 AM: U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that at least 48 leaders in Iran have been killed so far amid Operation Epic Fury, telling Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich that he knows how many targets remain on the board.

“It’s moving along. It’s moving along rapidly. This has been this way for 47 years,” he said. “It’s moving along rapidly. Nobody can believe the success we’re having, 48 leaders are gone in one shot. And it’s moving along rapidly.”

10:55 AM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces are “striking at the heart of Tehran with intensifying force, and this will only grow even stronger in the coming days.”

“Yesterday, we eliminated the tyrant Khamenei. Along with him, we eliminated dozens of the regime’s top oppressive figures,” he continued. “That said, these are painful days. Yesterday, here in Tel Aviv, and now in Beit Shemesh, we lost dear people. My heart goes out to the families, and on behalf of all of you, citizens of Israel, I send wishes for recovery to the wounded.”

“We are in a campaign in which we are bringing the full might of the IDF, as never before, to this battle to ensure our existence and our future,” Netanyahu said.

10:45 AM: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Qatari news media organization Al Jazeera on Sunday that the Islamist regime continues to have “constitutional procedures in place” and thus a successor to Supreme Leader Khamenei could be announced within “a day or two”.

In the interview, Araghchi attempted to claim that Iran’s indiscriminate strikes across the Gulf were merely intended to target U.S. targets and therefore other countries should not be angered with Tehran.

10:10 AM: CENTCOM has denied claims from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that they struck the USS Abraham Lincoln Nimitz-class aircraft carrier with four ballistic missiles. “The missiles launched “didn’t even come close,” U.S. Central Command said.

“The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”

Conversely, CENTCOM said that U.S. forces have struck an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette, which they said is now “sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier.”

10:00 AM: U.S. Central Command has revealed that three American soldiers have been killed so far during the military operation against Iran. A further five soldiers have been seriously wounded, CENTCOM said.

“Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” the U.S. military command in the region said in a statement.

“The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.”

9:55 AM: The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has warned American citizens “to exercise increased caution, keep a low profile, limit their movements, and shelter in place as needed.”

The embassy said that reports of drones, missiles, and rockets being launched in Iraqi airspace continue, and that there are ongoing protests against the United States throughout the country. “The U.S. Embassy is tracking active threats to U.S. interests in Iraq including restaurants, businesses, and individuals,” the statement said.

9:05 AM: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the interim council government formed in the wake of the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has “started its work”, the Times of Israel reported. Pezeshkian said that the Iranian military still plans to “crush the enemy’s bases”.

8:50 AM: At least one person has been killed and 32 wounded in Kuwait amid Iranian strikes, Health Ministry spokesman Abdullah al-Sanad said on Sunday. Those injured were “all of foreign nationalities” the ministry said in a statement.

8:45 AM: The Ministry of Defence of the United Arab Emirates said Sunday that it has detected 165 ballistic missiles launched from Iran to the UAE, 152 of which were destroyed and 13 fell into the sea. Some 541 Iranian drones were also detected, 506 of which were destroyed and 35 crashed in the UAE, causing material damage. The ministry reported that three people have been killed in the country and 58 people have been injured.

7:45 AM: At least six people were reportedly killed, and around 20 were injured during an Iranian missile strike on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, located about 20 miles west of Jerusalem. According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, among those injured was a young girl, who is in serious condition, the Times of Israel reports.

7:30 AM: According to shipping data tracked by the Times of London, at least 150 ships are currently stranded on either side of the Strait of Hormuz sea passage chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Saturday afternoon that the critical oil route would be shut down amid the conflict with the United States and Israel.

7:20 AM: The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Sunday morning that the death of Khamenei represents a “defining moment in Iran’s history” and that there is now an “open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with the BBC, British Defence Secretary John Healey said that the UK’s “primary aim” is to ensure that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, but refused to say whether London views the U.S.-Israeli strikes as legitimate. He said that it will be “for the U.S. to set out the legal basis of the action that it took”.

7:05 AM: Jerusalem’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said on Sunday that strikes will continue against Iran “for as long as necessary” and will only cease once the “objectives are achieved”, the Times of Israel reports.

“We all hope that the activity will also lead to the outcome we want, that the Iranian people will be able to remove this regime for themselves, for us, and for the entire world,” he said.

7:00 AM: Russia’s Vladimir Putin sent public condolences to mourn the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whom he described as an “outstanding statesman” who helped improve relations between Moscow and Tehran. The Russian leader said that the U.S.-Israeli strikes against the Iranian regime were a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.”

6:55 AM: At least nine people have been killed after police opened fire on a pro-Iranian Shiite Muslim mob that stormed the U.S. consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Sunday in response to the killing of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei.

6:44 AM: The Islamist Iranian regime has continued to strike targets across the Middle East following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, reportedly including in the Qatari capital Doha, Dubai, Bahrain, and Iraq. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that it plans on “continuously targeting extensive US and Zionist regime [Israel] military and security targets with more advanced missiles.”

The U.S. Embassy in the Bahraini capital of Manama has urged American citizens to avoid hotels after a reported Iranian strike on the Crowne Plaza hotel in the city.

1:10 AM: Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS), Ali Larijani, said on Sunday that the Islamist regime will form a “temporary leadership council” in the wake of the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during U.S-Israel strikes.

The alleged architect of the recent violent crackdown on anti-regime protests earlier this year said that the council will be formed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, alongside Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i and a jurist selected from the Guardian Council.

“We had a meeting yesterday and some arrangements were made, and the leadership council will be formed today. God willing, a period of enlightenment will be provided for the nation,” Larijani said.

12:45 AM: U.S. President Donald Trump has warned the Iranian regime not to launch more strikes on Sunday, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed to do.

“THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he wrote on Truth Social.

12:15 AM: The Israel Defence Forces said that “millions” of people have been forced into bomb shelters across Israel amid attempts by the Iranian regime to strike the Jewish state with missiles on Sunday morning. The IDF said that civilians in areas where sirens are sounding should remain in their bomb shelters until further notice as the military shoots down the missiles.

SUNDAY 12:00 AM: The Wall Street Journal reports that the United States and Israel patiently waited for the “rare opportunity” of senior political and military leaders holding a meeting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei so that multiple top targets could be killed simultaneously. That opportunity “finally came on Saturday,” the paper reported.

According to the Journal, intel officials identified Saturday as having three high-priority meetings at the Ayatollah’s compound, marking a very “unique” set of circumstances. Thus, Washington and Jerusalem reportedly decided to take the unusual step of launching strikes during broad daylight. The report claimed that 30 Israeli bombs were dropped on Khamenei’s compound, reducing it to rubble.

10:35 PM: Iranian state media has confirmed that Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Mohammad Pakpour and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani were killed during U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

10:15 PM: U.S. President Donald Trump told CBS News on Saturday evening that there are “some good candidates” to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during American-Israeli strikes on the Islamist Iranian regime.

When pressed on who he had in mind, President Trump said: “I know exactly who, but I can’t tell you.”

10:05 PM: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has vowed retribution against the “murderers” of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying that it will wage the “most ferocious offensive operation in history” against Israel and U.S. bases in the region, according to the Times of Israel.

“The hand of revenge of the Iranian nation for a severe, decisive and regrettable punishment for the murderers of the Imam of the Ummah will not let go of them,” the IRGC reportedly said in a statement.

9:55 PM: Speaking to reporters in Sydney on Sunday morning local time, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “will not be mourned”. He added that the slain Iranian Supreme Leader “was responsible for orchestrating attacks on Australian soil”.

The Anglosphere nations of Australia and Canada were among the earliest international supporters of President Donald Trump’s decision to strike at the Iranian regime on Saturday.

9:30 PM: U.S. Central Command has released fresh footage of American strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, saying that it delivered “swift and decisive action as directed.” Earlier, CENTCOM reported that U.S. forces suffered zero casualties during the retaliatory attacks from Iran.

9:10 PM: Iranian state media Nour News has announced that there will be 40 days of public mourning and seven days of holiday to honor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom they have confirmed was killed amid U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

“This great scholar and mujahid sacrificed his life for the advancement of Iran and Islam and will be gathered with the Imam and the Commander of the Martyrs, God willing,” the state outlet said of Khamenei.

8:45 PM: Iranian state media has confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S-Israeli strikes, saying: “To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return,” the New York Times reported.

8:20 PM: Iranian state media has reportedly admitted that multiple members of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s family were killed during U.S-Israeli strikes, including his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law, according to Reuters. So far, state media has yet to confirm President Donald Trump’s assertion that the Supreme Leader was killed on Saturday.

7:50 PM: U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that Operation Epic Fury in Iran should demonstrate to the enemies of the United States that if they threaten “Americans anywhere in the world — as Iran has — then we will hunt you down, and we will kill you.”

Secretary Hegseth described the strikes on the Islamist regime as “the most lethal, most complex, and most-precision aerial operation in history.”

“The Iranian regime had their chance, yet refused to make a deal — and now they are suffering the consequences. For almost fifty years, Iran has targeted and killed Americans, always seeking the world’s most powerful weapons to further their radical cause. Last night, unlike any previous president, President Trump began dealing with this cancer,” he wrote.

“The United States did not start this conflict, but we will finish it,” Hegseth continued. “We will not tolerate powerful missiles targeting the American people. Those missiles will be destroyed, along with Iran’s missile production. The Iranian navy will be destroyed. And, as President Trump has said his entire life, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

“Our warriors are the best in the world, and they are fully unleashed to achieve our objectives. May God’s providence protect them in this vital mission.”

6:40 PM: Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told an emergency Security Council meeting that Jerusalem and Washington struck Iran on Saturday to prevent “an existential threat before it became irreversible.”

“We acted out of necessity,” he said, according to the Times of Israel, adding: “Diplomacy was exhausted.”

Meanwhile, Iranian ambassador to the U.N. Amir Saeid Iravani alleged that Israel and the United States had committed “war crimes” during an “unprovoked and premeditated aggression against Iran”. Among the war crimes listed by the Iranian diplomat was an alleged attack on an Iranian girls’ elementary school in Minab, which Iranian officials claimed killed over 100 people. U.S. Central Command has said that it is investigating the reports, but said that “Unlike Iran, we have never — and will never — target civilians.”

6:20 PM: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told an emergency meeting of the Security Council in New York that Operation Epic Fury has “specific and strategic objectives” in Iran, including the dismantling of Tehran’s missile capabilities that threaten allies, degrading the regime’s naval abilities to prevent Iran from destabilizing international waters, to thwart its proxy network of terrorists, and to ensure that the Islamist regime can “never” threaten the world with nuclear weapons.

“This is a moment in history that requires moral clarity, and President Trump has met the moment,” Waltz said, adding that the strikes were “lawful actions”.

The ambassador also said that “no responsible nation can ignore persistent aggression and violence”, citing attacks conducted by Iran on “hundreds of U.S Marines in Lebanon, thousands of troops in Iraq,” the taking of American hostages, and the dozens of assaults on ships in the Red Sea.

“Iran has armed and financed militant organizations that undermine lawful governments and destabilize an already fragile region. Iran’s continued pursuit of advanced missile capabilities coupled with its refusal to abandon nuclear ambitions despite diplomatic opportunities presents a grave and mounting danger,” Waltz said.

5:45 PM: The crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, hailed the death of “bloodthirsty” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom he said will be “erased from the pages of history”.

“With his death, the Islamic Republic has effectively come to an end and will soon be consigned to the dustbin of history,” the son of the late Shah of Iran said.

Pahlavi, who is widely tipped to lead a potential interim government should the Islamist regime fall in Tehran, said that “any attempt by the remnants of the regime to appoint a successor to Khamenei is doomed to failure from the outset. Whoever they place in his stead will have neither legitimacy nor survival; and without doubt, they will also be complicit in the crimes of this regime.”

He redoubled his call for the military, security, and police forces to stand down and abandon the “collapsing regime” and take their “last chance to join the people” and “ensure Iran’s stable transition to a free and prosperous future; and to have a share in building that future.”

“This marks the beginning of our great national celebration; but it is not the end of the road. Stay vigilant and prepared. The time for a massive and decisive presence in the streets is very near. Together, united and steadfast, we will secure the final victory, and we will celebrate Iran’s freedom across our Ahura-created homeland.”

5:15 PM: The Times of Israel reported that a woman in her 40s was killed during an Iranian ballistic missile strike on the city of Tel Aviv. According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, 20 others were injured during the attack, including a man in his 40s who is in serious condition.

Meanwhile, the government of Dubai has confirmed that the city’s international airport suffered “minor damage” amid retaliatory strikes from Iran throughout the Gulf in response to the military operation waged by the United States and Israel. The Dubai Media Office said that four staff members suffered injuries and have since received medical attention.

4:45 PM: U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “is dead”. Writing on his Truth Social platform, President Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in History.”

“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” President Trump wrote.

“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us,” he continued.

“As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!’ Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves. That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated. The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

4:40 PM: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has spoken with the leaders of the UK, Kuwait, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss the military operation in Iran. Meanwhile, the White House has released its first photograph of President Trump monitoring the strikes in Iran.

4:25 PM: Breitbart News Network Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle reported that senior White House officials briefed reporters that there were indications that the Iranian regime was planning a preemptive strike against U.S. bases, prompting President Donald Trump to make the decision to launch Operation Epic Fury.

Boyle also reported that top administration officials said that there was evidence that Iran was actively attempting to rebuild its nuclear weapons program after it was largely destroyed last year during Operation Midnight Hammer.

4:05 PM: NBC reporter Kristen Welker said that she asked U.S. President Donald Trump if he could confirm the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. She said that President Trump responded by saying: “I’ve spoken to a lot of people. We feel that is a correct story… A large number of their leaders have also been killed.”

Welker further reported that President Trump confirmed that a large number of the Iranian leadership have been killed and said that the operation is already being seen as a “success”.

3:55 PM: Fox News has reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated and killed during an Israeli air strike on his compound in Tehran. According to the Jerusalem Post, pictures of the Ayatollah’s body taken from the rubble were shown to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

An Israeli military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told the New York Times that they had killed several top Iranian defense officials, including Defence Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, Revolutionary Guards Corps chief Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, and Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to Khamenei. Defrin did not mention the Supreme Leader among the killed, according to the Times.

3:45 PM: U.S. Central Command has reported that zero U.S. casualties were recorded during retaliatory strikes from Iran on Saturday.

CENTCOM further reported that strikes against U.S. Military facilities only incurred “minor” damage and that no operations were impacted. Central Command described Operation Epic Fury as the “largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation.”

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Original story below…

Joint American-Israeli strikes against Iran took place over night, with U.S. President Donald Trump addressing both the nation and the people of Iran. Announcing the strikes to eliminate “imminent threats from the Iranian regime” which “directly endangers the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world”, Trump said: “A short time ago, the United States Military began major combat operations in Iran”.

Iranian retaliatory strikes have been launched against Israel.

The strikes are intended to destroy Iran’s stockpiles of missiles and to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s missile production industry, the President said. Most importantly, Trump said, was preventing Iranian nuclear-tipped long-range missiles from ever threatening the American mainland or America’s allies in Europe.

President Trump said:

Iran is the world’s no.1 state sponsor of terror and has recently killed tens of thousands of its own people [… which is] developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could seen reach the American homeland.

… for these reasons the United States military has undertaken a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It’s going to be totally, again, obliterated.

While noting “every possible step” to minimise threat to U.S. military personnel had been taken, President Trump warned the combat operations afoot were of sufficient scale that there may be casualties. He said:

I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war.

But we’re not doing this for now, we’re doing it for the future and it is a noble mission. We pray for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran. We ask God to protect all of our heroes in harm’s way and we trust that with his help the men and woman of the armed forces will prevail.

The U.S. President called on the armed forces, paramilitary, and police of Iran to lay down their weapons. If they did so they would receive “complete immunity” and be treated fairly, he said, but else would face “certain death”. To the Iranian people, he called on them to take this opportunity to rise up against the government, stating “the hour of your freedom is at hand” and that a second opportunity to take control was likely not coming. He said:

Stay sheltered, don’t leave your home, it’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will, probably be your only chance for generations… now is the time to seize control of your destiny

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed his people early Saturday morning stating the joint strikes with the U.S. were to remove the “existential threat”. Netanyahu said: “For 47 years, the Ayatollah regime has called out ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America.’ It has shed our blood, murdered many Americans, and massacred its own people… This murderous terror regime must not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity”, reports The Times of Israel.

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel as Iran launched retaliatory ballistic strikes, it was stated. The Israeli Defence Force said in a series of statements of what it said were multiple Iranian “barrages”: “A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel… At this time, the IAF is operating to intercept and strike threats where necessary to remove the threat.”

Additionally, the BBC reports blasts were heard in Bahrain’s Manama, the home port of the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

This story is developing, more follows