US, Israel Launch Massive Airstrikes Against Iranian Targets: Trump

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" in Iran early Saturday, launching "Operation Epic Fury"—a joint U.S.-Israel airstrike campaign targeting hundreds of military and political sites across Iran. The strikes, carried out by U.S. attack planes and Israeli forces, hit at least nine Iranian cities, including Tehran, Qom, Shiraz, and Chabahar.

Israel reportedly targeted around 500 locations, focusing on ballistic missile sites, air defense systems, and high-value regime assets, including a high-security compound housing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which showed extensive damage in satellite imagery, and unconfirmed reports and announcement by Trump that the supreme leader is dead. The 86-year-old has ruled Iran for 36 years.

In retaliation, Iran launched waves of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel and U.S. military bases across the Middle East. Targets included Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain. Iran also attacked Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, with debris from an Iranian missile killing at least one person in the UAE. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait confirmed attacks, while Jordan reported a blast in its capital.

The U.S. and Israel struck Iran following a breakdown in last-ditch nuclear talks, months of escalating rhetoric amd intense lobbying of Trump administration by zealous Zionist activists and donors.

President Trump, in a video post on Truth Social, vowed to "destroy their missiles," "annihilate their navy," and "enable the overthrow of the regime,"urging Iranians to "take over your government." The U.S. Central Command confirmed that its forces successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks, with minimal damage to U.S. bases and no reported U.S. combat deaths.

Khamenei has reportedly put in place detailed plans for succession and emergency chains of command in the event of his death, elevating longtime loyalist Ali Larijani to manage the war and become the de facto leader of Iran.

The conflict has severely disrupted global energy markets. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—critical for one-fifth of the world’s oil—has been halted or rerouted, with the U.S. Maritime Administration advising vessels to avoid the region. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the strait unsafe, and oil prices surged amid fears of prolonged supply disruptions.

Casualty reports from Iran are alarming. Iranian state media and the Red Crescent reported over 60 deaths in a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, with Iran’s IRIB broadcaster citing 85 dead and 93 injured. The U.S. and Israel have not confirmed the school strike, but the attack has drawn international condemnation.

Regional tensions have escalated further. The Houthis in Yemen denounced the strikes and called for mass protests, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the operation as a "catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression." World leaders urged restraint, though Canada and Australia publicly backed the U.S.-Israel action.

Many conservatives on social media were outraged with many calling Trump a "traitor" for breaking his "no new wars" promise to voters during the 2024 presidential election campaign. Popular podcaster and Trump ally Tucker Carlson called the bombing of Iran "disgusting and evil."

Analysts warn the conflict risks spiraling into a protracted war with no clear exit. The Iranian military has vowed to continue retaliating until the U.S. and Israel are "definitively defeated," signaling sustained hostilities. The situation remains highly volatile as the region braces for further escalation.