The United States and Israel announced the launch of a large-scale military campaign against Iran early Saturday, following weeks of warnings from Donald Trump urging Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear agreement and condemning its crackdown on protesters earlier this year.
In a video shared on Truth Social, Trump said the U.S. had begun what he described as a massive and ongoing operation aimed at stopping what he called a radical dictatorship from threatening American national security. The Pentagon named the campaign “Operation Epic Fury.”
Israel believes Iran’s Supreme Leader,Ali Khamenei,may have been killed in strikes.
Trump urged Iranian military forces to surrender and encouraged civilians to rise up against their leadership following the joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. In remarks to the Washington Post, he stated that his goal was to ensure freedom and safety for the Iranian people.
Israeli officials reported several waves of missile attacks launched by Iran toward Israeli territory. At least two major U.S. military bases in the region were also reportedly targeted by Iranian missiles.
In the days leading up to the operation, the U.S. repositioned more than a dozen naval vessels and aircraft to the Middle East, while simultaneously increasing diplomatic pressure and holding indirect discussions with Iranian representatives over the nuclear issue.
Earlier, in June 2025, Trump had already authorized airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.