U.S. And Israel At War With Iran (Updated)
Israel has launched an attack on Iran, striking targets in Tehran.
A U.S. official has confirmed to TWZ that the U.S. is attacking Iran, including strikes from air and sea. See updates down below.
Details remain extremely limited at this time, but what we know is that Israel struck targets as part of what it is calling a preemptive strike. Images from the capital show smoke plumes rising in urban areas. In addition, we have seen video from Iraq showing what appears to be low flying cruise missiles or possibly fighter aircraft. Iraq has been the primary access point for the Israeli Air Force in past strikes on Iran.
Some on the ground are saying the strikes targeted Iranian leadership installations in the city, particularly those used by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, although we cannot confirm that at this time. Geolocation info will soon be coming that should shed light on the target set.
The IDF posted the following on X, stating:
The State of Israel has launched a preemptive attack against Iran. Israel’s Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, declares a special and immediate state of emergency throughout the state. The State of Israel has initiated a preemptive attack against Iran to remove threats directed against the State of Israel. As a result, missile and drone launches against the State of Israel and its civilian population are expected in the very near term. Therefore, pursuant to his authority under the Civil Defense Law, Minister of Defense Israel Katz has now signed a special order mandating the imposition of a special state of emergency in the Home Front throughout the State of Israel, effective immediately. The instructions of the Home Front Command and the authorities must be followed, and individuals must remain in protected areas.
U.S. Central Command has declined to comment on the strikes in response to our direct inquiry to them.
We have concluded our rolling coverage in this piece. You can get the latest updates in our new rolling coverage article here.
UPDATE: 5:16 PM EST—
U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes earlier today, as you can read more about here.
UPDATE: 4:40 PM EST—
Within the last hour, an Iranian missile hit a location in the Tel Aviv area of Israel. Reporters on the scene said they heard sirens and then explosions. Israeli officials say seven people were injured, one badly.
Images from the scene show firefighters outside badly damaged apartment buildings. Whatever the state of the leadership in Tehran is at this point, the Iranian missile forces are clearly still an active threat.
UPDATE: 4:30 PM EST—
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have provided this update on their operation — codenamed Roaring Lion:
UPDATE: 4:20 PM EST—
Footage recently posted to social media purports to show the aftermath of an Iranian strike on Dubai Airport this evening. If true, that would indicate that Iran is still launching additional waves against its adversaries. We are awaiting further details of the results of this potential attack on one of the busiest commercial transport hubs in the region, and in the world.
UPDATE: 4:05 PM EST—
Trump has addressed reports that Ayatollah Khamenei was killed, telling NBC News, “We feel that that is a correct story.”
Additionally, Trump says “a lot of” the senior Iranian leadership was killed in strikes, claiming that “most” of them are now “gone.”
Asked about the next leadership and if a successor to Khamenei has been identified, Trump said: “Yes. We have a very good idea.”
According to Fox News, citing a U.S. official, the White House believes Khamenei is dead, along with between five and 10 top Iranian leaders who were killed in an initial Israeli strike.
Iran continues to contradict U.S. and Israeli reports that Khamenei is dead. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim and Mehr news agencies are both reporting that the supreme leader is “steadfast and firm in commanding the field.”
UPDATE: 4:00 PM EST—
The head of public relations at the Iranian supreme leader’s office today accused the United States and Israel of “mental warfare” after Israeli reports that Ayatollah Khamenei had been killed.
“The enemy is resorting to mental warfare; all should be aware,” the public relations official was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.
UPDATE: 3:40 PM EST—
A new strike video from Operation Epic Fury has been published on U.S. military social media channels. This one is especially notable for the presence of U.S. Navy F-35C stealth fighters from the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. These aircraft are seen with single AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles carried on external stores stations, complementing whatever is in their internal weapons bays. The same footage also includes F/A-18E/F Super Hornets loaded with 500-pound-class Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) as well as AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles.
UPDATE: 3:30 PM EST—
A spike in activity by aerial refueling aircraft at Lajes in the Azores today could well be indicative of additional U.S. air assets heading across the Atlantic to join the operation. Portuguese television crews recorded five KC-46 Pegasus tankers taking off from the base in just two minutes. Worth bearing in mind here is the fact that B-2s will likely make direct attacks on key Iranian targets tonight. They can provide hard-hitting and deep-penetrating capabilities that no other crewed platform can. These aircraft will be flying from the United States, at least initially, and would require extensive tanker support for these missions.
Already, the U.S. military has conducted almost 900 strikes in the first 12 hours of the operation against Iran, according to a U.S. official.
In response, Iran is said to have fired around 300 missiles today, with the U.S. officials estimating that Tehran started out with a stockpile of around 2,000 longer-range missiles and 2,000 shorter-range missiles. Many of those will have been destroyed in the course of operations today. As for the Iranian targets, the same U.S. official said that the strike on the 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain hit an “empty warehouse” and a radar installation.
UPDATE: 3:15 PM EST—
There have been more reports of the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that airstrikes on Tehran earlier today had destroyed his compound and that “all indications show this tyrant is no longer with us.”
Now, Reuters is reporting that Khamenei is indeed dead. The agency cites a senior Israeli official, who said that the supreme leader, who has ruled Iran since 1989, is dead and his body has been found.
Still, we don’t have official confirmation on the matter yet.
UPDATE: 2:55 PM EST—
President Donald Trump has claimed he can end the war with Iran in “two or three days,” as well as outlining various off-ramps for the conflict. In a phone interview from Mar-a-Lago, the U.S. president told Axios:
“I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: ‘See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programs].’ In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack.”
Trump also stated that Iranians officials “got close and then pulled back” on talks held in Geneva last week. “I understood from that that they don’t really want a deal,” Trump said.
The photo in the above tweet, showing an ad-hoc situation room at Mar-a-Lago, is interesting in that the map on the wall has not been blurred out or otherwise obscured. As a result, we can see clearly that there was some kind of Iranian attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
Elsewhere on this site, you can read our analysis of satellite imagery showing what is assessed to be an Iranian Alvand class frigate billowing dark smoke after being struck as part of the U.S. and Israeli air campaign against the country. The image is the first confirmation of heavy damage or a loss of an Iranian warship since the strikes began.
UPDATE: 2:40 PM EST—
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that airstrikes on Tehran earlier today destroyed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s compound and adds that “all indications show this tyrant is no longer with us.”
So far, this is the clearest official indication yet that the missing leader is dead.
Khamenei has not been heard from since U.S.-Israeli strikes began, and satellite imagery confirms that his secure compound in Tehran was heavily damaged in the initial barrage.
For its part, the Iranian Foreign Ministry claimed earlier today that the supreme leader was “safe and sound.”
Netanyahu further called upon the Iranian people to “take to the streets en masse” and “get the job done.” Describing the Iranian people as “courageous,” he said the strikes will help them “unshackle themselves from tyranny.”
They have a “once-in-a-generation chance” to overthrow the Iranian regime, Netanyahu added.
“This is an opportunity to do something. Do not sit with your arms crossed, because this moment will come and you will be demanded to go out of the streets in the masses, because you have to complete this work, and you have to bring down and eradicate this regime.”
UPDATE: 1:36 PM EST—
The Israeli Air Force says that 200 fighters took part in the initial wave of strikes on Iran this morning, and that 500 individual targets were struck “near-simultaneously.”
“This is the largest strike sortie in the history of the Israeli Air Force, executed after close planning with high-quality intelligence, synchronizing hundreds of aircraft simultaneously,” according to a statement from the IDF. This “enabled the expansion of air superiority over Iranian skies and caused a severe blow to the regime’s central offensive capability, the launch sites in western Iran.”
Axios has separately reported that “three sites where gatherings of the Iranian regime were taking place were struck simultaneously, and several senior figures essential to the management of the campaign and the regime’s governance were eliminated.” Unnamed sources have also told Reuters that “prior to Iran attacks, [the] CIA assessed Khamenei would be replaced by hardline IRGC elements if killed.” Many questions remain about the status of senior Iranian leaders targeted in the initial wave of strikes.
The IDF has also now issued a warning to Iranian civilians to avoid an industrial zone in Isfahan ahead of impending strikes.
Publicly available air traffic control audio indicates that U.S. Air Force tankers are up and operating in the vicinity of the Strait of Gibraltar. This could point to new movement of American aircraft through that area ahead of new strikes on Iran tonight.
There are reports that three members of the Kuwaiti armed forces were injured by falling debris during Iranian strikes targeting the country’s Ali Al Salem Air Base.
Iranian media is reporting that U.S.-Israeli strikes hit 24 provinces, killing 201 people and injuring 747 more, citing the country’s Red Crescent, per Reuters.
“The Ministry of Defence announced that UAE air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a new wave of Iranian missiles launched towards the country, noting that the operation was carried out with high efficiency and without any damage,” according to a new statement from that country’s Ministry of Defense. “Missiles were intercepted by the UAE Air Defence system and debris has fallen on several areas in Abu Dhabi, including Saadiyat Island, Khalifa City, Baniyas Area, Mohammed Bin Zayed area, and Al Falah area. No injuries have been reported.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has now stressed at a televised meeting that his country was not informed of the U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran in advance, and is not involved.
UPDATE: 12:19 PM EST—
The IDF continues to release footage from ongoing strikes on targets in Iran.
A picture said to have been taken in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz has emerged that looks to show an MQ-9 drone flying overhead.
“Several residential buildings in Manama were targeted,” according to a new statement from Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior. “Civil Defence continues with firefighting and rescue operations at the affected sites. Further details will be released later.”
The United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization, which is managed by the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom, says it has also now received reports of radio transmissions saying the Strait of Hormuz has been closed. However, UKMTO also says that it has been unable so far to verify whether or not this is true. The organization has further noted that such transmissions, by themselves, are not legally binding.
Israel’s Magen David Adom ambulance service says it has treated 89 people for injuries sustained during Iranian attacks today, according to The Times of Israel. The majority of those injuries are said to have come “indirectly,” which could include debris resulting from interceptions.
“President Trump monitored the situation overnight at Mar a Lago alongside members of his national security team. The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu by phone,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also now said in a statement. “Prior to the attacks, Secretary Rubio called all members of the gang of eight to provide congressional notification, and he was able to reach and brief seven of the eight members. The President and his national security team will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the day.”
UPDATE: 10:20 AM EST—
A wire report from Reuters, citing an official from the European Union-led Operation Aspides, says that vessels have started “receiving VHF [radio] transmission from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards saying ‘no ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz.’” Online ship tracking data shows some indications that traffic through the Strait may be slowing, but that it has not yet stopped. Iran has regularly threatened to close this highly strategic waterway in response to a major crisis. TWZ has delved into Iran’s ability to follow through on that threat, as well as the potential ramifications of doing so, in detail in the past.
“Ahead of us is a significant, fateful, and unprecedented campaign to destroy the capabilities of the Iranian terrorist regime – capabilities that constitute an ongoing existential threat to the security of the State of Israel,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has said in a video statement. “This is close and unprecedented cooperation between the IDF and the US military. The IDF is competent and prepared for a range of scenarios. At this very moment, Israeli Air Force pilots are striking hundreds of targets across Iran, at great risk and in coordination with American strikes.”
“We are focused at this time solely on victory,” he added.
The Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has also now released a picture of him speaking by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump. It has been pointed out that a copy of the book Allies At War by historian Tim Bouverie, about the Allied campaign to defeat the Nazis during World War II, is prominently featured in the picture.
There are reports that a strike has targeted Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militants in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. U.S. forces have struck elements of Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq and in Syria on several occasions in the past.
“UAE air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a new wave of Iranian missiles and drones launched towards the country. It noted that the operation was carried out with high efficiency and with limited material damage. The Ministry affirmed its full readiness and preparedness to deal with any threats, stressing that all necessary measures are being taken to firmly confront any attempts to undermine the country’s security and stability,” according to a new statement from that country’s Ministry of Defense. “It emphasised that the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors remains a top priority that can’t be compromised. The Ministry also stated that missiles were intercepted by the UAE Air Defence system, and debris have fallen on several areas in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. No injuries have been reported.”
“We are aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, has said in response to questions from CNN about reports from Iranian authorities that a school was struck earlier today. “We take these reports seriously and are looking into them. The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm.”
Iranian state media has said that dozens of students were killed and wounded when a primary school for girls in Minab in southwestern Iran was hit. The school is reportedly close to an IRGC facility.
UPDATE: 10:35 AM EST—
The Israel Defense Forces have shared details about their targeting of Iranian air defenses, including an SA-65 surface-to-air missile system in Kermanshah.
Israeli authorities continue to report incoming waves of ballistic missiles and drones. There have been reports of damage on the ground from missile debris due to interceptions, but not casualties so far.
There are reports of new Iranian strikes targeting Dubai. The Palm Hotel & Resort looks to have suffered damage as a result, but what the intended target was is unknown.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the United Arab Emirates has also now issued a statement condemning Iranian strikes on its territory, as well as on other countries in the region.
Kuwaiti authorities say a drone struck Kuwait International Airport, causing damage and injuring a number of workers.
A U.S. official speaking to TWZ on background has denied Iranian claims that it struck a U.S. naval vessel. “Not true,” said the official. “Lies.”
“When I talked to Secretary Rubio, I implored him to be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next,” U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in that chamber of Congress, has said in statement. “The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat.”
Schumer is also a member of the so-called “Gang of Eight,” which comprises senior lawmakers from both parties in the House and Senate, as well as the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees. These individuals were reportedly contacted about the new operation against Iran shortly before strikes began. Members of the House and Senate armed services committees were briefed later.
“The United Kingdom played no role in these strikes,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said in an address. However, “our forces are active and British planes are in the sky today as part of coordinated regional operations to protect our people, our interests, and our allies, as Britain has done before in line with international law.”
Starmer also condemned what he described as “indiscriminate” Iranian strikes on countries in the Middle East and said that it is “vital that we prevent further escalation and return to a diplomatic process.” He also called on Iran to refrain from further attacks and to give up its “weapons programs.”
A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry has now issued a brief statement calling for an end to hostilities and a return to diplomacy, according to The Wall Street Journal. Chinese and Russian authorities have called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in response to the conflict, according to state media in Russia. French authorities say the UNSC is now set to meet this evening at their request.
UPDATE: 9:42 AM EST—
Fox News is reporting that U.S. strikes on Iran included the first-ever combat use of unspecified “one-way attack drones.” Bloomberg had reported this past week that the U.S. military’s Middle East-based Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS) stood ready to participate in any future operations against Iran. TFSS was established late last year under the auspices of U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) and is armed with Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) kamikaze drones.
“The US military has been focusing on ‘high value targets’: IRGC significant facilities and capabilities. Naval facilities, and ‘underground facilities’ likely associated with the nuclear program. Tomahawk missiles were used in the first volley of strikes. ‘We have effectively suppressed their air defenses,’ one US official told me,” according to Fox News‘ Jennifer Griffin. “This was a multi geographic command and control designed to overwhelm Iran’s defenses. There were hundreds of targets in what is being described to me as a multi day operation.”
The map below shows the general locations of reported U.S. and Israeli strikes on targets in Iran so far.
Channel 12 in Israel has reported that strikes targeting Iranian leadership have achieved “very high success” and that “it is not clear that [Supreme leader Ali] Khamenei did not undergo a dramatic event,” citing unnamed sources. This remains very much unconfirmed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, to the best of his knowledge, that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian are still alive. Iran’s constitution says that if the Supreme Leader dies, the country’s current President, as well as the head of the judiciary and a cleric from the powerful Guardian Council, will assume their duties. Iranian Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje’i was also reportedly targeted, but is said to be unhurt, per Iranian officials.
Reuters is now reporting that Iranian Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and top IRGC commander Mohammed Pakpour have been killed, citing three anonymous sources. The outlet had already reported that “several senior revolutionary guards commanders and political officials have been killed in the US-Israeli strikes,” according to an unnamed Iranian source.
UPDATE: 9:08 AM EST—
Israeli forces are continuing to target Iranian ballistic missile launch capacity, as shown in the video below.
Israeli authorities also continue to report incoming volleys of Iranian threats.
Sahand University of Technology in Iran’s northwestern city of Tabriz appears to have been the target of a new strike. There have been reports in the past that this institution is tied to Iran’s nuclear program.
Online flight tracking data also shows Israel’s Wing of Zion presidential jet, also referred to as the Israeli Air Force One, orbiting over the Eastern Mediterranean Sea just off the country’s coast. It is currently unknown who may be on board the aircraft.
CNN has reported that the current U.S. operational plan centers on an “escalating series of strikes with off-ramps along the way,” citing an unnamed U.S. official. “Each round will be over a one to two-day period with pauses to reset and assess battle damage.”
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry has now put out a statement that says, in part, according to a machine translation:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Affairs has strongly condemned today the Iranian aggression on Jordanian territory with ballistic missiles, as well as the aggressions against the sisterly United Arab Emirates, the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain, the sisterly State of Qatar, and the sisterly State of Kuwait. The Ministry affirmed in a statement that Jordan will continue to take all available and necessary steps to protect the safety of its citizens, its security, and its sovereignty.
French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a statement that includes a pledge that the country “stands ready to deploy the necessary resources to protect its closest partners, should they request it,” but also says “the ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop.”
UPDATE: 8:12 AM EST—
The Israel Defense Forces continues to release footage showing strikes on targets in Iran as part of what it is calling Operation Roaring Lion (also sometimes written Operation Lion’s Roar).
Pictures and videos said to show Iranian retaliatory strikes and their aftermath, as well as efforts to intercept them, are still emerging.
Additional imagery said to show Iranian missile debris, as well as that from interceptors fired at them, falling in multiple countries, is now also emerging online.
More imagery showing debris from strikes targeting Iran continues to emerge, as well.
Strikes are causing widespread disruption in civilian air traffic across the Middle East. Flight Radar 24 said that there were total airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar as of 5:00 AM.
There are also growing concerns about disruptions to commercial maritime traffic.
“Following today’s US-Israel military operations against Iran, according to sources, the Houthis threatened to launch new attacks against Israel and US ships interest [sic] and shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. We call [on] the shipping industry to stay vigilant and be aware that attacks against all shipping can’t be excluded,” reads a statement from the European Union-led Operation Aspides, established to help safeguard shipping in and around the Red Sea. “EUNAFOR ASPIDES assets in the area of operation remain on high alert and stand ready to contribute within means and capabilities to protect lives at sea, contributing to freedom of navigation and enhancing #MaritimeSecurity through one of the most vital and vulnerable sea trade corridors.”
The U.S. military has dubbed its portion of the new operation against Iran as Operation Epic Fury. Fox News is reporting that current operations against Iran are expected to continue for several days, not just hours, citing an unnamed U.S. official.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi has lamented that “Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined” and said that “neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this.” Oman had been mediating talks between U.S. and Iranian officials ostensibly aimed at avoiding a conflict.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has put out a statement that says, in part, “Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese included a near-identical statement of support for the United States in his own statement.
UPDATE: 7:07 AM EST—
Satellite imagery shows significant damage to the Supreme Leader’s compound in Tehran. It remains unclear what his status is at this moment:
We are getting our first video from Israel of attacks in Iranian targets, including a long-range ballistic missile launcher and missile:
This is video reportedly showing a hit by an Iranian weapon on Abu Dhabi:
Saudi Arabia’s statement on Iran’s attacks on its bases and those of its Arab allies:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the treacherous Iranian aggression and the blatant violation of the sovereignty of each of the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, affirming its full solidarity and standing by the side of the sister states, and placing all its capabilities at their disposal to support them in all measures they take, and warning of the grave consequences of the continued violation of the sovereignty of states and the principles of international law.
Israel is reportedly going after all Iranian leadership, “past, present and future,” according to one report.
An image showing an Iranian missile or other projectile impacting the water off Israel:
UPDATE: 5:45 AM EST—
It appears that Iran attacked U.S.-related sites in Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, and Kuwait. We are also hearing Saudi Arabia, but that is not confirmed. We are now getting responses from these countries condemning the attacks and some saying they reserve the right to respond. This is exactly how this conflict would quickly widen, as we have discussed for years, and most recently in this in-depth feature.
We are seeing video of flaming missile bodies on the ground in Syria and other locales. Whether they are a part of the ballistic missile or the interceptor isn’t clear in most cases.
A major set of strikes appears to have done significant damage to a mountainside facility in eastern Iran that is related to IRGC ballistic missile capabilities. Destroying the entrances to the missile caves is critical to lock as many of the weapons inside.
UPDATE: 5:15 AM EST—
Fox News reports a U.S. official says American forces are not targeting regime targets. Instead, they are going after military, industrial, and especially missile-related ones. Israel is going after the regime.
IDF reportedly is now stating it is going after the top of the regime:
IDF has warned Iranians near military-related industries in Iran:
“Urgent Warning to All Individuals Located Inside or Near Military Industrial Factories and Military Infrastructure Across Iran. You are in proximity to weapons and facilities that are dangerous. Dear Citizens, for the sake of your safety and health, we kindly request that you immediately evacuate these areas and remain outside them until a new announcement is issued. Your presence in these locations puts your life at risk.”
Video shows F-15C Bazs taking off on a sortie for today’s operation. It is armed with AIM-7 Sparrows, still not uncommon for IAFs F-15A-Ds. Still, a bit odd for the general mission. It also does not have external tanks. Possibly on domestic counter-drone duty, if indeed the video depicts what it claims.
UPDATE: 5:00 AM EST —
From an IDF official to TWZ: “Confirm on attacks in Bahrain and Qatar. We are being striked and missile attack[ed] all over Israel. We are being informed that Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan are being attacked as well.”
Videos show an intercept occurring over Dubai:
UPDATE: 4:50 AM EST—
We are seeing a sizable impact from an Iranian missile on the 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain.
We are also seeing videos claiming to show smoke rising in the UAE.
A number of the USAF tankers that were in Tel Aviv have taken off:
A video that shows an armada of fighters over Syria from this morning has surfaced:
UPDATE: 4:26 AM EST—
Iran is striking back across the Middle East, including Israel and U.S. interests along the Persian Gulf:
UPDATE: 4:10 AM EST—
Iran appears (still unconfirmed) to have struck the Navy’s facility in Bahrain, the epicenter of the 5th Fleet.
A statement from the IDF gives a better overview of what the campaign seeks to accomplish:
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announces that the IDF and the US Armed Forces have launched a broad and joint operation to thoroughly degrade the Iranian terrorist regime and to remove existential threats to the State of Israel over time.
The strike targeted dozens of military targets and was carried out as part of a broad, coordinated, and joint operation against the regime.
The Iranian regime has not abandoned its plan to destroy Israel. In recent months, and despite the severe blow it sustained during Operation “Rising Lion”, the IDF identified that the regime continued efforts to advance production, fortify, and conceal its nuclear program, alongside rehabilitating its missile production processes.
In addition, the regime has continued financing, training, and arming its proxies positioned on Israel’s borders. These actions constitute an existential threat to the State of Israel and pose a danger to the Middle East and the world as a whole.
In the months preceding the strike, close and joint planning was conducted between the IDF and the U.S. military, enabling the execution of the broad strike in full synchronization and coordination between the two militaries. The IDF, across all its branches, carried out a meticulous and long-term preparation process for this operation — both in defensive systems and in various offensive plans.
Video claiming to show a TLAM over Tehran:
UPDATE: 4:00 AM EST—
Netanyahu has now made an address. It states in part:
My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, just an hour ago, Israel and the United States embarked on an operation to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran. I thank our great friend, President Donald Trump, for his historic leadership. For 47 years, the Ayatollahs’ regime has chanted “Death to Israel,” “Death to America.” It has spilled our blood, murdered many Americans, and massacred its own people. This murderous terrorist regime must not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity.
Our joint operation will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands. The time has come for all parts of the Iranian people—the Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Baloch, and Ahwazis—to cast off the yoke of tyranny and bring freedom and peace-loving values to Iran.
I call on you, citizens of Israel, to heed the instructions of the Home Front Command. In the coming days, during Operation “Lion’s Roar,” we will all be called upon to show patience and strength of spirit. Together we will stand, together we will fight, and together we will ensure the eternity of Israel.
Right on time, the Houthis are now saying they are closing the Bab El Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The U.S. Mission in UAE and the Embassy in Jordan have also sent shelter-in-place alerts:
One of Israel’s prized submarines, which alas carries the country’s undeclared second strike nuclear deterrent, was seen booking it out of Haifa:
Hezbollah in Lebanon also got struck this morning.
A prayer app that is popular in Iran has been hacked:
An unexploded Tomahawk warhead is seen on the ground in Iraq:
UPDATE: 3:39 AM EST—
Pentagon has named this campaign Operation Epic Fury.
Reports are coming in that ballistic missiles hit Haifa in Israel:
Air travel in the region is highly disrupted, with flights trying to figure out how to reroute around the conflict zone:
The IRGC has put out a statement:
“In the name of God, the Crusher of the Tyrants: In response to the hostile and criminal enemy’s aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the first wave of extensive missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the occupied territories has begun.”
Iran’s Ministry of Interior condemns the strikes and states:
“It brings to the attention of the great people of Islamic Iran that the criminal enemy, once again violating all international laws and during the negotiations, has again attacked our beloved homeland.”
UPDATE: 3:26 AM EST—
The IDF says a barrage of missiles is inboard from Iran.
Internet traffic in Iran has plummeted. Meanwhile, Iranian state news says checkpoints are being set up and not to post any images or videos of targeted areas. It also warns of extreme instability in the coming hours.
UPDATE: 3:01 AM EST—
There are reports that major Iranian Navy/IRGC Navy bases on the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea have been hit. This would make perfect sense to preempt a mining operation or attempted closure of the strait.
We are also getting more indications of what was hit in Tehran. Regime, nuclear, and security apparatus targets.
Now the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain is sending a shelter-in-place alert. Bahrain is a major center of gravitas for the U.S. military and home of the 5th Fleet.
Images are emerging showing spent boosters of Israel’s air-launched ballistic missiles laying in fields in Eastern Iraq. This is customary for IAF attacks on Iran at this point, with these weapons largely used to destroy air defenses and hit critical command and control related targets deep in Iran without putting manned aircraft at risk. We were first to report on these launches during Israel’s first direct strikes on Iran, which you can read about here. You can also read more about the latest of this unique class of weapon in the IAF’s inventory here.
Israeli KC-707 supposedly spotted refueling fighters over Syria:
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose fatally ill father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fled Iran ahead of the 1979 Islamic revolution, is now living in exile in the U.S. He has been instrumental in urging Iranians to protest the regime.
In a statement on X, Pahlavi urged Iranian military, police, and security forces to take action against the regime to protect the people.
“You have sworn an oath to protect Iran and the Iranian people—not the Islamic Republic and its leaders. Your duty is to defend the people, not a regime that has taken our homeland hostage through repression and crime. Join the people and help bring about a stable and secure transition. Otherwise, you will go down with Khamenei’s sinking ship and his regime.”
UPDATE: 2:45 AM EST—
Trump has addressed what he calls a “major combat operation inside Iran.” He lists Iran’s history of nefarious operations against the U.S. and others for decades and says he “isn’t going to put up with it anymore.” Trump says Iran will never have nuclear weapons and he will destroy their missiles and their missile industries, annihilate their Navy, and they will no longer be able to support proxies across the Middle East. He says there may be casualties as part of the operation. Trump tells Iranian troops and security forces that they will get immunity if they lay down their arms, or the alternative is they “will face certain death.” He tells the Iranian people to stay home as “bombs will be dropping everywhere” and the government will be theirs for the taking.
UPDATE: 2:27AM EST—
Israel’s N12 is reporting that the operation name is “Roar Of The Lion.”
N12 also claims a source said the Supreme Leader is in a secure hideout. Reuters also reported this.
Strikes are occurring at sites throughout Iran. While these could be targeting time sensitive targets, many of these strikes would be used to prepare the battlefield for aircraft operations over Iran. In other words, degrading and destroying what’s left of Iran’s air defenses so strike aircraft can more safely operate over the country. These operations would likely occur tonight under the cover of darkness, where direct attacks on targets can be made. So tonight will look nothing like what we are seeing today.
UPDATE: 2:15AM EST—
A U.S. official has confirmed to TWZ that the U.S. is attacking Iran.
Meanwhile the Mossad is asking Iranians to “return Iran to its glorious days.”
We are getting unconfirmed reports that Israel has assassinated Iran’s defense minister.
UPDATE: 1:55AM EST—
Israel is preparing for a reprisal strike:
In the last few minutes, sirens were sounded all throughout Israel, with an advance instruction alert directly to cellular devices to stay within proximity to protected spaces. This is a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the State of Israel. The IDF emphasizes that the public is requested to stay in proximity to protected spaces.
Flights are currently diverting away from the region and Iran has closed its airspace.
It appears USAF transport aircraft are trying to leave the ground prior to any kind of reprisal strikes. One ACARS message told a C-17 crew to remain on the ground in Jordan for as little time as possible not long before the strikes.
The daytime nature of the attacks would point to time sensitive targets being hit.
CNN is reporting that the U.S. was at least in coordination with Israel on the strikes, but that is not surprising at all even if Israel acted unilaterally in the kinetic action itself. There had been reports that the Trump administration favored Israel striking first so that it could then jump in once Iran responded with its own strikes.
A shelter-in-place order has been broadcasted in Qatar, home to the U.S. military’s largest installation in the region and what is presumed (and previously demonstrated) as the top U.S. target of Iran.
An Israel KC-707 was seen departing today, likely to support the strike operation. Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant posted simply “Good luck” with U.S. and Israeli flags on his X account along with an image of an IAF F-15D and him talking to crews.
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