U.S., Israel launch strikes on Iran

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - U.S. and Israeli forces launched a coordinated military attack on Iran overnight, striking key military targets across the country after nuclear negotiations stalled last week without a deal.

Missiles hit Tehran, destroying the compound of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Late Saturday, President Donald Trump posted confirmation that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes, calling the Supreme Leader one of the most evil men in history.

President Donald Trump announced the operation in an address posted to social media early Saturday morning, a few hours after the first reports of strikes began circulating.

“A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran,” Trump said.

The operation, named “Operation Epic Fury,” was described by the U.S. and Israel as a preemptive strike. Trump defended the nationwide strikes as a matter of national security.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said.

The attacks come amid ongoing nuclear negotiations in which the United States demanded Iran halt its nuclear program and stop development of long-range missiles. Iran reportedly refused. Further discussions had been scheduled for next week in Vienna, with both parties saying progress was being made.

Omani foreign minister Badr Albusaidi, a lead negotiator in the talks, posted on X that he was dismayed by the strikes, saying “negotiations have yet again been undermined.”

As the death toll and level of destruction are still being assessed, Iran launched counter strikes on U.S. military bases and countries across the Middle East. Trump acknowledged the retaliation carries significant risk, including the possibility of American deaths.

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war, but we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future,” Trump said.

The president also encouraged the Iranian people to rise up and take over the government, calling for a regime change with U.S. support.

Lawmakers in D.C. are now reacting to the overnight strikes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the congressional “Gang of Eight” Tuesday and notified members before the operation. However, Trump did not receive specific congressional approval for the strikes.

Members of both parties had even planned to vote on a war powers resolution next week reaffirming congressional authority. Some members said they still plan to pursue that measure, as the strikes are scheduled to last multiple days.

Meanwhile, the international response was swift. American allies including Canada and Australia voiced support for the strikes, but a core group of European countries — including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany — called for a resumption of U.S.-Iranian negotiations and condemned Iranian counter strikes, without commenting on the initial attack launched by the United States and Israel.