The United States and Israel launched [1] airstrikes against Iran early Saturday following the regime’s refusal to dismantle its nuclear program after weeks of negotiations, according to multiple reports.
The New York Times, citing a U.S. official, reported that American strikes on Iran were underway.
The full extent of the operation remains unclear.
The action follows a significant U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and comes after President Donald Trump repeatedly warned Tehran it would face consequences if it failed to reach a nuclear agreement with Washington.
A source told Reuters that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran at the time of the strikes and had been transferred to a secure location.
President Trump had reportedly been considering options ranging from a limited strike intended to pressure Iran back to the negotiating table to a broader military campaign aimed at killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son, Mojtaba, who is viewed as a possible successor.
On Feb. 19, Trump gave Iranian officials a 10- to 15-day deadline to reach an agreement on a nuclear deal, asserting the regime would face “really bad things” if it did not comply.
The warning followed days of indirect negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, between U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The talks were mediated by Oman.
Trump has long maintained that he would not accept a deal permitting Iran to continue enriching uranium, citing concerns that the regime could use the material to develop a nuclear weapon.
Tehran has consistently stated that its uranium enrichment efforts are for civilian purposes.
The latest strikes mark the first American-led assault on the Islamic Republic since Operation Midnight Hammer last June.
That operation targeted the Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, the Natanz Nuclear Facility and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center.
During Operation Midnight Hammer, U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers struck the facilities with “bunker buster” bombs, and the U.S. Navy launched sea-based Tomahawk missiles.
The operation was described as successful.
In the lead-up to the current strikes, the Trump administration expanded its military presence in the region.
Two carrier strike groups were deployed to the Middle East. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier entered the Mediterranean Sea on Feb. 20, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln in the region.
A dozen Navy destroyers and three littoral combat ships are believed to be accompanying the nuclear-powered carriers.
The U.S. also moved more than 50 fighter jets to the region as part of the buildup, according to Axios. Independent flight trackers identified aircraft including F-16 Falcons, F-22 Raptors and F-35 jets.
The F-35 jets have stealth capabilities that allow them to operate without detection by Iranian air defenses.
Additional warplanes had already been positioned in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
Iran had warned that it would retaliate against American forces in the region if the United States launched strikes.
Last year, Tehran attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in response to Operation Midnight Hammer. There were no U.S. casualties in that attack.
Earlier this year, President Trump had also considered military action against Iran following a deadly crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
The demonstrations centered on the country’s struggling economy and calls for change. Some estimates indicate the regime killed as many as 30,000 protesters while suppressing dissent and demands for regime change.
President Donald Trump issued a video statement following the initial strikes: