The US Defense Department named its Iran mission “Operation Epic Fury,” announcing the title in a social media post.
The post marked the first public statement from the US military since the start of the joint US-Israeli attack, and was shared by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in all capital letters alongside an American flag.
The Israeli military instructed civilians to remain in bomb shelters until further notice on Saturday, amid waves of Iranian ballistic missile attacks.
“You must remain in a protected area until an official notice is given,” the army said, adding that air defense systems were detecting and intercepting threats.
Iran’s Interior Ministry on Saturday condemned US and Israeli strikes on Tehran and several other cities, accusing Washington and Israel of violating international law.
In a statement, the ministry said it was using all available capacity to maintain public order and provide services, and that the interior minister had instructed provincial governors to submit rapid situation reports and mobilize resources to address urgent public needs.
The ministry said a national crisis management headquarters had been formed and instructions issued to provincial crisis offices and relevant agencies.
Israel, acting in coordination with the United States, launched strikes in Iran on Saturday, hitting multiple targets as explosions were reported in Tehran and other cities.
Among the most significant reported targets was the office complex of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in central Tehran. Reuters, citing Iranian officials, said Khamenei was not at the location at the time of the strike, though this could not be independently confirmed.
Videos circulating online appeared to show black plumes of smoke rising from an area associated with the Supreme Leader’s headquarters — long considered the symbolic and operational center of the regime’s authority.
Footage shared on social media also showed some Iranians reacting with disbelief and celebration, with witnesses heard laughing and referring to the site as the “leader’s house,” while others were seen thanking Israel as strikes unfolded.
Explosions were reported across Tehran and multiple Iranian cities early Saturday, including Tabriz, Qom, Karaj, Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Ilam, as Israeli officials confirmed a preemptive operation aimed at dismantling what they described as imminent threats posed by Iran’s missile and military infrastructure.
Iranian state media said the southern port city of Bushehr was also attacked, though it remains unclear whether nuclear-related facilities were damaged.
Israeli authorities said the operation, named “Lion’s Roar,” had been planned for months and carried out in coordination with Washington.
A US official confirmed American participation through air and sea strikes, with the US Air Force involved, though details regarding targets and damage assessments remain limited.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization closed the country’s airspace for six hours following the strikes.
Semi-official news agency ISNA reported that thousands of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed or wounded in attacks on military installations.
US President Donald Trump said Washington had begun what he described as “major combat operations,” framing the action as a defensive effort aimed at preventing Iran from advancing its nuclear and long-range missile programs.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said in a video message, adding that the United States would ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
Shortly after the strikes, the Israeli military said missiles were launched from Iran toward Israeli territory, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel as air defense systems attempted interceptions — an early indication of Tehran’s retaliation.
An Iranian official told Reuters the country’s response would be “crushing,” raising fears the confrontation could rapidly expand into a broader regional conflict.
Inside Iran, authorities began restricting communications as the attacks unfolded.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported national connectivity dropping to roughly 54 percent of normal levels, while Iranian media said mobile networks and messaging services were being disrupted. Several Iranian news websites were also reportedly hacked amid wider cyber activity.
The escalation comes only weeks after security forces carried out a nationwide crackdown in which tens of thousands of Iranians were killed — widely described as one of the worst massacres in the modern history of the world.
The strikes now unfold against a backdrop of deep internal anger and unprecedented pressure on the ruling establishment.
Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi called on Iranians to prepare to return to the streets, describing the Islamic Republic as nearing collapse while urging citizens to remain calm and await further instructions.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that American forces had begun “major combat operations” in Iran, launching what he described as a massive and ongoing campaign to eliminate nuclear and missile threats from the Iranian regime.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said in a video address, accusing Tehran of decades of attacks against US forces and allies and of continuing efforts to rebuild its nuclear program.
Trump said the operation would target Iran’s missile capabilities, naval forces and what he called its “terrorist proxies,” vowing to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground” and to “annihilate their navy.”
He said the United States would ensure that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.
The president cited past attacks blamed on Iran or its proxies, including the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut and assaults on US forces in Iraq, and accused Tehran of backing militant groups across the region.
Trump acknowledged that US casualties were possible, saying American service members could be at risk as the operation unfolds. He said his administration had taken steps to minimize threats to US personnel in the region.
In a direct appeal to Iranian security forces, Trump urged them to lay down their weapons, warning they would face “certain death” otherwise.
He also addressed the Iranian public, telling them to remain sheltered during the strikes and saying “the hour of your freedom is at hand.”
Exiled Iranian prince Reza Pahlavi urged Iranians on Saturday to prepare to return to the streets as the Islamic Republic “collapses,” and called on the country’s military, police and security forces to break with the clerical establishment and join what he described as a push for a “stable and secure” transition.
In a message addressed to Iranians, Pahlavi said the time to resume protests was near, but urged people for now to stay home, remain calm and be ready to mobilize when he gives what he said would be precise instructions.
He told security forces they had sworn to protect Iran and its people, not the Islamic Republic and its leaders, warning they would “sink” with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the current system if they did not switch sides.
Pahlavi also described US action against Iran as a “humanitarian intervention” aimed at the Islamic Republic’s repression apparatus rather than the Iranian nation, and appealed to US President Donald Trump to exercise maximum caution to protect civilians.