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.
