Iran retaliates after U.S., Israeli strikes; regional tensions surge

The United States and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran on Saturday, prompting swift Iranian missile and drone retaliation and pushing tensions in the Middle East to a new high.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that American forces had begun "major combat operations" against Iran, saying the campaign aims to defend the United States by disabling what he described as "imminent threats" from the Iranian leadership.

Israel framed the operations as a "pre-emptive strike" against what it says are existential threats from Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

Sirens and explosions have been reported in Tehran and across the Islamic Republic following the strikes. Israel said both Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were targeted in the attacks. One of the targeted areas in Tehran was located near Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's offices, according to the AP. Reuters reported that Khamenei had been transferred to a secure location outside Tehran. An official confirmed Pezeshkian is alive. Israeli media reported that Amir Hatami, the commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, was killed in the attacks. Iranian media, however, said the army chief is safe, and there has been no official confirmation of his death from Iranian authorities.

An Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Tehran was not surprised by the strikes, saying retaliation would come without time limits or red lines. Another official said all U.S. bases and interests are within Iran's reach, Reuters reported.

Later on Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched a barrage of missiles toward Israel in retaliation. Meanwhile, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates reported suspected or confirmed attacks inside their territories, as Iranian media reported that four U.S. military bases in the Gulf states were targeted by Iran's retaliatory strikes. Sounds of explosions were also heard in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

Israel had earlier declared a nationwide state of emergency, sounded air-raid sirens, closed its airspace to civilian flights and suspended schools and most non-essential public activities. Citizens were urged to stay near shelters and follow instructions from civil defense authorities as military warning systems remain on high alert.

Israeli officials say the heightened posture, including the emergency measures, was a protective precaution amid what they describe as a sustained and serious threat environment.

Diplomatic talks leading up to the strikes

In the past few weeks, U.S. and Iranian officials were engaged in talks in Geneva aimed at resolving disputes over Iran's nuclear program, uranium enrichment limits and access for international inspectors. Despite some progress, the talks failed to produce a breakthrough, and Trump publicly expressed frustration with Iran's negotiating stance, warning that military force remained an option.

Trump had set a 10–15 day deadline for meaningful diplomatic progress, and U.S. officials warned that a lack of agreement would prompt a shift toward military pressure. Iran insisted it would not abandon its sovereign rights to enrich uranium and threatened retaliation against U.S. forces in neighboring countries if attacked.

Rhetoric before the offensive

In the days leading up to the strikes, Trump repeatedly accused Iran of endangering U.S. security and criticized Tehran's lack of transparency in talks. He had said he was "not happy" with the way negotiations were progressing, while still publicly expressing a preference for diplomacy over conflict.

Trump's earlier State of the Union address framed Iran as a direct strategic threat, claiming Tehran was developing long-range missiles capable of reaching the U.S., though this assessment is not backed up by U.S. intelligence, according to multiple local media reports.

Israeli leaders largely echoed Trump's stance, emphasizing that preserving national security required readiness for all options, including military force, should negotiations falter.

Tehran responded to growing pressure with defiant rhetoric of its own. Iranian officials repeatedly rejected calls to abandon uranium enrichment and nuclear research, insisting that their nuclear program was for peaceful purposes and not aimed at developing weapons.

Iran also warned that a U.S. attack would trigger direct retaliation against U.S. military assets across the Middle East.