Tehran (Somalia Today) – The United States and Israel launched a massive wave of coordinated military strikes across Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a direct regional war as US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to overthrow their government.
The unprecedented daylight assault, dubbed Operation “Epic Fury” by the Pentagon and “Roar of the Lion” by Israel, targeted Iranian military infrastructure, missile production facilities, and leadership compounds.
It marks the second time in eight months that Washington has used military force against the Islamic Republic, following targeted strikes on nuclear sites in June 2025.
In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unleashed a barrage of retaliatory missiles targeting Israel and several Gulf Arab states hosting US military forces.
Trump justified the offensive by accusing Tehran of advancing its nuclear weapons programme and developing long-range missiles capable of striking American soil.
“A short time ago, the US military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said in an eight-minute video address.
He explicitly called for regime change, urging the Iranian public to rise up against the clerics who have ruled since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“When we’re finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations,” Trump said.
‘Certain death’
The joint US-Israeli operation had been planned for months, deploying a vast naval armada that included the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford.
In his address, Trump issued a stark ultimatum to the IRGC and Iranian police forces.
“Lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death,” the US president warned, adding that “bombs will be dropping everywhere.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Trump’s “historic leadership,” declaring the pre-emptive strikes were necessary to eliminate an “existential threat” to Israel.
The first wave of bombardments rocked the Iranian capital, Tehran, with thick smoke seen billowing from the city centre.
Strikes heavily damaged areas near the residential and office compound of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian officials, however, confirmed the 86-year-old leader had been transferred to a secure location. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later told US media that Khamenei was “alive as far as I know.”
Civilian toll and panic
While Washington and Israel set military sites as their primary targets, Iranian state media reported devastating civilian casualties.
An Israeli strike hit a girls’ elementary school in the southern city of Minab in Hormozgan province, killing at least 40 people, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
The bombardment sparked widespread panic. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council ordered nearly 10 million residents to evacuate Tehran, causing massive gridlock on outbound expressways.
Authorities shuttered schools and universities nationwide, while attempting to reassure the public that food and fuel supplies were secure.
Aviation authorities immediately closed the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, and Bahrain, forcing international carriers to cancel or reroute flights as the skies above the Middle East emptied.
Gulf bases under fire
Vowing a “crushing” response, Tehran swiftly expanded the conflict, declaring all American and Israeli assets in the region “legitimate targets.”
Sirens wailed across northern Israel as the military activated its air defence systems to intercept incoming Iranian missiles.
Simultaneously, explosions echoed across numerous Gulf Arab states.
Iran’s Fars News Agency confirmed the IRGC had launched strikes on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, and the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
Qatar and Kuwait reported successfully intercepting the projectiles. However, the UAE Defence Ministry reported that one person was killed in Abu Dhabi by falling debris from an intercepted missile.
US embassies across the Gulf ordered American citizens to shelter in place immediately.
Diplomatic collapse
The military escalation shattered months of fragile diplomatic efforts.
The strikes occurred just two days after indirect US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva ended without a breakthrough, cancelling planned technical discussions in Vienna.
The offensive also sparked immediate political backlash in Washington, where critics warned of an uncontrollable regional conflagration.
US Senator Edward J. Markey condemned the operation as “illegal and unconstitutional,” noting it bypassed congressional approval.
“Americans do not want another endless war in the Middle East,” Markey said, warning of grave risks to US troops.
Regional analysts also warned that the strategy was a dangerous gamble. Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at Crisis Group, said Washington and Israel were seizing on a perceived moment of Iranian weakness following recent nationwide anti-government protests.
“This is a war of choice,” Vaez said. “US regime change policies often end in grief.”
Meanwhile, global markets braced for a severe economic shock. Iran pumps about 4.5 percent of the global oil supply, and the conflict threatens the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Energy analysts warned that without immediate de-escalation, risk premiums could push Brent crude prices up by $20 a barrel when markets reopen.
