In a dramatic turn marking one of the most severe escalations in Middle East tensions in decades, the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iranian targets early Saturday morning.
A dramatic new phase of conflict in the Middle East has erupted following a large-scale military operation known as “Operation Epic Fury,” launched jointly by the United States and Israel against targets across Iran. The coordinated strikes targeted military, strategic, and nuclear-related infrastructure in multiple Iranian provinces, marking one of the most significant escalations in tensions between the regional powers in years.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by U.S. officials, targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command centers, ballistic missile sites, air defense systems, nuclear-related facilities, and key regime infrastructure across provinces including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Kermanshah, and Karaj.
President Donald Trump described the strikes as necessary to eliminate “imminent threats” from Iran’s nuclear ambitions and proxy networks, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed them as a preemptive move to neutralize the “existential threat” posed by the Iranian regime.Reports from Israeli sources claimed the strikes may have killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, though Iranian state media countered that he was “safe and sound.” The attacks represent a shift from previous limited exchanges to what analysts describe as regime-change rhetoric, with Trump urging Iranians to “take over your government” and end decades of theocratic rule.
Iran’s response was swift and multifaceted. Within hours, the IRGC launched waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israel directly, as well as U.S. military bases across the region—including Al Udeid in Qatar, Al Dhafra in the UAE, the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and sites in Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Explosions were reported in multiple Gulf capitals, heightening fears of a broader regional war engulfing U.S. allies.
