Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among the targets of joint Israeli-US strikes on Tehran on Saturday, Israel’s public broadcaster reported, according to news agency AFP.
“Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were among the targets of the attack,” the state broadcaster said.
Initial strikes reportedly took place near the offices of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Reuters reported that the 86-year-old leader was not in Tehran at the time and had been transferred to a secure location.
Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is alive, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported, citing a source close to the presidency. Pezeshkian “is in good health,” IRNA said in a post on Telegram shortly after the strikes.
Iran, Israel Exchange Missiles After Pre-Emptive Attack
Iran and Israel traded missiles on Saturday morning after Israel, with the help of the United States, launched a pre-emptive attack on Tehran.
The Israeli military said an “additional barrage of missiles” was launched toward Israel.
“The Aerial Defence Array is currently identifying and intercepting threats. Sirens were sounded in several areas across the country following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward Israel. At this time, the IAF is operating to intercept and strike threats where necessary to remove the threat,” it said in a post on X.
Sirens were heard across multiple areas in Israel as air defence systems responded to incoming threats.
Explosions Reported Across Gulf States Hosting US Forces
The conflict’s impact spread across the Gulf region after emergency sirens sounded in Bahrain following a missile threat targeting the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, according to the country’s interior ministry.
Explosions were also reported in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Doha in Qatar, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. All these cities host American troops.
In Abu Dhabi, the UAE Air Force and the US Air Force operate from Al Dhafra Air Base. Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port serves as the US Navy’s largest port of call in the Middle East and regularly hosts aircraft carriers and other vessels.
In Doha, the 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base functions as the forward headquarters for US Central Command.
The United States also has over 2,000 soldiers in Saudi Arabia, with some stationed about 60 km south of Riyadh at Prince Sultan Air Base, which supports US Army assets including Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence systems.
Qatar said it successfully intercepted the “attacks” targeting its territory.
“No damage has been reported, according to the initial field assessment. No casualties or material damage were recorded in residential areas,” the Ministry of Interior said in a statement on X.
Authorities also urged the public to avoid approaching or handling unidentified debris.
Saudi Arabia condemned what it described as “the treacherous Iranian aggression,” calling the strikes a “blatant violation of the sovereignty” of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan. It also warned Tehran of “grave consequences.”
Trump Announces ‘Major Combat Operations’ Against Iran
US President Donald Trump confirmed that “major combat operations” had been launched in Iran, saying the objective was to “defend the American people by removing imminent threats from Iran.”
Calling Iran the world’s “number one state sponsor of terror,” Trump said, “For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted, Death to America, and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries.”
“The regime’s proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed in the Middle East in recent years, as well as US naval and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes,” he added.
“It was Iran’s proxy, Hamas, that launched the monstrous October 7th attacks on Israel, slaughtering more than 1,000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, while taking 12 of our citizens hostage. It was brutal, something like the world has never seen before.”
Iran Condemns Strikes, Vows Strong Response
Iran’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the strikes, describing them as “criminal military aggression” carried out during an ongoing diplomatic process.
“The renewed military aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran is being committed while Iran and the United States were in the midst of a diplomatic process,” the ministry said.
“Now the Iranian people are proud that they did everything necessary to prevent war. Now is the time to defend the homeland and confront the enemy’s military aggression.”
“Just as we were ready for negotiations, we have been more prepared than ever for defense. The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond to the aggressors with authority,” it added.
Iran also called on the United Nations and the international community to “firmly condemn this act of aggression and take urgent and collective action to confront it, which has undoubtedly exposed the peace and security of the region and the world to an unprecedented threat.”
