The Latest: US and Israel attack Iran as Trump says US begins 'major combat operations'

The United States and Israel launched an attack Saturday on Iran, with the first apparent strike happening near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian media reported strikes nationwide, and smoke could be seen rising from the capital.

President Donald Trump said in a video posted on social media that the U.S. had begun “major combat operations in Iran.” He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear program and plans to develop missiles to reach U.S.

Here's the latest:

Blasts heard in Qatar as Iran responds to attack

Explosions could be heard in Qatar on Saturday as Iran launched a counterattack over the joint U.S. -Israel campaign targeting the Islamic Republic. There was no immediate word of any damage.

Iran responded to the campaign as it had been threatening to do for months — it first launched a wave of missiles and drones targeting Israel. Then later, it began apparently targeting U.S. military installations in Kuwait and Qatar as explosions could be heard.

Reactions from US lawmakers reflect political divisions

The early response from federal lawmakers to the U.S. government’s bombarding of Iran largely revolved around their feelings about Trump.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has long pushed for regime change in Iran, called for God to bless Trump. He said on social media that the attacks could provide freedom for the Iranian people, saying, “This operation is necessary and long justified.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who was a Marine in the Iraq War, warned, “Young working-class kids should not pay the ultimate price for regime change and a war that hasn’t been explained or justified to the American people.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has emerged as an opponent of Trump, said the president had engaged in “acts of war unauthorized by Congress.”

UAE closes airspace

The United Arab Emirates has closed its airspace as Israel and U.S. conduct strikes on Iran.

The disruption will have a major effect on global air travel as the country is home to two major long-haul carriers, Emirates and Etihad.

Bahrain says several sites attacked

Bahrain’s state news agency says that several facilities were hit inside the kingdom as a result of “an aggression” from outside the country.

The agency called the attack “a flagrant violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and security," and said authorities in Bahrain are implementing “emergency measures.”

“The kingdom of Bahrain strongly condemns this treacherous aggression that forms a direct threat to the kingdom and its citizens,” it said.

Mobile phone warnings in Qatar

In Qatar, warning alerts went off on mobile phones, urging people to take shelter.

Sirens and blasts reported in Kuwait

Witnesses heard sirens and explosions in Kuwait, home to U.S. Army Central. There was no immediate word on any damage.

US and Israeli strikes suggest wider campaign, Dutch analyst says

Strikes in Iran by Israel and the U.S. suggests “shaping actions” designed to degrade air defenses in a pattern typical of a wider military campaign, a Dutch intelligence firm said.

“The broader pattern suggests preparatory shaping actions,” said Eric Schouten, CEO of Dyami security intelligence firm in the Netherlands. “This appears less like a symbolic strike and more like the opening phase of a coordinated campaign designed to establish air superiority and operational freedom of movement.

“Neutralizing radar systems, surface-to-air missile batteries, and command nodes would create more permissive conditions for sustained air operations over Iranian territory.”

Streets in Israel empty as sirens wail

In Israel, the public was instructed to stay close to shelters. Streets were mostly empty as a series of sirens continued to sound for most of Saturday morning. Israel’s main news programs shifted their broadcasts to bomb shelters as well.

US 5th Fleet service center was attacked, Bahrain says

Bahrain’s state news agency says the service center of the U.S. 5th Fleet was subjected to a missile attack. The agency said it will give further details later.

Israel says operation was planned for months

Israel said the attack on Iran was carried out as a “broad, coordinated, and joint operation against the regime” that has been planned for months between the Israeli and U.S. militaries.

Explosions heard in skies over Syria and Lebanon

Associated Press journalists in Damascus and in the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon heard sounds of explosions Saturday, apparently as a result of Israeli air defenses intercepting Iranian missiles.

US embassies in Middle East advise Americans to take cover

U.S. embassies or consulates in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Israel posted on social media that they told staffers to shelter in place and recommended all Americans “do the same until further notice.”

Iranian state TV shows damaged buildings

Iranian state television aired footage of heavily damaged buildings in Tehran, with rescuers digging through the rubble, looking for survivors.

Iran launches drones and missiles against Israel

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says it has launched its “first wave” of drones and missiles targeting Israel, suggesting it planned further attacks.

US personnel in Qatar told to shelter in place

The U.S. Embassy in Qatar posted on social media that it told all personnel to shelter in place, adding that “we recommend all Americans do the same until further notice.”

Qatar hosts a major air base that is the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command and hosts thousands of American service members. Al Udeid Air Base was targeted by Iran in June in retaliation for the U.S. attacks on its nuclear facilities.

Trump was dissatisfied with Iran talks on Friday

Trump on Friday began to voice a degree of frustration and impatience over the lack of satisfactory progress in negotiations to stop Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons, after having stayed relatively cryptic on his plans earlier in the week.

“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Friday for Texas. “They cannot have nuclear weapons.”

The president also said before the attack that there was a risk of a prolonged conflict with Iran.

But he declined to telegraph his intentions when asked about a possible strike, saying to reporters: “I’d rather not tell you.”

Iranian-backed Houthis say they'll resume attacks

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have decided to resume missile and drone attacks on shipping routes and on Israel in support of Iran. That’s according to two senior Houthi officials, who spoke in condition of anonymity because there is no official announcement from the Houthi leadership.

One of the officials said the rebels’ first attack could come as soon as “tonight.”

The rebels ceased their attacks on the Red Sea shipping route as part of a deal with the Trump administration that also halted U.S. strikes against the Houthis. They also stopped their attacks against Israel after an October ceasefire that halted major fighting in Gaza.

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By Samy Magdy, in Cairo.

Israeli prime minister says attack is to remove Iranian threat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the joint attack with the U.S. was to “remove an existential threat posed” by Iran.

“Our joint operation will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands,” he said.

Iran’s missile capability and nuclear program

Iran currently has a self-imposed limit on its ballistic missile program, limiting its range to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles).

That puts all the Middle East and some of eastern Europe within reach. There is no public evidence of Iran seeking to have intercontinental ballistic missiles, though Washington has criticized its space program as potentially allowing it to one day.

Iran has also said it no longer enriches uranium, but it has blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites the United States bombed during the 12-day war in June.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press have shown new activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran is trying to assess and potentially recover material there.

Large build-up of US forces in the region

Ahead of the strikes, Trump built up the largest U.S. military presence in the Middle East in decades. The arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers at the end of January bolstered the number of warships in the region.

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and four accompanying destroyers later were dispatched from the Caribbean to head to the Middle East and are now in the Mediterranean.

The carriers and other ships have added more than 10,000 U.S. troops to the region. The military also has a variety of other troops in the Middle East, notably at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts thousands of service members.

Plus, hundreds of fighter jets and other support aircraft necessary for launching a major attack on Iran have been sent to the region.

Blasts in northern Israel and sirens in Jordan

Explosions rocked northern Israel on Saturday as the country worked to intercept incoming Iranian missiles after launching a nationwide attack with the U.S. on Iran.

The blasts echoed just after the Israeli military said it would be using its air defense systems to bring down the Iranian fire.

There was no immediate word on any damage or casualties from the ongoing attack.

Sirens also sounded in Jordan.

Israel says air defenses to activate

Israel issued a nationwide warning Saturday after Iran reportedly launched missiles targeting the country.

The Israeli military said air defense systems would be activated to defend the country.

There may be US casualties in operations against Iran, Trump says

Trump acknowledged that the operations against Iran may lead to U.S. casualties.

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” he said in a video posted to social media early Saturday morning. “That often happens in war."

In the video, Trump wore a white baseball cap with the letters USA, a navy suit and white shirt with no necktie. There appeared to be a dark blue curtain behind him as the president announced the war in a video from Mar-a-Lago, his home and club in Palm Beach, Florida.

After the June attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, Trump said, “We warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons. And we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried.”

He added that Iran “rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.”

Iran blocked inspectors from nuclear sites

Iran has said it hasn’t enriched uranium since June, but it has blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites the United States bombed during the 12-day war then.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press have shown new activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran is trying to assess and potentially recover material there.

Trump accuses Iran of trying to rebuild nuclear program

Despite claims that last year’s strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities destroyed the country’s nuclear program, Trump said that Iran “attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing the long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the American homeland.”

Trump said that Saturday’s strikes would be part of “a massive and ongoing operation” that will aim to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground” as well as “annihilate their navy,” and “ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces.”

Trump tells Iranian officials to lay down arms or ‘face death’

Trump called the attacks on Iran “a noble mission,” saying they were necessary because of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and missile systems that could reach the U.S.

He called on Iranian officials to “lay down your arms” or “you will face certain death,” and encouraged the Iranian people to “take over your government — it will be yours to take.”

Iraq closes its airspace

Iraq’s Ministry of Transport said Saturday the country’s airspace has been closed following airstrikes on neighboring Iran.

The ministry’s spokesman, Mitham al-Safi, told state-run Iraqi News Agency that “the closure was preceded by the evacuation of all air traffic from Iraqi airspace.”

Trump says US begins ‘major combat operations in Iran’

The U.S. began “major combat operations in Iran,” President Donald Trump said in a video on Truth Social.

He said the objective is to defend the U.S. by “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

U.S. is taking part in strikes on Iran, sources tell AP

The United States is participating in the strikes, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military operations. The full extent of U.S. involvement was not immediately clear.

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By Konstantin Toropin in Washington

Explosions heard in Tehran

Two residents reported hearing the sounds of strikes echoing across the Iranian capital. A resident in the area of Mehrabad airport reported the sounds of “two heavy explosions” shaking windows just over half an hour ago.

In central Tehran near Vanak, another resident reported the sounds of “blasts and war” coming at almost the same moment.

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By Amir-Hussein Radjy.

Israel Airports Authority says Israel’s airspace is completely closed

Planes that were en route to land in Israel are now being sent to area airports. Passengers who were at the airport awaiting flights are being shuttled back to various locations within Israel.