Israel, US launch war on Iran: What we know so far

Israel and the US have launched joint strikes against Iran following months of sabre-rattling and a large-scale US military buildup in the region.

Since January, US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that it may launch strikes against Tehran if it does not give up its nuclear programme, prompting three rounds of indirect talks between the two sides, facilitated by Oman.

Trump said on Friday that he was not happy with how the talks were progressing, and warned that "sometimes you have to" use military force, which he previously said would be far worse than a previous round of strikes witnessed in June 2025, during a brief 12-day war.

'Operation Epic Fury'

US and Israeli aircraft struck targets across Iran on Saturday morning, which the US dubbed 'Operation Epic Fury', and Israel 'Operation Roaring Lion'.

US President Donald Trump announced the beginning of operations, saying that "the US began major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "we must not allow this murderous terrorist regime to arm itself with nuclear weapons that will allow it to endanger all of humanity".

Both leaders called for Iranians to rise up and overthrow the regime.

US-Israeli decapitation strikes

The opening strikes sought to decapitate the regime, with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian targeted, along with senior adviser to the Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, according to Israel's public broadcaster Kan.

Multiple Iranian news outlets, including IRNA, said that Pezeshkian was "safe and sound and has no problems".

Strikes targeted Tehran's Pasteur district, where the house of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is located, with satellite imagery obtained by The New York Times showing several destroyed buildings in Khamenei's compound.

The Israeli military also said it is carrying out "widescale attacks on a series of military targets in western Iran", and warned Iranians to stay away from military facilities.

Citing a US official, Axios reports that the US strikes are targeting Iran's missile programme and launchers, with Israel also targeting senior officials.

A strike on an elementary school located in southern Iran's Hormozgan province killed 40 people, according to IRNA.

A US strike was also reported on a southern Iraqi military base, killing two members of the Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah, according to AFP.

Iran launches response, strikes Gulf

Following the attacks, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against US bases across the region, as well as Israel, following threats it would do so in the event of a US attack.

In Israel, several rounds of sirens have blared across the country since the attacks began, with one person lightly wounded by ballistic missile shrapnel in the country's north.

Attacks were launched against Iran's Gulf neighbours, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.

In Bahrain, a ballistic missile struck the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, with Bahrain evacuating the Juffair neighbourhood where the base is located.

In the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, one person was killed during attempts to intercept Iranian missiles. The UAE has "temporarily and partially" closed its airspace.

Several explosions were heard across Doha, with the foreign ministry offering strong condemnations, adding it "reserves the right to respond to this attack", including the western edge of the Qatari capital.

An Iranian ballistic missile strike on Kuwait caused "significant damage" to the runway of an airbase housing Italian soldiers.

Jordan said it had shot down two ballistic missiles targeting the country, and that it would defend its interests and sovereignty "with all its might".

Saudi Arabia condemned Iran's attacks against the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, describing them as a "brutal Iranian aggression". Despite several explosions being heard in the capital Riyadh by AFP journalists, Saudi Arabia did not mention that it was targeted in the statement.

US air defences were engaged in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, with explosions heard over the US consulate in the city and the airport.

Alongside Iran's retaliation, Kataeb Hezbollah also announced it will soon attack US bases in the region.