US and Israel strike Iran as Trump says action give Iranians chance to topple their rulers
Aerial scene of Iran under siege
By Reuters
The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, targeting its leadership and plunging the Middle East into a new conflict.
Trump said the move would end a security threat to the United States and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers.
The strikes put nearby oil-producing Gulf Arab countries on edge as fears of escalation in the region grew.
An Israeli official said Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were both targeted but the result of the strikes was not clear.
A source with knowledge of the matter had earlier told Reuters that Khamenei was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.
An Iranian source close to the establishment said several senior commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and political officials had been killed.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had struck Israeli and U.S. bases with Iranian missiles.
Loud booms sounded in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi and blasts were also heard in the country’s business capital Dubai.
The renewed confrontation between Iran and its long-time foes dimmed hopes of a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s nuclear dispute with the West.
Global airlines have cancelled flights across the Middle East.
Israel launched the attack against Muslim-majority Iran during the middle of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting observed from dawn to sunset.
The strike also came ahead of the Jewish holiday of Purim, which traditionally commemorates the salvation of Jews from annihilation in ancient Persia and which begins on Monday.
