U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States has launched “major combat operations” in Iran.
In a video posted on social media, he added, “Our goal is to protect the American people by eliminating the imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime.”
Trump emphasized that the U.S. will destroy Iran’s missiles and dismantle its missile program, reiterating his opposition to Iran possessing nuclear weapons.
He accused Tehran of attempting to rebuild its nuclear program.
A U.S. official said the operation had been planned for months and that the execution date was set weeks ago.
Earlier, the Israeli Defense Ministry said Israel carried out a preventive missile strike against Iran.
The Israeli military also announced that air-raid sirens were sounded in various parts of the country “to alert residents to the possibility of missiles being launched toward Israel” in response to the attack.
An Israeli defense official told Reuters that the operation against Iran on Saturday was coordinated with the United States.
Regarding Tehran, an Iranian official told Reuters that Iran is preparing to respond, adding that the retaliation will be “crushing.”
The article is translation of the original Arabic.
