WASHINGTON — On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched a significant military operation targeting Iran, with President Donald Trump stating the mission aimed to dismantle Iran’s military strength and neutralize its potential nuclear threat.

In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry declared its intention to defend its nation, while the Revolutionary Guard reported launching retaliatory attacks. These included missile and drone strikes against Israel, as well as assaults on U.S. bases located in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.

The offensive follows Trump’s ongoing efforts to pressure Tehran into negotiating a new agreement to limit its nuclear activities. Meanwhile, the region has seen a buildup of U.S. naval forces, coinciding with Iran grappling with escalating domestic unrest due to widespread protests.

According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the strikes resulted in at least 57 fatalities and 45 injuries at a girls’ school in southern Iran. Additionally, Iranian missile shrapnel reportedly claimed a life in the UAE’s capital, as per state media reports.

Ayatollah’s compound was one of the first targets

Israel’s announcement of its offensive followed the sound of explosions in Tehran early Saturday. Among the initial targets was a site near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei’s whereabouts remain uncertain, as he has not been publicly seen in recent days.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with NBC News, confirmed that both Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian are alive, stating, “as far as I know.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attacks that took part across the country as being done “to remove threats.” Iran’s military, symbols of government and intelligence sites were targeted, according to an official briefed on the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic information.

Sirens wailed across Israel to warn the public about possible incoming missile strikes.

Iran strikes back at Israel and U.S. bases

Bahrain said a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom. Witnesses heard sirens and explosions in Kuwait, home to U.S. Army Central. Explosions could also be heard in Qatar, where Al Udeid Air Base hosts thousands of service members.

Saudi Arabia said on state-run media that it had repelled attacks by Iran on its capital and eastern region.

Iraq and the United Arab Emirates closed their airspace, and sirens sounded in Jordan.

An apartment building in northern Israel was damaged and shrapnel fell in multiple sites, according to media and police. But Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said there had been no significant hits in Israel and rescue services said there were no injuries reported from missile barrages across the country.

Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, meanwhile, have vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and on Israel, according to two senior Houthi officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement from leadership.

Trump tells Iranians it’s time to topple their government

It took over an hour for Trump to make an official announcement on the U.S. involvement in what he termed “major combat operations.”

In an 8-minute video on social media, Trump indicated the U.S. was striking for reasons far beyond the nuclear program, listing grievances stretching back to the beginning of the Islamic Republic following a revolution in 1979 that turned Iran from one of America’s closest allies in the Middle East into a fierce foe.

Trump told Iranians to take cover but urged them to later rise up and topple the Islamic leadership.

“When we are finished, take over your government,” Trump said. “It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

The attacks came a day after Trump voiced frustration over lack of progress in negotiations to stop Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons.

U.S. military has been building up its war machinery in the area

Israel said it had worked with the U.S. for months to plan the attacks.

Before U.S.-Iran negotiations were underway in Geneva, the U.S. had assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in January to bolster 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 fleet has added more than 10,000 U.S. troops to the region.

Fighting grounds flights and disrupts commercial air travel

The fighting disrupted air travel in the region.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates, home to both the long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad, closed their airspace Saturday. Qatar Airways Group said it has temporarily canceled flights to and from Doha because Qatari airspace also was closed.

Planes en route to Israel were rerouted to other airports.

Virgin Atlantic canceled its flight from London’s Heathrow Airport to Dubai and said it would avoid flying over Iraq, meaning flights to and from India, the Maldives, Dubai and Riyadh could take slightly longer. Virgin Atlantic said all flights would carry appropriate fuel in case they need to reroute on short notice.

Turkish Airlines said on X that flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan will be suspended until Monday and flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman would be suspended on Saturday.

Dutch airline KLM previously said it was suspending Tel Aviv flights starting Sunday.