Trump says U.S. military has begun major combat operations in Iran
The U.S. military has begun “major combat operations” in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday, as explosions were heard in cities around the Middle East.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said in a video message on his Truth Social account.
A U.S. official confirmed earlier that American forces attacked Iran by air and sea, Reuters reported. It also cited an unidentified Iranian official as saying that several ministries in the southern part of the Iranian capital, Tehran, were targeted
Explosions were heard in key cities around the Middle East, including Jerusalem as Iran launched counterattacks.
CNBC producer Joan Muwahed in Dubai reported hearing two explosions over the city in the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar and the UAE condemned Iranian missile counterattacks.
“The State of Qatar expresses its strong condemnation of the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles, considering it a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty,” Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
In the UAE, “the Ministry of Defense announced that the country was subjected today to a blatant attack by Iranian ballistic missiles, which was dealt with by the UAE air defenses with high efficiency and a number of missiles were successfully intercepted.”
Trump said Iran has continued to pursue nuclear weapons despite ongoing negotiations to end its program.
“[In] operation midnight hammer last June, we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program at Fordow nets. And Isfahan. After that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons, and we sought repeatedly to make a deal,” Trump said. “But Iran refused.”
“Instead, they 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,” he said.
A Pentagon duty press officer said the department has received CNBC’s emailed requests for comment but made no further statement.
Earlier Saturday, Israel launched a daylight attack on Iran’s capital, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city’s downtown.
It wasn’t immediately clear what the target was, but the attack came as the United States had assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region in an effort to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.
In addition to the capital Tehran, the cities of Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah were targeted.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for “his historic leadership”, adding that Iran’s government has “spilled our blood, murdered many Americans, and massacred its own people”.
“This murderous terrorist regime must not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The Israel Defense Forces said it identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel.
“Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat. In the past few minutes, the Home Front Command has sent a precautionary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas,” the IDF said in a tweet.
A senior Middle East diplomat who has direct knowledge of the recent talks between Iran and the U.S. told MS Now: “Yet again, when negotiations get close to success … Israel has intervened to preempt diplomacy.”
Sirens heard in Tehran
In Tehran early Saturday, witnesses heard the first blast. Iranian state television later reported on the explosion, without offering a cause.
Sirens sounded across Israel at the same time. The Israeli military said that it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.”
Iran harshly condemned the attacks.
“The United States and the Zionist regime grossly violated Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, launching attacks on a range of targets and defensive infrastructure, as well as non-military sites, in various cities across our country,” Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Elsewhere, Bahrain said the service center of the U.S. Fifth Fleet was subjected to a missile attack. The U.S. embassy in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, issued a security alert warning of “imminent drone/missile attack in Bahrain”.
In a tweet, the embassy urged “U.S. citizens in Bahrain to shelter in place, review security plans in the event of an attack, and to stay alert in case of additional future attacks. U.S. Embassy personnel are sheltering in place.”
The U.S. embassy in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, also issued a shelter-in-place alert.
Airlines
Airlines rerouted flights following the start of the attacks.
A spokesperson for Dubai-based carrier Emirates said it was “adjusting our operations in line with the latest developments.”
German carrier Lufthansa said it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman until March 7, Reuters reported. Dutch airline KLM reportedly canceled flights to Tel Aviv from Amsterdam.
Trump warned earlier in February that “really bad things” would happen unless Tehran agreed to a deal over the future of its nuclear program. This weekend’s attack comes after a significant buildup of military assets in the oil-rich Middle East region.
It comes after the U.S. and Iran held a third round of talks in Switzerland on Thursday to try to resolve a standoff.
Ahead of the discussions, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran’s reluctance to talk about its ballistic missile development program, alongside its nuclear program, was a “big, big problem.” Iran had said it was willing to compromise when it came to its nuclear program, but had repeatedly said Tehran’s missile program had never been part of the talks’ agenda.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the outbreak of war between the U.S., Israel and Iran carries “grave consequences”.
“The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop.
The French President, Macron, has emphasized the necessity for the Iranian regime to engage in sincere negotiations to halt its nuclear and ballistic programs. He has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to address this issue. Meanwhile, Russia has strongly criticized the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, condemning the actions as being conducted under the guise of negotiation.
There have been indications that the U.S. is growing impatient with Iran, with the White House stating that Iran has not met its core demands in previous talks. Energy markets are closely monitoring the escalating tensions, with oil prices reaching six-month highs due to the threat of military action against Iran. Iran, a key member of OPEC, plays a crucial role in the global oil market as it controls the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
In the past, the U.S. launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, resulting in significant damage to Tehran’s nuclear program. In response, Iran retaliated by targeting an American air base in Qatar. The situation remains tense, with the potential for further military action on the horizon.
Please stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
– Riya Bhattacharjee, Victor Loh, and Emma Graham contributed to this report.
