What Were the Targets?
The attacks began at the start of the Iranian workweek, with explosions reported in multiple cities, including Qom, Kermanshah, Isfahan and Karaj, according to Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency. In Tehran, where the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei resides, images showed dense plumes of smoke rising over parts of the city.
According to three Israeli security officials familiar with the planning, one of the primary goals of the initial wave of strikes was to target as many leaders as possible. The Israeli military stated that its air force conducted a wide-ranging series of strikes against several military sites in western Iran. Israeli officials indicated that they anticipated the campaign could continue for several days.
How Has Iran Responded?
In response to the joint assault, Iran launched a series of missile and drone strikes aimed at Israel, the Revolutionary Guard Corps announced in a statement posted on Telegram. Iranian forces also directed missile attacks at American military installations across the region, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, and the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, according to Fars.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defense stated that it had “successfully thwarted a number of attacks” aimed at its territory. The retaliatory strikes resembled a previous incident last June, when Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at a U.S. military installation near Doha in response to American strikes on its nuclear facilities.
Several Gulf States host American military bases and diplomatic missions, and analysts had cautioned that they could become targets in the event of retaliation. In anticipation of possible counterattacks, the U.S. military had increased its presence in the region, a buildup that Trump described as an “armada.”
U.S. and Israel Launch Major Assault on Iran as Trump Calls for Regime Change
The coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel represent a significant escalation in already heightened tensions with Iran, following unsuccessful diplomatic efforts and earlier military actions. With missile exchanges now extending across the region and American forces reinforced in Gulf States, the situation has developed into a broader confrontation involving multiple countries and strategic targets. Officials from all sides have indicated that further developments could unfold in the days ahead.
