The U.S. and Israel on Saturday began what President Donald Trump dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" in Iran, striking military and nuclear targets. Iran retaliated with strikes across the Middle East.Trump said his objective for the attack "is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," The president announced the strikes in an eight-minute clip posted to his Truth Social account on Saturday.The move could cause a broader conflict in the region, as Iran has vowed a "crushing" response, Reuters reported.The U.S. had assembled a massive fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region ahead of the attack in an effort to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.Trump vowed to "destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground." He also said U.S. forces would "annihilate their navy … and ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon." He called on Iranians to "take over" their government.Iran reportedly responded with missile attacks on U.S. military installations across the Middle East. Iran state media said: "The Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain have been targeted by Iranian missile strikes."
Explosions were also heard in key cities around the Middle East, including Jerusalem as Iran launched counterattacks.