President Donald Trump announced Saturday that American forces have initiated large-scale military action against Iran in what the Pentagon is calling ‘Operation Epic Fury.’ During a televised speech, Trump characterized the strikes as essential to neutralize what he described as urgent dangers to America, U.S. troops stationed abroad, and allied nations.
Trump made a direct appeal to Iranian people through his Truth Social platform, stating: “The hour of your freedom is at hand. … When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.” He also advised Iranian civilians to seek safety during the widespread bombing campaign.
During his televised remarks, Trump labeled Iran as “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror” and emphasized that stopping Tehran’s nuclear ambitions has remained a key priority for his administration. He noted that American attacks last year targeted Iranian nuclear installations and alleged that Iran is working to reconstruct its nuclear capabilities while developing long-range missiles that could endanger U.S. forces, allies, and potentially American soil.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by launching what it called Operation “True Promise 4,” describing it as retaliation for “American-Zionist aggression against Iranian territory.” The IRGC reported conducting missile and drone attacks against the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and American military installations in Qatar and the UAE, “in addition to military and security centers in the heart of Israel.”
According to Ynet, an Iranian missile struck a structure in Tirat Carmel, injuring one individual. In Umm al-Fahm, a man sustained minor injuries from shrapnel or interceptor debris. Significant debris was also found in Kafr Manda in the lower Galilee region, though no injuries were reported there.
Alert sirens sounded in both the UAE and Bahrain, with one fatality reported in Abu Dhabi.
The Israel Defense Forces distributed video evidence of attacks on Iranian missile launch sites in western Iran, reporting that hundreds of Iranian military installations in the region, including launch platforms, were successfully targeted.
A source with ties to the Iranian government informed Reuters that high-ranking IRGC commanders and political leaders were killed during the coordinated U.S.-Israel operation. An Israeli official indicated that the strikes aimed at Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, along with other top regime and military officials. The results of these targeted strikes remain unclear at this time.
