U.S. and Israel launch sweeping strikes on Iran as Trump announces major combat operations and urges regime change

“A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran,” Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social at 2:30 a.m.
“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 urged members of Iran’s military to lay down their arms and called on Iranians to topple the government that has ruled since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
“Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take; this will be probably your only chance for generations,” he said.

“America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny,” Trump added.
He reiterated claims that Iran was seeking to rebuild its nuclear program and develop missiles capable of reaching the United States.

“My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to US personnel in the region,” Trump said.
“Even so, and I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties, that often happens in war, but we’re doing this, not for now, we’re doing this for the future and it is a noble mission.”

American embassies in Israel and Qatar issued shelter-in-place orders for U.S. citizens in those countries.
The Israeli government declared a state of emergency across the country

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel had launched “preemptive” attacks against Iran.
The Israeli Air Force said just after 3 a.m. EST that it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel.

The targets of the U.S. and Israeli strikes were not immediately clear.
Residents of Tehran reportedly saw smoke rising from an area that includes major government buildings, including the presidential palace and the National Security Council.

The U.S. Central Command declined to comment.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Multiple media outlets reported that the U.S. operation, referred to as Operation Epic Fury, is expected to be broader in scope and duration than bombing carried out over the summer on Iran’s key nuclear facilities.
The reports said the campaign could extend beyond limited strikes.

The attacks came just over a day after talks in Geneva between U.S. and Iranian negotiators, mediated by Oman, concluded.
Trump said on Friday that he was not satisfied with how the negotiations went, though he told reporters he remained undecided on strikes.

Oman’s foreign minister told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Friday that Iran had agreed to “zero stockpiling” of nuclear material in the talks.
He described the development as a breakthrough.

For weeks, Trump had publicly weighed military action.
Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine reportedly warned of the risks of strikes, while Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, urged military action aimed at regime change.

Reports earlier in the week said Trump was leaning toward limited strikes initially in an effort to extract concessions from Iran.
In recent weeks, the U.S. military deployed F-35 and F-22 aircraft, refueling planes, air defense systems and two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region.