By Oren Liebermann, Natasha Bertrand, Karina Tsui, NCS
(NCS) — The United States and Israel launched an assault on Iran Saturday morning, a serious escalation following weeks of negotiations between US and Iranian officers over the nation’s nuclear program.
President Donald Trump confirmed in a video posted to social media that the United States had begun a “massive and ongoing” navy marketing campaign in Iran, “to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests.”
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground,” Trump stated.
A US official informed NCS early Saturday that strikes have been underway, describing them as “not a small strike.” Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz referred to as the assault a “preemptive strike” towards Iran, as a state of emergency was declared throughout Israel.
The assault focused Iran’s ballistic missiles and missile launchers, which Israel views as a severe risk. It’s unclear whether or not there have been any casualties.
Videos geolocated and verified by NCS present smoke rising from the capital metropolis of Tehran. While strikes have additionally been reported within the Iranian cities of Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, based on state-run information company Fars.
Israel declared a state of emergency due to the expectation of Iranian retaliation. The Home Front Command additionally closed its airspace and ordered solely important exercise throughout the nation.
In his video message, Trump stated Iran had been working to rebuild its nuclear program after the US bombed its nuclear amenities in June. “They rejected every opportunity to reach their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore,” he stated.
Saturday’s operation follows threats from Trump, who warned Iran of US navy intervention if the regime didn’t cease killing anti-government protesters. The US additionally threatened to intervene if Iran didn’t comply with a brand new nuclear deal, which was the topic of US-Iran diplomatic talks in Geneva on Thursday.
Trump has repeatedly hinted that he want to see regime change in Iran, whereas additionally insisting the nation halt all of its uranium enrichment so it could actually by no means develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has lengthy maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceable functions solely, and has vowed by no means to pursue a nuclear weapon.
Trump, nonetheless, has not articulated the strategic goal of a US navy operation or how lengthy such an operation would final.
The US navy has been getting ready for potential strikes for weeks whereas oblique negotiations had been ongoing between Washington and Tehran – steadily massing Air Force and Naval property within the area in anticipation of a potential “go” order from Trump.
Military officers, together with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, have been privately warning concerning the potential downsides of a protracted battle with Iran, elevating issues concerning the scale, complexity, and potential for US casualties of such a mission, NCS beforehand reported.
As the US has collected its navy {hardware} within the space, Iran has additionally been, fortifying a number of of its nuclear amenities, satellite tv for pc imagery has proven.
Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
This is a growing story and shall be up to date.
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