Trump says ‘major combat operations’ underway against Iran. Here’s what we know

By Christian Edwards, Karina Tsui, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States has begun “major combat operations” in Iran, pledging to lay waste to the country’s military and obliterate its nuclear program.

In an eight-minute video on Truth Social, Trump accused Iran of rejecting “every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions,” and said the US “can’t take it anymore.” Israel also said it was attacking Iran.

Unlike the last time the US and Israel struck Iran, in June, these strikes began in daylight early Saturday morning – the first day of the week in Iran – as millions went to work or school. And whereas the US strikes in June were over within a few hours, sources have told CNN that the US military is this time planning for several days of attacks.

In response, the Iranian regime has launched an unprecedented wave of strikes across the Middle East, with blasts heard in several countries that host US military bases, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

Here’s what we know about the first few hours of what could be a longer regional war.

What did Trump say?

In his 2.30 a.m. statement, Trump said the objective of the US operation – which the Department of Defense is calling “Operation Epic Fury” – is “to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

The president listed the Iranian regime’s long history of sponsoring terror in the region and hostility toward the US, from the 1979 hostage crisis to the more recent actions of its proxies.

“For 47 years the Iranian regime has chanted “death to America” and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries,” Trump said. “It’s been mass terror. And we’re not going to put up with it any longer.”

Why is the US launching military action?

Trump said Iran had “rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions,” which had prompted the US to take military action.

The strikes come just hours after Oman’s foreign minister, who has been mediating the talks between US and Iranian officials, said the two sides had made “significant progress” during the latest round of negotiations.

Trump also claimed that Iran’s ballistic missile program could threaten America’s security. He said the US would “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.” He also claimed the US will “annihilate” Iran’s navy.

What did Trump say to the Iranian people?

At the end of his video, Trump called on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite wing of the regime’s military, to lay down its arms and enjoy “complete immunity,” or “face certain death.” Since the US attacks have been from the air, rather than the ground, it was not clear to whom the IRGC would surrender.

He also addressed the Iranian people directly, saying: “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let’s see how you respond.”

What has the US hit?

Explosions were heard in Tehran’s Pasteur district, where the highly secure compound housing the residence and office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is located, Iranian state-affiliated news outlets said.

Explosions have also been heard in several other Iranian cities but the extent of the damage or if any senior officials were killed is still being determined.

How has Iran responded?

Iran has retaliated with an unprecedented wave of strikes across the Middle East, targeting several nearby countries that host US military bases, as well as Israel.

Blasts have been heard from the beaches of Dubai to the streets of Doha. It was not immediately clear if those explosions were the sound of missiles being intercepted, or hitting their targets.

What is clear, however, is that Iran is responding quickly and aggressively to the US and Israeli strikes. When the US and Israel last struck Iran in June, they targeted its stockpile of ballistic missiles, hampering its ability to retaliate. Iran could be trying to make use of its arsenal while it still has it.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.