The US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran Saturday morning in response to the regime’s refusal to dismantle its nuclear program after weeks of negotiations.
The attacks follow a massive US military buildup in the Middle East and come after President Trump repeatedly warned Tehran that it would face consequences if it didn’t make a deal with the US.
The New York Times, citing a US official, reported that US strikes on Iran were underway.
A source told Reuters that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.
The full extent of the American assault on Iran remains unclear.
Trump had reportedly been weighing options ranging from a limited strike to pressure Iran into a deal to a military campaign aimed at killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son, Mojtaba, who is viewed as a possible successor.
The president had given the Iranian officials a 10-15 day deadline to reach an agreement on a nuclear deal on Feb. 19, asserting the regime would face “really bad things” if it didn’t.
The warning came after days of indirect negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The discussions were mediated by Oman.
Trump has long insisted that he would not accept a deal that would allow Iran to continue to enrich uranium, fearing the regime would use it to build a nuclear weapon.
Tehran insists it is only seeking to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.
The US assault marks the first American-led strikes against the Islamic Republic since Operation Midnight Hammer last June, which targeted the Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, the Natanz Nuclear Facility and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center.
The US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers battered the facilities with “bunker buster” bombs, while the Navy fired sea-based Tomahawk missiles in the successful strike.
Amid the latest back-and-forth with Iran, Trump deployed two powerful carrier strike groups to the Middle East.
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier entered the Mediterranean Sea on Feb. 20, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East.
A dozen Navy destroyers and three littoral combat ships are also believed to be accompanying the nuclear-powered carriers.
The US also moved more than 50 fighter jets as part of the military buildup, according to Axios.
The airfleet includes F-16 Falcons, F-22 Raptors and F-35 jets, according to independent flight trackers.
The latter jets have stealth capabilities, allowing them to strike Iran without being detected by the nation’s air defenses.
The jets joined other warplanes that had been deployed to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
Ahead of the assault, Iran vowed that it would retaliate against American troops in the region if the US were to launch a strike.
Tehran attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar last year in response to Operation Midnight Hammer. There were no US casualties in that attack.
Earlier this year, Trump weighed military action against Iran over a deadly crackdown on anti-regime protesters, who have been calling for change over the country’s ailing economy.
The regime killed as many as 30,000 protesters, according to some estimates, as it clamped down on dissent and demands for regime change.
With Post wires
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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