White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued an updated statement after U.S. and Israeli forces carried out air and missile strikes against Iranian military targets on Saturday morning.
White House response
Leavitt said President Trump monitored the strikes from Mar-A-Lago and spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
She noted Secretary Rubio called members of the gang of eight ahead of the operation and reached and briefed seven of them.
The statement said the president and his national security team would continue to closely monitor the situation.
Scope of the strikes
The joint campaign targeted dozens of high-value locations intended to degrade Iran’s nuclear program, missile forces, and senior military leadership.
Israeli Air Force jets opened the operation, followed by additional American air and naval strikes from assets in the region.
Israeli forces reportedly struck more than 500 individual targets across at least 24 of Iran’s 32 provinces, with the heaviest concentration around Tehran.
Explosions were reported near the Supreme Leader’s compound, the presidential palace, the Supreme National Security Council headquarters, and several key military installations.
Other major cities struck included Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah, and Bushehr.
Primary objectives included Iranian air defense systems, missile production facilities, underground missile bases, drone storage sites, and command-and-control centers.
Casualties and Iranian leadership
Iran’s Red Crescent Society released preliminary figures of at least 201 killed and 747 injured by late afternoon.
Among the confirmed dead were several high-ranking figures, including the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
Iranian officials stated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive and accounted for, though communications from senior leadership remained limited.
Iran’s retaliation and regional impact
Iran responded by launching multiple waves of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel and several U.S. military facilities across the Gulf within hours.
Israeli authorities reported air-raid sirens nationwide, scattered impacts that caused fires and structural damage, and 89 injuries, most described as minor, with three missiles reportedly striking Israeli territory.
Simultaneously, Iranian and allied forces targeted American bases in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, including Al Udeid, Ali Al Salem, Al Dhafra, and the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters.
Collateral damage extended to civilian areas when drone debris struck parts of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Syria, killing at least five civilians and impacting locations such as Palm Jumeirah and a major hotel.
Explosions were also heard in Manama, Kuwait City, Riyadh, and Amman, though many launches appeared intercepted or fell short.
President Trump’s remarks and outlook
President Donald Trump urged the Iranian people to rise against their government and described the strikes as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons while degrading its ability to project power.
Officials said the operation is expected to continue for multiple days, according to a report from Fox News.
