Israel-Iran war: Donald Trump warns US will wipe out Iran’s missiles & ‘annihilate’ Navy to save Americans

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States had begun "major combat operations" in Iran, warning that there may be US casualties.

The strikes, which Trump said were aimed at destroying ‌Iranian missiles ⁠and ⁠annihilating its navy, follow repeated U.S.-Israeli warnings that they would strike Iran again if it pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"I do not make this statement lightly. The Iranian regime seeks to kill," Trump said in a video ⁠shared on ‌Truth Social.


"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."

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Trump told the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Iran's armed forces, to lay down their weapons, promising that ‌they would be granted immunity.

The other option, according to Trump, is "certain death."

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Washington and Tehran held a series of ⁠talks in recent weeks about Iran's nuclear ambition. The most recent one was held on Thursday with no deal.

"Iran refused, just as it has for decades and decades. They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can't take it anymore," Trump said.

Israel launched a daylight attack Saturday on Iran's capital, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city's downtown. The apparent strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei is reportedly not in Tehran and has been moved to a secure location, an official told Reuters. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown. But the attack comes as the United States has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.

Trump had wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests. Iran had hoped to avert a war, but maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and does not want to discuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the attack as being done “to remove threats.” He did not immediately elaborate.

In Tehran, witnesses heard the first blast by Khamenei's office. Iranian state television later reported on the explosion, without offering a cause.

Sirens sounded across Israel at the same time. The Israeli military said that it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.”

More explosions struck Iran’s capital after Israel said it was attacking the country. Authorities have offered no casualty information from the strikes.

Meanwhile, Iran shut down its airspace after Israel launched an attack targeting the country.

The warning to pilots came out as explosions rang out across Tehran, the Iranian capital.