U.S., Israel launch major attacks on Iran as part of 'massive and ongoing' operation, Trump says

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Iran has hundreds of missiles capable of hitting Israel, The Associated Press reports, citing Israeli estimates.

The country also has an arsenal of shorter-range missiles capable of hitting U.S. Bases in Gulf countries and offshore American forces.

Iran considers all U.S. And Israeli bases, ‌facilities and assets in ​the region to ​be "legitimate military objectives," Iranian Foreign ​Minister Abbas Araghchi told ⁠the ⁠UN Security Council and its secretary general in a letter today.

"Iran ‌will continue to exercise its right of ​self-defence decisively and ⁠without hesitation until ⁠the aggression ⁠ceases fully ⁠and ​unequivocally," Araghchi wrote, according to a report by Reuters.  

Iran has previously threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's traded oil moves.

Meanwhile, Israeli media report that there was a direct strike by an Iranian missile that hit the central area of Israel. There has been no official confirmation about that strike at this time. 

The Jerusalem Post is also reporting that a 17-year-old was wounded by falling debris. 

These concerns are another reason why Israeli officials tell people to stay inside in protective spaces until an all clear is given, because even if the threats are intercepted and taken down, the falling debris can cause serious injuries to people and property.

With nightfall, people across Israel are being reminded to pay close attention to all of the alerts and warnings with the state of emergency in effect.

In Tel Aviv, there have been alerts, and people were told to get to shelters, while in Jerusalem, an extensive alert system of an extreme alert was issued, with people being told to seek shelter and warned of potential for more strikes, or at least attempted strikes, with projectiles being launched from Iran. 

About an hour ago, Israeli officials said that they were starting another campaign targeting Iranian missile launchers. We don't know if there were a number of strikes or how many strikes that campaign entails. 

Officials continue to say that they are working on these operations and that they are ongoing and will be ongoing for some time. 

Local media are saying about 125 missiles were intercepted throughout the day, the majority of those being intercepted outside of Israeli territory. 

The Jerusalem Post says 35 were intercepted inside Israeli territory. 

Israel is well protected by a multi-layered air defence system. In addition to the Iron Dome, David's Sling and the Aero system, there are fighter jets that are continuously scrambled to try and take out any potential threats that are coming into the airspace around Israel. 

But we have seen, based at least on the 12-day war in June, that the system can be overwhelmed and there can be threats that make their way through, which is another reason why people are encouraged to pay attention to those warnings, to stay in shelters when they are told to and not come out until they are actually given the all clear.

She said there were massively long lines for gas stations and bakeries. But overall, the city was empty, with few cars passing by. The city's Punak Square, however, was full of guard forces who seemed to be undercover, the woman said. 

In the morning, some people could be heard chanting as the U.S. And Israel struck, she said. 

Trump came to power campaigning against getting the U.S. Involved in wars, so it's worth noting the reaction from key figures within his Make America Great Again movement. The early reviews: MAGA supports attacking Iran.  

MAGA commentator Jack Posobiec endorsed Trump's strategy on the conservative cable network Real America's Voice. 

"If you're really looking at a regime change scenario, what could you do from the air? You can hit them where it hurts, right in the wallet," said Posobiec, listing oil refineries, pipelines and ports as potential targets. 

However, other MAGA notables who have fallen out with Trump are criticizing the military operation. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former representative from Georgia, berated Trump in a lengthy post on X. 

"We said 'No More Foreign Wars, No More Regime Change!' We said it on rally stage after rally stage, speech after speech," Greene wrote.

Trump, who is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, will "closely monitor the situation throughout the day," according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

"President Trump monitored the situation overnight at Mar a Lago alongside members of his national security team. The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu by phone," Leavitt said in a post on X.

"Prior to the attacks, Secretary Rubio called all members of the gang of eight to provide congressional notification, and he was able to reach and brief seven of the eight members," Leavitt said.

The Gang of Eight is made up of the top Democrats and Republicans in the House, Senate and their two intelligence committees.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog says it has not seen a "radiological impact" from U.S. And Israeli strikes on Iran or retaliatory strikes elsewhere in the region. 

"The [⁠International Atomic Energy Agency] is ⁠closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, and ‌urges restraint to avoid any nuclear safety risks to people in ​the region," the ⁠IAEA said ⁠on X. 

The agency says it ⁠is ⁠in "​permanent contact" with countries in the ​region.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says the conflict has "potentially devastating consequences for civilians" and warns the countries involved that the Geneva Conventions on international humanitarian law apply. 

"Upholding the rules of war is an obligation and not a choice," ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger said in a statement. "Civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, homes and schools must be spared from attack." 

Spoljaric said the ICRC —which includes the organizations known as the Red Crescent in Islamic countries — has teams on the ground in Iran, Israel and across the Middle East ready to respond. 

"But humanitarian aid cannot match the pace or scale of suffering caused by continuous conflict; political will is needed to achieve peace and prevent further death and destruction," she said.

I'm a senior writer based in Toronto. Our colleague Julia Chapman has been following updates out of Iran. 

She said the country is under a near total communications blackout, but there have been some official statements from Iranian authorities urging people to remain calm while also advising them to get out of cities if they can safely.

Schools and universities across the country have been closed, but banks are remaining open for now, Chapman said. 

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