Dozens reported dead in Iran as U.S., Israel launch major attack

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has echoed some of Trump's talking points today, describing this moment as a "once-in-a-generation" chance for Iranians to overthrow the regime.

"We are going to continue to hit thousands of targets within this terrorist regime, and we are helping the courageous Iranian people to unshackle themselves from the shackles of tyranny," Netanyahu said in a video statement he delivered in Hebrew.

"Help has arrived, and now it is time that you all come together and unite for a historic mission for all of the citizens of Iran."

Some experts we've heard from today are skeptical about whether this attack can actually topple the Iranian regime — or inspire everyday Iranians to stand up.

Many Iranians have certainly been doing all they can to protest the regime in previous months. But they've been met with a brutal government crackdown that activist groups say has killed more than 6,000 people.

Yazdanmehr said it was a "rough night" as he anxiously followed the news of the U.S. And Israeli strikes on his native country. Just hours before the strikes began, he had exchanged a text with one of his nieces in Tehran. She said she would call him, but that call never came. "That was the last time I heard from her. And then, you know, within an hour, the bombardment started."

Yazdanmehr said it's scary thinking what his sister, who lives in Tehran along with her children, must be going through. "They have children in school. So I assume that they have to go and get the kids out of school and bring them home," he said. "And hunker down and stay as safe as they can to just wait it out and see what happens over the next 24 to 48 hours or so."

People have also taken to the streets in Richmond Hill in the Greater Toronto Area for a rally against the Iranian regime. The rally was planned in solidarity with protesters in Iran before Saturday's attacks.

In London, protestors holding signs and flags of pre-revolutionary Iran gathered outside the Iranian Embassy on Saturday. Many were chanting in favour of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, according to Reuters. 

Rallies are happening in major cities around the world today, including in Berlin, where demonstrators are calling for regime change in Iran. 

The U.S. Military's Central Command says no troops have been injured or killed in the operation so far or in Iran's retaliatory strikes.  

U.S. Forces "successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks," Central Command said in a statement posted to social media. 

"There have been no reports of U.S. Casualties or combat-related injuries. Damage to U.S. Installations was minimal and has not impacted operations," it said.

Central Command said the strikes are intended "to dismantle the Iranian regime's security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat." 

The targets of the U.S. And its "partner forces" included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command facilities, as well as Iran's air defence capabilities and its missile and drone launch sites.

Iran's state TV has reported the death toll in Iran as more than 200, citing the Red Crescent humanitarian organization. The figure has not been independently verified.

Sasa Petricic

With one-fifth of the world's oil production passing through the Strait of Hormuz, energy markets – and your local gas station – are watching the developing attack on Iran closely. Tankers passing through the key waterway bordering Iran have already received VHF transmissions from Iran's Revolutionary Guard saying "no ship is allowed to pass."

Several shipping companies carrying crude and liquified natural gas have suspended movements.

The strait is a tight bend in the Arabian Sea, about 33 kilometres at its narrowest point, less than half the width of Lake Ontario. On one side, the Persian Gulf's major oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE and Iran. On the other, strategic routes through the Gulf of Oman, mainly to China and South Korea. 

At its shallowest point, it is a mere 60 metres, making it very vulnerable to blockage from any kind of military action.

Sasa Petricic

All U.S. Allies in the region have been careful not to offend Trump, allowing a great deal of preparations for the attack at regional bases.

American defence observers have noted dozens of cargo planes added to the mix in the past days, as Washington added Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) systems to protect around 40,000 troops based in the region and facilities.

Sasa Petricic

The U.S.'s Arab allies in the region have been walking a fine line in their support of Washington's attack on Iran, publicly refusing to allow American bases on their territories to be used in the military campaign.

They are no friends of the Tehran regime but vulnerable to retaliation. Iran has declared all U.S. And Israeli assets to be "legitimate military objectives."

Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were immediate targets, with most missiles launched so far intercepted. The UAE says one person was killed in Abu Dhabi.

Video of another strike near the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command headquarters has appeared on social media.

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