The first reports of explosions in the Iranian capital Tehran came shortly after 7 a.m. local time in Sweden. Israel announced that the country had launched a 'preemptive strike.'
Just over an hour later, Iranian media reported that the attacks were nationwide. Both Iran and Israel closed their respective airspaces, and in Iran the mobile network was reportedly down.
At 8:30 a.m. local time in Sweden, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States was participating in the attack. He described it as a 'large-scale combat operation' with the aim of crushing Iran militarily and called on the Iranian people to overthrow the regime and take control of the country.
Shortly after 9 a.m., reports of explosions were heard in northern Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the aim of the attack on Iran was to neutralize an 'existential threat.'
The Iran-allied Houthi movement in Yemen announced that it would resume its attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Shortly before 10 a.m., Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced that they had fired the 'first wave' of drones and rockets at Israel. Shortly afterward, Bahrain reported that a US naval base in the country had been targeted by a missile attack, which was confirmed by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Explosions were reported in Qatar, the Saudi capital Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates, where one person was reported killed. In Kuwait and Jordan, air defenses shot down incoming missiles. Iran's foreign minister said in a statement that 'the time has come to defend the homeland.'
Air raid sirens sounded over large parts of Israel, the Israeli military wrote on X.
In Iraq, at least two people were reported killed in a drone attack against the pro-Iranian Shia militia Hezbollah Brigades.
Several airlines, including Air France, Air India, Norwegian, Swiss and Turkish Airlines, announced they were canceling flights to Israel, Lebanon, Dubai and Oman, among others.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had attacked hundreds of military targets. Iranians who were in or near military infrastructure were urged to evacuate.
At 11:30, Israeli public service reported that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Masoud Pezeshkian were among the targets of Saturday's attacks.
The EU announced it was withdrawing all non-essential personnel from the Middle East, citing the 'dangerous' situation.
The state-run Iranian news agency Irna reported that an Israeli-American attack on a girls' school in southern Iran had claimed at least 40 lives.
