Summary of developments so far
The US and Israel have launched a joint military operation against Iran, prompting Tehran to fire retaliatory strikes against Israel and US bases across the Middle East.
Explosions rocked the Iranian capital Tehran, with satellite imagery showing extensive damage at the secure compound of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though his whereabouts remains unclear.
Israel said its strikes targeted the Iranian regime leadership and military commanders, including Khamenei and president Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian state media, citing Iran’s senior officials, reported that Khamenei was not in Tehran and was taken to a secure location, while Pezeshkian is safe.
Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister who has been leading the nuclear talks for the Iranian delegation, promised that Iran’s army “will teach aggressors the lesson they deserve”.
Further explosions were reported in Gulf nations, including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, all of which host US military bases. One person was killed from shrapnel from an Iranian missile in Abu Dhabi, UAE officials said.
US president Donald Trump described the US military campaign as “massive and ongoing” as he called on the people of Iran to “take over your government”. In a speech posted on Truth Social, he said the US would “raze their [Iran’s] missile industry to the ground” and claimed Tehran had refused to reach a deal with the US that would have averted war.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the American-Israeli attack could “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands”.
World leaders have urged all sides to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table. The UK, France and Germany issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s retaliatory attacks on neighbouring countries but it stopped short of complete support for the US-Israeli attacks on Tehran.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer has said British planes “are in the sky today” in the Middle East “as part of co-ordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies”.
Updated at 10.04 EST
Key events
19m ago
Summary of developments so far
32m ago
British planes ‘in the sky’ in Middle East protecting our people, interests and allies, says Starmer
45m ago
Reactions from US lawmakers after Trump strikes Iran
1h ago
UK, Germany and France condemn Iranian attacks
2h ago
Pictured: Tehran compound of Iran’s supreme leader heavily damaged
2h ago
Analysis: Trump’s unprovoked attack on Iran has no mandate – or legal basis
2h ago
World leaders react to attacks
3h ago
Iran will ‘teach aggressors lesson they deserve’, says Tehran foreign minister
3h ago
Iran missile strikes Kuwait base hosting Italian troops, official says
3h ago
Oman foreign minister ‘dismayed’ by attacks, tells US ‘this is not your war’
3h ago
Saudi Arabia condemns Iran attacks against Gulf nations
3h ago
40 killed in girls’ school in Iran after US-Israel attack, state media says
4h ago
Bahrain authorities evacuate people from US base location
4h ago
Airlines that have cancelled flights to the region
4h ago
British Airways cancels flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain
4h ago
What we know so far
5h ago
Iran’s supreme leader and president were targets of attack – reports
5h ago
Analysis: Yet another mid-talks attack jeopardises chances of Iran taking Trump seriously
5h ago
Foreign office issues warning to British nationals in region amid attacks
5h ago
One person killed in Abu Dhabi, says UAE defence ministry
5h ago
Iran targets US bases in Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain
6h ago
US navy fleet ‘subject to missile attack’ in Bahrain
6h ago
Iran launch missiles at US base in Bahrain – report
6h ago
Gulf countries close airspace
6h ago
Iranian officials ‘main target’ of US-Israel strikes – reports
6h ago
‘No red lines’ in Iran’s response to attacks, says official
6h ago
Flights suspended and airspaces closed in region
7h ago
What we know so far
7h ago
Netanyahu: Attacks on Iran to remove ‘existential threat’
7h ago
Netanyahu: US-Israel attacks against Iran will allow Iranians to topple Ayatollah regime
7h ago
‘Take over your government’, Trump tells Iranian people
7h ago
Iran launched missiles at Israel, says IDF
7h ago
Schools and workplaces closed in Jerusalem until Monday
7h ago
‘We are going to raze their missile industry to the ground’ – Trump
7h ago
Lay down your arms or ‘face certain death’, Trump tells Revolutionary Guards
8h ago
US military has launched ‘major combat operations’ in Iran – Trump
8h ago
Mobile phone services cut in Iran
8h ago
Blasts heard in several cities – reports
8h ago
Images show smoke rising from Tehran
8h ago
Iran closes its airspace
8h ago
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not in Tehran
8h ago
Loud blasts and columns of smoke in Tehran, report AFP journalists
8h ago
Israel strikes Iran
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UN secretary general António Guterres condemned the US-Israel military action and Iran’s response.
In a statement, he said:
double quotation markI call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation. Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table.
I reiterate that there is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes, in full accordance with international law, including the UN charter. The charter provides the foundation for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly going to speak soon, according to Iranian media.
We will bring you more as we get it.
ShareSummary of developments so far
The US and Israel have launched a joint military operation against Iran, prompting Tehran to fire retaliatory strikes against Israel and US bases across the Middle East.
Explosions rocked the Iranian capital Tehran, with satellite imagery showing extensive damage at the secure compound of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though his whereabouts remains unclear.
Israel said its strikes targeted the Iranian regime leadership and military commanders, including Khamenei and president Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian state media, citing Iran’s senior officials, reported that Khamenei was not in Tehran and was taken to a secure location, while Pezeshkian is safe.
Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister who has been leading the nuclear talks for the Iranian delegation, promised that Iran’s army “will teach aggressors the lesson they deserve”.
Further explosions were reported in Gulf nations, including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, all of which host US military bases. One person was killed from shrapnel from an Iranian missile in Abu Dhabi, UAE officials said.
US president Donald Trump described the US military campaign as “massive and ongoing” as he called on the people of Iran to “take over your government”. In a speech posted on Truth Social, he said the US would “raze their [Iran’s] missile industry to the ground” and claimed Tehran had refused to reach a deal with the US that would have averted war.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the American-Israeli attack could “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands”.
World leaders have urged all sides to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table. The UK, France and Germany issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s retaliatory attacks on neighbouring countries but it stopped short of complete support for the US-Israeli attacks on Tehran.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer has said British planes “are in the sky today” in the Middle East “as part of co-ordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies”.
Updated at 10.04 EST
British planes ‘in the sky’ in Middle East protecting our people, interests and allies, says Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer has said British planes “are in the sky today” in the Middle East “as part of co-ordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies”.
He added:
double quotation markWe are also reaching out to UK nationals in the region and doing everything we can to support them.
Keir Starmer issues a statement at 10 Downing Street in central London. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PAShare
Updated at 09.48 EST
Reactions from US lawmakers after Trump strikes Iran
US lawmakers have reacted to the violence erupting in the Middle East.
Jim Himes, a senior Democrat on the US House intelligence committee, said:
double quotation markEverything I have heard from the administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no stategic endgame. As I expressed to [secretary of state] Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight (senior lawmakers from both parties in the House and Senate), military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily sprial and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate. It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.
The president’s own statement acknowledges this is war, and the constitution requires the administration to come to Congress for authorisation, something it has not done. Next week, the House will vote on a war powers resolution, and I will support that resolution. In the meantime, I will be praying for the safety of our servicemembers and all civilians who are in harm’s way.
Democratic senator Ed Markey shared this sentiment, saying:
double quotation markTrump’s military attack on Iran is illegal and unconstitutional. It was not approved by Congress and holds dangers for all Americans. Trump’s illegal actions raise the threat of escalation into a wider regional war with grave risks for US troops and civilians in the region. Trump has exaggerated the imminence of Iran’s nuclear threat, even after insisting the United States ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear programme during his illegal Operation Midnight Hammer attack. Even secretary of state Mark Rubio admitted Iran is not enriching uranium. There was time for diplomacy before this attack, and there still is.
Democrat senator Andy Kim voiced his concern over the strikes, saying:
double quotation markAmericans don’t want to go to war with Iran.
By launching strikes, President Trump has made the same dangerous and foolish decision president [George] Bush did a generation ago. He put Americans in harm’s way without clearly showing there’s an imminent threat to our national security. He put the Iranian people in harm’s way by calling on them to rise up without a broad coalition of partners to assist in their protection. And Trump once again started a cycle of violence that has already escalated and could spiral out of control. This is unacceptable.
Republican senator John Cornyn supported Trump’s decision to strike Iran, saying:
double quotation markFor too long, Iran and its tentacles of terror have destabilised the Middle East and waged war on the west and our values. With today’s strikes by US forces led by our commander-in-chief, president Trump, there is finally an opening for these dark days to come to an end.
It is my hope that the Iranian people, after years of oppression and being ignored by previous Democrat administrations, will finally be free, and I’m proud of the support being provided by president Trump and the United States.
Democrat senator John Fetterman has also come out in support of the strikes, saying:
double quotation markOperation Epic Fury.
President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.
God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.
Republican representative Thomas Massie was against the military action, saying:
double quotation markI am opposed to this war.
This is not “America First.”
When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Democratic representative Ro Khanna] to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran.
Irish premier Micheal Martin has said he is “deeply concerned” about the risk of wider conflict in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched missile strikes on Iran.
In a statement, the Toaiseach said:
double quotation markI am deeply concerned by developments in Iran and the real potential that exists for escalation and wider conflict in the region. I strongly urge all parties to exercise restraint and to work to avoid that outcome.
Ireland has always believed that conflict should be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation, in line with the principles of the UN Charter and international law. That must apply in this situation as much as in any other.
The protection of civilian life in Iran, in Israel and in all neighbouring countries must now be paramount.
ShareUK, Germany and France condemn Iranian attacks
The UK, Germany and France have condemned Iranian attacks on countries in the region, saying Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes.
They did not comment on US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
British prime minister Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a statement Saturday saying their countries didn’t take part in the strikes on Iran but are in close contact with the US, Israel and partners in the region.
The three countries have led efforts to reach a negotiated solution over Iran’s nuclear program.
double quotation markWe condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms. Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes. We call for a resumption of negotiations and urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future.
SharePictured: Tehran compound of Iran’s supreme leader heavily damaged
Airbus has released this georeferenced image showing damage to the Tehran compound of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei:
The first publicly released satellite image of the compound associated with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, georeferenced. The imagery, captured by Airbus, shows multiple structures within the secured complex that appear heavily damaged or destroyed. Photograph: Airbus/Soar AtlasShare
Brazil has expressed “grave concern” about strikes launched by the US and Israel against Iran, which has retaliated with wide-ranging missile attacks.
The foreign ministry said in a statement:
double quotation markThe Brazilian government condemns and expresses grave concern regarding the attacks,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Brazil calls on all parties to respect international law and exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid an escalation of hostilities and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Share
Simon Tisdall
The Guardian’s foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall writes in his column that, in a world on edge, there was no need for this attack by the US:
They never learn. Once again, a bellicose US president has unleashed overwhelming military firepower to force a sovereign nation to its knees. Once again, blatant lies and exaggerated claims are being propagated to justify the attack. Duplicitous American diplomacy became a fig leaf for premeditated aggression. The cautionary advice of allies was spurned. The UN, international law and public opinion were ignored. Democratic consent is lacking. And once again, there are few defined goals by which to gauge success, and no long-term plan.
Now, as in the past, the predictable result of today’s renewed, expanded and apparently open-ended US-Israeli aggression against Iran will be instant, spreading chaos. Civilians will be killed, children orphaned, families torn apart. Regional turmoil and international oil-price panic will follow the Iranian retaliation that has already begun, and which may be backed by Tehran’s Hezbollah and Houthi allies. New hatreds will be seeded, terrorist vendettas sown. The west’s foes will rejoice. And almost nothing of enduring value will be achieved. That was the bitter outcome of the failed US-led interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today, it’s Tehran’s turn to reap the whirlwind.
How dismaying – how unforgivable! – that those past lessons have not been learned. How incredible that an elected 21st-century American president still believes it’s effective and permissible, let alone moral, to dictate to the world from the barrel of a gun. By what conceivable right does the US behave in this way?
Read his full opinion piece here:
Israel’s energy ministry has ordered the temporary shutdown of parts of the country’s natural gas reservoirs as Iran retaliates against the US-Israeli strikes.
The Leviathan gas field offshore Israel, operated by Chevron has been shut down, three sources told Reuters. Energean’s production vessel that serves several Israeli fields has also been shut down, the company said in a statement.
Across the border from Iran in a separate conflict, Pakistan’s military, backed by artillery and air power, has struck more military installations deep inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan claimed more than 300 Afghan forces had been killed since fighting erupted Thursday night during a broad Afghan cross-border attack into Pakistan. Afghanistan rejected the figures as false. The casualty figures provided by either side could not be independently confirmed.
You can read out analysis of that situation here:
ShareAnalysis: Trump’s unprovoked attack on Iran has no mandate – or legal basis
Julian Borger
The first war of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace era has begun – an unprovoked attempt at regime change in collaboration with Israel, with no legal foundation, launched in the midst of diplomatic efforts to avert conflict, and with minimal consultation with Congress or the American public.
Trump’s recorded eight-minute address after the first bombs had fallen, made clear that this would be no limited strike aimed at cajoling Tehran into concessions at the negotiating table. He warned that if Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) did not surrender they would be killed, and the country’s armed forces, its missile and navy would be smashed.
The maximalist aims of the joint attack cast doubt on whether there had ever been any prospect of success for the US-Iranian negotiations in the preceding weeks, in which delegates discussed possible limits on uranium enrichment. Those talks, the latest round on Thursday, had been conducted under the shadow of what Trump called his “beautiful armada” gathering in the Middle East, the biggest US force in the region since the ill-fated 2003 Iraq invasion, and it now seems likely that only a complete capitulation on Iran’s part could stop this assembled American might being unleashed.
Updated at 08.06 EST
World leaders react to attacks
UK prime minister Keir Starmer is chairing a meeting of the UK government’s Cobra emergency committee as Britain decides how to respond to the US-Israeli bombing of Iran, and Tehran’s retaliation against bases in the Gulf.
A government spokesperson said:
double quotation mark“Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution. Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region and we will provide them with consular assistance, available 24/7.
“As part of our longstanding commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests.
“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.”
French president Emmanuel Macron has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council and that his country “stands ready to deploy the necessary resources” to its closest partners in the region.
France hosts several military bases in the Middle East, notably in Qatar, the UAE and Jordan, all countries which have been targeted by Iranian missiles today.
He said:
double quotation markThe ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good faith in negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its regional destabilization activities. This is absolutely necessary for the security of all in the Middle East.
The Iranian people must also be able to freely build their future. The massacres committed by the Islamic regime disqualify it and demand that the voice be returned to the people. The sooner, the better.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called for restraint and described the developments in Iran as “deeply concerning”.
She said:
double quotation markEnsuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov condemned the strikes against ally Iran and held a phone call with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, his ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry said:
double quotation mark[Lavrov] condemned the unprovoked armed attack by the US and Israel on Iran, which violates the principles and norms of international law and completely disregards the grave consequences for regional and global stability and security.”
The UN human rights chief Volker Türk urged for the bombing to stop as he implored all parties “to see reason” and return to the negotiating table.
He said:
double quotation markBombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but only result in death, destruction and human misery.
Updated at 08.00 EST