Trump announced a military operation against Iran, and Iran fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel. The US naval base in Bahrain was hit by a powerful explosion.
US President Donald Trump announced the start of a military operation against Iran. Trump explained the reasons for the operation as follows:
"To protect American citizens from threats by the Iranian regime." Previously, Donald Trump claimed that Iran has intercontinental ballistic missiles with a range covering the US territory. However, this statement was even refuted by NATO intelligence agencies.
The US Department of State had previously issued a notice to its citizens, urging them to evacuate Israel. Hours later, Israel began launching missiles toward the Islamic Republic of Iran. Israeli sources said that after the first strike, "several Iranian military officials, including the commander of the Iranian Army Amir Hataemi, were killed." As of the time of writing, the Tehran authorities have not officially confirmed this information.
Latest data shows that Iran is using dozens of homemade ballistic missiles for the attack. This information has also been confirmed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) news office, which stated that the IDF launched a military operation against Iran this morning. Explosions were heard in Tehran. The Israeli Ministry of Defense claimed this operation was a preemptive strike against Iran. The operation's original code name was "Shield of Judah," which was later changed to "Roar of the Lion." Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant declared a state of war throughout the country.
Iran also launched a counterattack, firing ballistic missiles at the "Prince Sultan" military base in Saudi Arabia. This base had previously housed US forces. It is currently unclear whether US personnel had completely evacuated the area before the attack on Iran. The US had previously stated that it had withdrawn most of its troops from Middle Eastern bases. At the same time, explosions occurred in Dubai, triggering air defense systems, and airports in the UAE canceled or adjusted flights. Explosions also occurred at multiple military facilities within the UAE.
The Iranian armed forces responded to the strikes by the Israeli Defense Forces and the US military. Missiles attacked several US military bases in the Middle East. Air raid sirens continued to sound across Israel, and videos of thick smoke in a district of Tel Aviv circulated online. Reports say there was an explosion in Haifa city, and the US and Israeli air defense forces seemed unable to intercept Iranian missiles during the initial stage of the attack. The US side claimed these were "debris from downed missiles." There were casualties among US personnel at the US Navy Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, today the Yemeni Houthi rebels announced they would resume attacks on Western merchant ships in the Red Sea. Several ballistic missiles were fired from Yemen. The Houthi rebels' targets may be Israel's homeland or US military bases in the Arabian Peninsula. The Lebanese Hezbollah publicly expressed support for Iran. Although it is unlikely to open a second front, the Israeli Defense Forces' manpower will be tied down. With the escalation of the situation around Iran, the Israeli Defense Forces announced the conscription of 70,000 reserve personnel.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858370964377737/
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