BREAKING: U.S. and Israel Strike Iran in Major Military Campaign; Tehran Retaliates Across the Region

TEHRAN — The United States and Israel launched a sweeping, coordinated military assault on Iran early Saturday, openly seeking to overturn the Islamic Republic and annihilate its armed capabilities, sending explosions across Tehran and at least five other Iranian cities. Iran fired back with ballistic missiles at Israel and struck American military bases across the Persian Gulf. The Middle East is bracing for a protracted, multi-front war.

The operation, codenamed Operation Shield of Judah, targeted the Tehran district housing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s residence, the presidential palace, and the National Security Council. Explosions also rocked Kermanshah, Qom, Tabriz, Isfahan, Ilam, and Karaj, according to local media. The whereabouts of Khamenei — who had not been seen publicly in days as tensions mounted — remain unknown.