Israel-Iran war 2026: The United States of America (USA) and Israel jointly launched an attack on Iran, rocking the Middle East on Saturday. The attacks have escalated the tensions in an already volatile region. US President Donald Trump said that ‘Major Combat Operations’ are underway, and signalled a military shift in the long-running confrontation over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Israel terms the strike as pre-emptive

Israel said that the attack launched by them was a pre-emptive attack, in order to neutralise immediate threats posed by Iran. Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the operation is aimed at safeguarding the State of Israel from nuclear and missile threats.

The New York Times quoted a US official, who said that the American strikes were already in progress. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Iran supremo, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been moved to a safe house away from Tehran.

Air-raid sirens reverberated through Israel, while explosions rocked Iran’s capital Tehran. The authorities continued essential services, while the schools and workplaces were shut. The national airspace for civilian flights was closed too.

Iran claims to have retaliated with drones, missiles

On the other hand, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that they had retaliated, launching waves of drones and missiles towards Israel.

Meanwhile, US Senator John Fetterman lauded the joint operation by Israel and USA. He stated that President Trump had acted decisively in pursuit of regional stability and peace.