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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Iran launched a wave of missiles targeting U.S. military and allied bases across the Middle East in retaliating to strikes by the U.S. and Israel on the Islamic Republic on Saturday, which included a hit reportedly near the Tehran residence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The military escalation comes after talks between Washington and Tehran this week failed to achieve an agreement on Iran's nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Iran of building a nuclear weapon and long-range missile that could strike the U.S., allegations denied by Iran.
Iran condemned the U.S.- Israeli action as unprovoked and illegal and said it had launched its strikes in response to the "hostile acts".
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Its retaliatory strikes hit Israel as well as several Gulf Arab allies hosting U.S. forces, including bases in Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
Reports U.S-Israeli Strikes Targeted Ayotallah, Killed Children
The U.S.-Iran strikes on Iran appeared aimed at military and political leadership. Several senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed, Iranian media reports.
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s residence was also targeted, and his condition is unclear. Ayatollah Khamenei has also not been seen publicly since the attacks.
The strikes and counter-strikes have also resulted in civilian casualties across Iran, with reports of school girls killed in a strike. There is widespread disruption across the country with internet and mobile networks down, but images online showed smoke from explosions in several cities.
"We are scared, we are terrified. My children are shaking, we have nowhere to go, we will die here," Minou, a 32-year-old Iranian mother of two told Reuters news agency.
Iranian authorities said a missile strike on a girls’ school had killed 53 people in a death toll that was still rising on Saturday afternoon, the BBC reported citing Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which cited a spokesperson for the country’s ministry of education.
Ali Farhadi told IRNA that the school was “targeted by three missile attacks” and that an additional 63 people were injured in the assaults.
"The destroyed building is a primary school for girls in the south of Iran. It was bombed in broad daylight, when packed with young pupils. Dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.
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Iranian Response
Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the country responded to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes with its armed forces launching "a decisive response to these hostile acts."
- In the United Arab Emirates, at least one person was killed after missiles reportedly launched from Iran were intercepted, according to the Emirati defence ministry.
- In Iraq, two Hashd Shaabi fighters were killed and three others injured following explosions in Jurf al‑Sakhar, according to a spokesperson for the Popular Mobilization Forces speaking to Reuters.
- In Syria, an Iranian missile hit a building in Sweida, killing four people, with debris falling in Quneitra and the Yarmouk Basin in Daraa province, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA and witnesses speaking to Reuters.
- Authorities in Israel imposed sweeping emergency measures, closing schools and workplaces, moving hospital patients underground, and calling up tens of thousands of reservists.
- Missiles targeted U.S. bases including Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
- Qatar's Defense Ministry said the military shot down several missiles before they reached its airspace. It said the missiles were dealt with as soon as they were detected "in accordance with the pre-approved security plan."
- Bahrain said the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet was targeted by a missile attack. Meanwhile, explosions were also heard in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Iran's foreign ministry said it would "not hesitate" in its response to the attacks. "The time has come to defend the homeland and confront the enemy's military assault," the ministry wrote on X.
"Just as we were prepared for negotiations, we have been even more prepared for defense at all times. The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will decisively respond to the aggressors with full authority."
Iran's Supreme National Security Council also advised residents in the capital on Saturday to consider leaving the city for their safety. Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that authorities had converted a major highway linking Tehran with northern Iran into a one-way route to manage the heavy flow of traffic leaving the capital.
"All occupied territories and the criminal U.S. bases in the region have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles. This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated," Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.
Tens of thousands of reservists were called up to reinforce land borders, while police urged the public to avoid non-essential travel. Although there were relatively few immediate reports of casualties from the initial barrages, explosions from missile interceptions were heard over Jerusalem.
Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, who had been key to the indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. in the weeks leading up to the military strikes said the ongoing mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington had been undermined.
The strikes are the second U.S. military action against Iran under the Trump administration in less than a year and follow a major American military build-up in the region. Since January, the U.S. has deployed two aircraft carriers, thousands of troops, fighter jets, warships, and other equipment to the Middle East, representing one of the largest U.S. presences in the area in decades.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom in a joint statement said, "We did not participate in these strikes, but are in close contact with our international partners, including the United States, Israel, and partners in the region. We reiterate our commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life.
"We 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.
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