US and Israel Launch Attack on Iran, President Trump: We Will Destroy Their Missiles

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters. (Wikimedia Commons/Official White House/Daniel Torok)

JAKARTA - The United States and Iran launched an attack on Iran on Saturday morning, with President Donald Trump saying it was to destroy Tehran's missile and missile industry.

The attack was a major escalation after weeks of negotiations between US and Iranian officials over the country's nuclear program.

President Trump confirmed in a video posted on social media that the United States had launched a "massive and sustained" military campaign in Iran, "to prevent this very evil radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests."

"We will destroy their missiles and destroy their missile industry," President Trump said, launching CNN (28/2).

In his video message, Trump said Iran had sought to rebuild its nuclear program after the US bombed its nuclear facilities in June.

"They refuse every opportunity to achieve their nuclear ambitions, and we can no longer tolerate that," he said.

An American official told CNN on Saturday morning that the attack was underway, describing it as "not a small attack."

Previously, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the attack a "preemptive strike" against Iran, while a state of emergency was declared throughout Israel.

The attack targeted Iranian ballistic missiles and missile launchers, which Israel considers a serious threat. It is not clear if there were any casualties.

Videos tracked and verified by CNN showed smoke billowing from the capital Tehran. Meanwhile, attacks were also reported in Iranian cities such as Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah, according to the state-run Fars news agency.

Separately, Iran has long said its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. Iranian state media said the country was preparing a "devastating response" to the attack.

Meanwhile, Israel declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliation from Iran. The Home Defense Command also closed its airspace and ordered only essential activities throughout the country.

The attack follows threats from President Trump, who warned Iran of US military intervention if the regime did not stop killing anti-government protesters. The US also threatened to intervene if Iran did not agree to a new nuclear deal, which was the subject of US-Iranian diplomatic talks in Geneva on Thursday.

The Republican president has repeatedly hinted at wanting to see regime change in Iran, while also insisting that the country stop all of its uranium enrichment so that it can never develop a nuclear weapon.

However, President Trump has not articulated the strategic objectives of the US military operation or how long the operation will last.

Military officials, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Kaine, have privately warned of the potential costs of a prolonged conflict with Iran, raising concerns about the scale, complexity and potential U.S. casualties of such a mission, CNN has previously reported.