‘OPERATION EPIC FURY’: The United States joined Israel in launching preemptive strikes against Iran, as President Trump confirms “major combat operations” are underway.

US President Donald Trump says the United States has launched a “major operation” against Iran, urging residents to stay inside because “bombs will be dropping everywhere”.

The US strikes came after Israel launched strikes against Iran, with witnesses reporting blasts in the capital, Tehran.

Mr Trump posted a video to his Truth Social media platform saying the US wanted to combat “threats” from the Iranian regime.

“A short time ago, the US military began major combat operations in Iran,” he said.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that five students at a girls’ school in southern Iran had been killed in the strikes.

Mr Trump said Iran was the “world’s number one state sponsor of terror, and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested”.

The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war, but we’re doing this, not for now. We’re doing this for the future,” Mr Trump said.

He told Iranian police and other security forces to lay down their arms and be granted immunity or fight and face “certain death”, and he urged everyday civilians to rebel against the regime.

“When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations,” he said.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Mr Trump for his “historic leadership”.

“Our joint action will create the conditions for the courageous Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands,” Mr Netanyahu said.

Retaliatory strikes underway
Meanwhile, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had struck several facilities in the region in retaliation, including the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.

The Revolutionary Guard said it had also struck US bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and military targets in Israel.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had advised residents to “stay in protected spaces until official notice” after “an additional barrage of missiles was launched toward the State of Israel”, but said it was “identifying and intercepting threats”.

Blasts have also been reported in Qatar and Kuwait.

Flights suspended and airspace closed
Iran and Israel have both closed their airspace in light of the attacks.

Neighbouring Iraq and Jordan have also closed their airspace. The United Arab Emirates has “partially and temporarily” closed its airspace as a precaution, its state news agency said.

Airlines across the world have announced flight suspensions as a result.

The Russian Ministry of Transport also announced that Russian air carriers have suspended flights to Iran and Israel.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in a joint statement with Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, said Australia supported the US “acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon”.

He said Australians were advised not to travel to Iran and to leave the country as soon as possible “if it is safe to do so”.

“Our ability to provide consular assistance in Iran is extremely limited,” the statement said.

Attacks by air and sea
Earlier, a US official told Reuters that strikes against Iran were being carried out by air and sea, and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed Israel was attacking Iran.

“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” he said in a statement.

Iranian state media reported explosions in Tehran.

The first apparent strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Just before 8.15am, local time, warning sirens sounded across Israel, warning Israelis to stay close to shelters in the event of any retaliation.

Witnesses reported blast strikes downtown in Tehran, Iran’s capital, and thick smoke was seen rising in the sky.

Attack follows failed negotiations
The attack against Iran pushes the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dims hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West.

The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war last June, follows repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The US and Iran renewed negotiations in February in a bid to resolve the decades-long dispute through diplomacy and avert the threat of a military confrontation that could destabilise the region.

Israel, however, insisted that any US deal with Iran must include the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, not just stopping the enrichment process, and lobbied Washington to include restrictions on Iran’s missile program in the talks.

In his speech given shortly after the attack began, Mr Trump said it had “always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon”.

Iran said it was prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions, but ruled out linking the issue to missiles.

Tehran also said it would defend itself against any attack.

It warned neighbouring countries hosting US troops that it would retaliate against American bases if Washington struck Iran.

In June, the US joined an Israeli military campaign against Iranian nuclear installations, in the most direct American military action ever against the Islamic Republic.

Tehran retaliated by launching missiles toward the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US base in the Middle East.

Western powers have warned that Iran’s ballistic missile project threatens regional stability and could deliver nuclear weapons if developed. Tehran denies seeking atomic bombs.