Live updates: US strikes Iran amid nuclear program tensions

WASHINGTON - The United States and Israel have conducted military strikes across Iran. The action comes after weeks of warning from the U.S. about Iran's nuclear weapons program and clashes between protesters and the country’s government. 

Follow ongoing updates below.

Iran vows to defend

5 a.m. ET: Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a defiant statement, saying that the country "will not hesitate" in its response. In a statement posted on X, the ministry said: "The time has come to defend the homeland and confront the enemy’s military assault."

Reports of blasts across region

4:40 a.m. ET: Bahrain said that a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom, the AP reported. Witnesses heard sirens and explosions in Kuwait, home to U.S. Army Central. Explosions could be also be heard in Qatar.

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, meanwhile, vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and on Israel, according to two senior Houthi officials. 

"Operation Epic Fury"

4:05 a.m. ET: The Defense Department announced the Saturday morning U.S. military attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran has been dubbed "Operation Epic Fury." Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has named his country's military operation "Operation Roaring Lion," his office said.

Military strikes on Iran

What we know:

The first wave of attacks happened early Saturday morning. Smoke could be seen in Tehran near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian media, with other strikes happening across the country.

Iran responded with a wave of missiles and drones fired towards Israel.

There was no immediate word of U.S. casualties.

What they're saying:

President Donald Trump said in a video posted on his Truth social media account that the U.S. had begun "major combat operations in Iran." He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear weapons program and plans to develop missiles to reach U.S. and appealed to the Iranian people to "take over your government — it will be yours to take."

"Our joint operation will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Iran's nuclear program

The backstory:

President Trump had threatened action if Tehran did not negotiate a deal to constrain its nuclear program. Meanwhile, he ordered the largest military buildup in the Middle East in decades. 

Both sides signaled they were prepared for war if the talks on Tehran’s nuclear program failed. 

Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, the U.S. and others suspect it is aimed at eventually developing weapons. Iran says it hasn’t been enriching uranium since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

Iran protests 

Dig deeper:

Nationwide protests in Iran sparked by the Islamic Republic’s ailing economy put new pressure on its theocracy, which responded with a deadly crackdown and shutting down the internet.

Thousands were killed and tens of thousands are believed to have been arrested.

Mourners held ceremonies honoring slain protesters 40 days after their killing by security forces. Some gatherings have seen anti-government chants despite threats from authorities.

Tehran is still reeling from a 12-day war launched by Israel in June that saw the U.S. bomb nuclear sites in Iran. 

Economic pressure, which has intensified since September when the United Nations reimposed sanctions on the country over its atomic program, has sent Iran’s rial currency into a free fall, now trading at over 1.4 million to $1.

Meanwhile, Iran’s self-described "Axis of Resistance" — a coalition of countries and militant groups backed by Tehran — has been decimated since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.

Poll shows low support

A University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll released this week found that Americans would most commonly oppose the U.S. initiating an attack on Iran.

By the numbers:

The poll, which was carried out Feb. 5-9, found that 21% of Americans favor the United States initiating an attack on Iran, 49% oppose, and 30% said they didn’t know.

Tension between US and Iran

Timeline:

Iran and the U.S. have seesawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy for decades. 

Iran and the U.S. were strong allies under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi during the 1950s.

American military weapons, as well as assistance from the CIA, solidified the shah’s rule for years until 1979, when Pahlavi fled Iran amid massive demonstrations against his rule. 

The Islamic Revolution, led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, took over and created Iran’s theocratic government. 

Later that year, university students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seeking the shah’s extradition and sparking the 444-day hostage crisis that saw diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. severed.

In the 1980s, the U.S. backed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, creating further animosity. 

Relations peaked with the 2015 nuclear deal, which saw Iran greatly limit its program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. 

But Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018, sparking tensions in the Mideast that intensified after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.