Iran hit by 'massive' US attack; supreme leader targeted: Updates
The United States launched military strikes and "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, President Donald Trump said, targeting the country's missile capabilities.
"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people," Trump said, calling the strikes "a massive and ongoing operation."
Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was directly targeted, a Middle Eastern official familiar with the matter told USA TODAY. Khamenei's fate was unknown.
More: US, Israel launch strikes on Iran. What we know so far
Iran launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes against American and Israeli targets after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack, hitting a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain. Iran said its enemies would be "decisively defeated."
Images from Tehran early Saturday showed smoke rising from the Iranian capital as residents ran for cover. Iran said 40 people were killed in a strike at a girl's school in the south.
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Graphics: US forces launch 'major combat operations' against Iran
The attack follows weeks of rising tensions as Trump repeatedly threatened to attack Iran if negotiations over its nuclear and missile development programs fail.
