Tehran, Iran – United States President Donald Trump has said that the US has begun “major combat operations” in Iran after Israel launched missile attacks against the country on Saturday morning.

Multiple explosions have been heard in Iran’s capital, Tehran, while blasts have also been reported in several other locations across the country.

US President Donald Trump said the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran aim at “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”.

“Short time ago, US military began major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime,” he said.

Iran is preparing to retaliate following the joint strikes conducted by Israel and the United States on Saturday, according to state-affiliated media.

“Iran is preparing for revenge and a crushing response to the Zionist regime,” said Tasnim, a semi-official news agency linked to Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Agencies