Maps of the Israeli-US attack and Iran’s response

Israel and the United States have launched a joint military attack against Iran. The first missiles landed in Tehran, the country’s capital, where explosions have been reported since 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. Videos from local media and news agencies have confirmed bombings in at least seven other cities across Iran.

The attack reportedly struck the residence of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. This was reported by U.S. authorities and confirmed by the following satellite image taken by Airbus and published by The New York Times. The building hit is the primary residence of Khamenei and other high-ranking regime officials. Iranian authorities, for their part, stated that the country’s leader is safe and is directing the armed forces.

Iran’s first measure was to close its airspace, a move implemented within hours by Iraq and Israel, which declared a state of emergency. By mid-morning on Saturday, air traffic in the region was completely disrupted, as shown by data from FlightRadar24.

Iran’s military response was swift. Less than three hours after the attack, Tehran’s long-range missiles struck at least four U.S. sites in the region. According to initial reports, these included three air bases (in Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) and a naval base (in Bahrain). This was one of Tehran’s stated threats in the event of an attack.

Iran has claimed to have launched further attacks against Qatar and Israel. In the capital, Tel Aviv, air raid sirens have sounded since early Saturday morning, and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu said that it has already shot down several missiles launched from Iran (the Israeli missile defense system is one of the most advanced in the world).

US deployment in the region and Iran’s allies

The attack did not come entirely as a surprise. On Thursday, talks in Geneva between the delegations of the United States and Iran ended without an agreement, and pressure in the region had been mounting for months.

Washington had deployed a large fleet to the area, including two aircraft carriers, the Gerald R. Fold and the Abraham Lincoln, with a combined capacity for more than 150 aircraft and over 5,000 crew members. Both were protected by destroyer ships. In recent weeks, dozens of U.S. fighter jets had also been deployed to operational and support bases in the region (including the Spanish base in Rota).

The U.S. troops deployed in the Middle East would number between 40,000 and 50,000 personnel, who will also have to protect themselves against another of Iran’s assets: the Shiite militias that the Islamic Republic can activate against its enemies.

It’s important to note that the aggressive war waged by Israel in the region following the attacks carried out by Hamas in October 2023 — with airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Qatar and Yemen, as well as in Gaza Strip — clearly weakened its allies’ response capacity, but did not eliminate it altogether.