U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States had begun “major combat operations” in Iran, warning that there may be U.S. casualties.
The U.S. military initiated a series of strikes against targets in Iran, but the scope of the air and sea operations was not immediately clear. The campaign is expected to last for multiple days, according to Reuters.
The strikes, which Trump said were aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and annihilating its navy, follow repeated threats to attack Iran again if it pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Trump also acknowledged that there could be American casualties following Iran strikes, saying “that often happens in war.”
An Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran is preparing for retaliation, with the response set to be crushing. Meanwhile, Iran shut down its airspace and mobile phone services were cut.
