Israel carried out a sudden strike on Iran early Saturday, calling it a pre-emptive operation and immediately imposing nationwide emergency measures as it prepared for an Iranian response involving missiles and drones.
In Washington, Fox News reported that President Trump, speaking from the White House, confirmed U.S. forces participated in the attack alongside Israel. The claim, carried by Fox News in live coverage, elevates the confrontation from a unilateral Israeli action to a U.S.-linked military escalation with wider regional consequences.
Iran, for its part, indicated it would respond. Reuters reported Iranian warnings that if the United States attacked Iran, Tehran could target U.S. bases in the region, raising the risk of spillover beyond Israel and Iran.
Detail
• Israel’s defence minister announced emergency measures nationwide as the strikes began, according to Reuters.
• An Israeli defence official told Reuters the operation was coordinated with the United States and planned in advance.
• Fox News reported Trump’s White House remarks and attributed to him a confirmation that U.S. forces took part.
• Iranian messaging in early reporting pointed to retaliation; Reuters said Iran warned neighbours hosting U.S. forces that regional U.S. bases could be targeted if Washington attacked Iran.
• Israeli television coverage framed the operation as a pre-emptive campaign and tracked explosions reported in Iranian locations as the situation developed.
(Analysis)
Public confirmation of U.S. participation changes Iran’s escalation calculus. It expands the potential target set from Israel alone to U.S. regional assets, compresses diplomatic off-ramps, and increases the chance that the next moves come fast and across multiple theatres (direct launches, proxies, and pressure on basing and air defence).
What next?
Watch for:
• A formal U.S. government statement clarifying scope, objectives, and rules of engagement.
• Iranian retaliation indicators (direct launches, proxy actions, or threats to U.S. regional facilities).
• Confirmation of what sites were hit and the scale of damage, especially if any sensitive nuclear-linked locations are implicated.
• Immediate market and security spillovers: oil, shipping risk signals, and travel advisories.
