At Least 40 Killed At A School In Southern Iran In Israel-US Strikes

At least 40 people, including students, were killed at a girls' school on Saturday in Israeli-US airstrikes that were first reported in Tehran and then the rest of the country. The deaths in Minab were the first confirmed fatalities in Iran in the operation.

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has a base in Minab.

After the attacks on Iran, US President Donald Trump called on the Iranian people to "seize control of your destiny" and rise up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979.

Follow US-Israel Attacks Iran LIVE Updates

Some of the first strikes appeared to hit areas around the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iranian media reported strikes nationwide, and smoke could be seen rising from the capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed that sweeping goal. "Our joint operation will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands," Netanyahu said.

The strikes came after mounting tensions in recent weeks as American warships moved into the region, and Trump said he wanted a deal to constrain Iran's nuclear program at a time Tehran dealt with nationwide protests.

Retaliatory strikes were then reported in several countries across the Middle East, targeting US military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. The UAE and Iraq shut down their airspace. Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a defiant statement, saying that the country "will not hesitate" in its response. In a statement posted on X, the ministry said, "The time has come to defend the homeland and confront the enemy's military assault."