President Trump says the US began major combat operations in Iran

The U.S. and Israel have launched a major attack on Iran. President Donald Trump called on the Iranian public to “seize control of your destiny” and rise up against the Islamic leadership that has ruled the nation since 1979. 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. The strikes came after tensions soared in recent weeks as American warships moved into the region, and Trump said he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program. Iran's foreign minister told NBC News that Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian are alive “as far as I know.”