The officials also said that the strike at a US Navy base in Bahrain left no injuries, with the Iranian missile only hitting an empty building. US-Israeli joint strikes on Iran are expected to continue for at least a week, Israeli officials told Walla on Saturday afternoon. A report by Fox News also stated that US officials expect the event to last several days, rather than hours. The officials also said that the strike at a US Navy base in Bahrain left no injuries, with the Iranian missile only hitting an empty building. This comes after the US and Israel launched a joint strike on Iran in the early hours of Saturday morning. Iranian state media reported explosions in Tehran, Qom, Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Karaj. Meanwhile, sirens sounded across the whole of Israel as Iran bombarded the Jewish State, along with several other Middle Eastern countries, in a counterattack. So far, no Israeli citizens have been confirmed to have been killed.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cut off from contact, assumed to be injured
Notably, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been cut off from contact and is rumored to be injured. Israeli officials told Walla that they were uncertain of his status as of Saturday afternoon. No official confirmation has been received by Israeli, American, or Iranian sources
US forces are locked in air-defense battles
-
US forces are actively engaged in air defense operations in the Middle East, an official said.
-
The operations involve American air, land, and sea forces.
-
It comes as Iran has launched retaliatory missiles following US and Israeli strikes.
American forces are actively engaged in air defense operations in the Middle East, a US official told Business Insider, as Iran launches retaliatory missile strikes at countries across the region. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the military developments, said that US land, air, and naval forces are participating in the air defense operations, including for American bases in the Middle East. Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency said that the IRGC, or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, launched missiles at US bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. All four countries host major US military installations. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest in the Middle East, while Naval Support Activity Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Kuwait and the UAE also host important bases for ground and air forces. Qatar’s defense ministry said it shot down Iranian missiles targeting the country in multiple waves. Bahrain’s state news agency said that 5th Fleet was attacked. Rocket shrapnel killed at least one person in the UAE, the country said, adding that it intercepted several incoming munitions. The Israeli military said it detected multiple waves of missiles fired from Iran, with air defense systems working to intercept them. Iran carried out retaliatory strikes against US military sites in Bahrain. The US embassies in several Middle East countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan, issued warnings earlier that missile strikes were imminent, warning American citizens to shelter in place. The US has surged military forces into the region in recent weeks, assembling a substantial presence capable of conducting air defense operations. More than a dozen US warships, including two aircraft carriers, are operating in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. American fighter jets and air defense batteries are also operating in the region.