SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The United States and Israel are carrying out major attacks against Iran today, hitting Tehran and several other cities across the country. The Pentagon calls it Operation Epic Fury. President Trump made the announcement in an eight-minute video posted on social media.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world.
SIMON: According to Israeli assessments, Iran's supreme leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been hit, a person briefed on the matter tells NPR. Israeli officials say the joint operation has struck hundreds of sites in Iran, killing several central government figures. Iranian state media report that casualties so far include more than 50 students at a girls school. President Trump did not specify any immediate threat from Iran but said the country continued to develop its nuclear program despite U.S. and Israeli attacks last June. And he said Iran was developing long-range missiles that could, quote, "soon reach the American homeland."
Iran has retaliated, targeting Israel and U.S. military sites in Arab Gulf States, according to Iran's state broadcaster. The Iranian Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of attacking during ongoing negotiations and said the country would, quote, "make the aggressors regret their criminal act." The U.N. Security Council holds an emergency meeting this afternoon. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the U.S. and Israeli military action and the Iranian retaliation.
On Capitol Hill Some lawmakers have also spoken out, including Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia.
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TIM KAINE: My first reaction when I heard the news early this morning was, has the United States learned nothing from 25 years of unproductive wars in the Middle East? Have we paid no attention to the fact that it essentially cost us lives and treasure to no avail? And why would we put our sons and daughters back into risk for no legitimate reason?
SIMON: And, of course, we'll update this developing story throughout the morning. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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