The U.S. and Israel launched a joint military operation targeting Iran on Saturday morning, the culmination of months of tensions and, more recently, negotiations aimed at reaching a diplomatic resolution to concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.

In an address on Saturday shortly after the first strikes were reported, President Donald Trump announced that “the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests.”

Trump said that the goal of the operation “is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”

“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States, our troops and the innocent people in many, many countries,” Trump said, noting that “it was Iran’s proxy Hamas that launched the monstrous October 7 attacks on Israel, slaughtering more than 1,000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, while taking 12 of our citizens hostage.”

The strikes came a day after Omani Foreign Minister Bdar Al Busaidi traveled to Washington to meet with Vice President JD Vance after mediating a round of talks in Geneva between senior Iranian officials and a U.S. delegation led by White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The military confrontation came eight months after Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, which the U.S. joined, which significantly degraded Iran’s aerial defenses and nuclear program.

The White House had faced questions in recent weeks about the scale of a potential operation in Iran as it amassed the largest U.S. military presence in the Middle East in more than two decades.

In his most direct remarks targeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump addressed “the great proud people of Iran,” saying, “The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government.”

Trump slammed the efforts by Iran and its proxies to disrupt commercial waterways and target U.S. interests and positions across the region. “It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to put up with it any longer. From Lebanon to Yemen and Syria to Iraq, the regime is armed, trained and funded terrorist militias that have soaked the earth with blood and guts,” Trump said.

Two hours after the start of the strikes, Iran launched its first barrages of ballistic missiles at Israeli population centers. No injuries were reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, “My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, a short while ago, Israel and the United States embarked on an operation to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran. I thank our great friend, President Donald Trump, for his historic leadership.”

“For 47 years, the Ayatollah regime has called for ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America.’ It has spilled our blood, murdered many Americans, and massacred its own people. This murderous terrorist regime must not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity,” Netanyahu continued.

“Our joint action will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands” Netanyahu said. “The time has come for all segments of the people in Iran – the Persians, the Kurds, the Azeris, the Balochis, and the Ahwazis – to rid themselves of the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peace-seeking Iran.”

“The coming days of Operation Roaring Lion will demand patience and fortitude from all of us. We shall stand together, fight together, and ensure the eternity of Israel together,” he concluded.

Jewish Insider’s Israel Editor Tamara Zieve contributed reporting.