United States President Donald Trump reportedly authorised Saturday’s military strike on Iran after sustained private lobbying by Mohammed bin Salman and the Israeli government.
According to a report by The Washington Post, the operation—codenamed “Operation Epic Fury”—was launched following months of diplomatic pressure from Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
Citing four sources familiar with the discussions, the newspaper stated that the Saudi Crown Prince made several private calls to Trump in recent weeks, urging direct U.S. military intervention against Iran despite publicly backing diplomatic efforts.
The report noted that the coordinated push by Saudi Arabia and Israel ultimately influenced Trump’s decision to initiate a large-scale aerial assault targeting Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure.
Khamenei, Top Officials Reportedly Killed
The joint operation, carried out by U.S. and Israeli forces, allegedly led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, along with several senior government officials.
Iranian state media confirmed early Sunday that Khamenei was among those killed in the strikes, which reportedly claimed the lives of at least 40 high-ranking officials.
The development represents a significant escalation in Middle East tensions.
Iran Responds
In response, Iran reportedly launched multiple missiles aimed at U.S. military bases in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia. As of press time, the scale of casualties or damage from the retaliatory strikes had not been independently verified.
While the operation was ongoing, Trump addressed the American public in a live broadcast, stating that the goal of the campaign was to dismantle Iran’s leadership and its nuclear infrastructure. He urged Iranian citizens to “take over their government” and insisted that Tehran would never be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons.
“Iran will never be allowed to have nuclear arms,” Trump declared, vowing to eliminate what he described as the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons programme.