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China expresses grave concern over US-Israel attacks on Iran
Tehran condemns US-Israeli strikes, promises "crushing" response.
Israel launched a "preemptive" strike against Iran on Saturday morning "to remove threats to Israel".
Trump said Iran can never have nuclear weapon and US is to destroy Iran's missiles, raze its missile industry to the ground.
Israeli PM Netanyahu says joint attack with US was to remove existential threat posed by Iran
MANAMA - The US Embassy in Bahrain issued a security alert on Saturday to its personnel and citizens advising them to shelter in place.
"The US Embassy in Bahrain is implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel. We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice," the embassy said in a statement.
The alert comes following a major US-Israeli attack that targeted Iran on Saturday morning.
Explosions heard in northern Israel: Al Jazeera
The joint strike by United States and Israel on Iranian territory marks a significant escalation, both militarily and strategically. Unlike previous shadow confrontations, this coordinated action signals a higher level of alignment between the US and Israel— and raises the stakes for the entire region.
For Israel, the strikes serve multiple purposes. First, they aim to achieve a "broken window" effect: to demonstrate that Iran's territory is penetrable, just as Syria once proved vulnerable to repeated Israeli air operations. Shattering the perception of Iranian homeland invulnerability carries both military and psychological weight. Second, sustained pressure could aggravate Iran's already fragile economy, thereby undermining the regime's domestic foundations.
For the United States, participation reflects a shift from indirect pressure to more overt involvement. Rather than relying solely on deterrence and sanctions, Washington appears to have concluded that calibrated force may strengthen its bargaining position. In earlier phases, President Donald Trump pursued what could be described as "military coercion" — escalating pressure just enough to compel Tehran to concede, while avoiding a full-scale war. When limited pressure failed to deliver the desired results, US military deployments in the region gradually increased, seeking to impose psychological and strategic pressure on Iran.
However, once the United States becomes directly involved in joint operations, the space for controlled escalation narrows considerably. The next phase of confrontation, if it unfolds, is unlikely to be a limited "strike-and-withdraw" scenario. The danger lies not in symbolic blows, but in rapid and potentially uncontrollable escalation — possibly exceeding the scale of last June's exchange.
In the event of retaliation, Iran's first wave of response would almost certainly focus on Israeli territory, while also calculating how to impose costs on US interests in the region. Such a dynamic could quickly evolve into a broader regional confrontation, drawing in additional actors and expanding beyond the initial scope of the strike.
The core reality is this: while Washington and Tehran may both prefer managed confrontation over all-out war, joint US-Israel military action significantly increases volatility. Once escalation crosses a certain threshold, the logic of deterrence can give way to the logic of survival.
If conflict erupts on a larger scale, it is unlikely to remain contained — and its trajectory would be far more severe and unpredictable than many policymakers anticipate.
The author is a professor of Middle East affairs at Renmin University of China. This is an excerpt of the interview with China Daily reporter Li Huixian.
The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in full health: Mehr news agency
JERUSALEM - The alert level of all hospitals in Israel has been raised to the highest level after attacks in Iran, and hospitalized patients were transferred to shelters, the Israeli Health Ministry said in a statement. All non-urgent hospital activities have been canceled.
Thick smoke seen from building in Tel Aviv -- media
Israel has launched a daylight attack on Iran's capital, with a cloud of smoke seen rising from downtown Teheran near the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had been transferred to a secure location, according to media reports.
According to the Fars news agency, several missiles struck University Street and the Jomhouri area of the Iranian capital. Iran shut down its airspace soon after the attack began.
The United States is also participating in Saturday's strikes, according to a US official and a person familiar with the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Associated Press reported.
In addition, an Israeli defense official told Reuters that the latest Israeli attack against Iran was coordinated with the US.
Ahead of the attacks, the US had assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region in what was portrayed as an attempt to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.
"The State of Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, as sirens sounded across Israel and the Israeli military warned civilians to stay close to bomb shelters.
While it wasn't immediately clear if Iran would immediately strike back, it had previously warned that US military personnel and bases which are spread across the region would be targets for any retaliation.
The US embassy in ?Qatar has implemented shelter-in-place for all ?personnel, recommending that all of ?its citizens do the same until further notice.
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said early Saturday morning that the US forces are carrying out a "massive and ongoing" attack on Iran to "destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground."
"The United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation ...," he said in a video message on his social media platform Truth Social. "We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground."
Sources told CNN that Trump's assertion that Iran was working on missiles that could reach the United States is not supported by US intelligence.
Trump also called on the Iranian people to "take over the government" after US military operations conclude.
Meanwhile, Trump acknowledged that the attack on Iran could result in US casualties. "We may have casualties," he said. "That often happens in war."
Thomas Massie, a Republican lawmaker from Kentucky, criticized the strikes on Iran as "acts of war unauthorized by Congress" in a social media post.
JERUSALEM/TEHRAN - Israel said Saturday that it will not rule out targeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in its new air strikes on Iran, Israel Broadcasting Authority reported.
Israel has launched two waves of strikes on Tehran so far on Saturday. Media reports said explosions caused by air strikes were heard in Tehran's eastern area around Ali Khamenei's office zone, adding that the supreme leader is not in Tehran and has been moved to a secure location.
Mobile phone services have been cut in parts of Tehran: Iranian media
Tehran prepares for retaliation: media
Israeli source says all leaders of Iran are targets of attack, including its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - media
US official says strikes against Iran being launched by air and by sea: media
JERUSALEM - The first phase of the attack against Iran is expected to include four days of combined strikes, Israel's Channel 12 News reported Saturday morning.
Explosions heard in Iran's Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah - media
BAGHDAD - Iraqi authorities announced on Saturday the closure of the country's airspace following Israeli strikes against Iran.
The announcement was made by the Iraqi Transportation Ministry, said Maetham al-Safi, the ministry's spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that the closure was preceded by the clearing of all aircraft from Iraqi skies to ensure safety during escalating regional tensions.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei not in Tehran, has been moved to secure location: media
Israel launches second wave of air strikes against Iran: media
US strikes on Iran are underway: New York Times citing US official
