As one of Israel’s staunchest defenders from the left, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., full-throatedly endorsed President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle reacted Saturday morning.

«President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region,» Fetterman wrote on X. «God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.»

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Congress’ biggest backers of bold military action, is hailing President Donald Trump as a «man of peace,» and «evil’s worst nightmare.»

«As I watch and monitor this historic operation, I’m in awe of President Trump’s determination to be a man of peace but at the end of the day, evil’s worst nightmare,» Graham wrote Saturday morning on X in a string of posts. «Well done, Mr. President.»

Trump’s U.S. military armada in the Middle East, working in concert with Israel, is targeting military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an «imminent threat,» a U.S. official told Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin. 

The U.S. military is not targeting Iran’s leadership, but Israel is, the official added.

Strikes hit the compound home of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, in downtown Tehran on Saturday morning.

And Trump issued a video statement on social media, urging Iranian people to get out of the way for now, but «when we are finished, take over your government; It will be yours to take.»

«God bless @POTUS for planning and now executing Operation Epic Fury, making America more safe and eventually more prosperous,» Graham added. «I seek God’s protection for all under President Trump’s command, as well as our allies in Israel.

LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR US TO USE ‘ANY MEANS NECESSARY’ TO STOP THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE KILLING OF IRANIANS

«My mind is racing with the thought that the murderous ayatollah’s regime in Iran will soon be no more.

While reports of explosions happened hours earlier, Graham posted his first support for the actions after 3 a.m. ET, calling the «operation is necessary and long justified.»

«The biggest change in the Middle East in a thousand years is upon us,» Graham added in his second post on X. «The likelihood of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel getting back on track is exceedingly high – a subject I brought up last week to the key players in the region who concurred if the ayatollah goes down, historic peace advances.»

As the attacks were under way and battle damage assessments were yet to come, Graham delivered his prayers to the troops undertaking the operation.

«As to the men and women participating in this operation for our country and Israel, may God bless you and keep you safe,» he wrote. «If you are injured or fall, I believe with all my heart that your sacrifice makes your country and the world a better and safer place. This moment is why you chose to serve.

«This operation has been well-planned. It will be violent, extensive and I believe, at the end of the day, successful. Again the demise of the ayatollah’s regime with American blood on its hands is necessary and more than justified.»

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And, one of Trump’s long-time Republican critics, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also posted on X, noting Trump has not sought congressional approval – although there was a briefing held with the Gang of Eight earlier this week.

«Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,» Massie wrote on X.

Senate Armed Forces Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., praised the «decisive action» against «the world’s leading proliferator of terrorism.»

«This is a pivotal and necessary operation to protect Americans and American interests,» Wicker wrote in a statement. «The president has stated the operation’s goals clearly: thwart permanently the ayatollahs’ desire to create a nuclear weapon, degrade their ballistic missile force and their production capacity, and destroy their naval and terrorism capabilities.

«These are the hardest decisions that face any American commander-in-chief, and I appreciate that President Trump and his team conducted a comprehensive strategy using all tools of national power and a well-orchestrated military planning process.»

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The time to strike was now, according to Wicker.

«The Iranian regime has never been weaker,» he added. «Without the use of military force against them, Iran’s ayatollahs would simply continue to grow their ability to threaten Americans and our interests, working in concert with the Chinese Communist Party, the Russian dictator Putin, North Korea, and other terrorist allies. 

«The ayatollahs have mortgaged the economic future of ordinary Iranians to engage in their obsessive and apocalyptic vision.   

Most importantly, I commend the brave men and women of our armed forces, who continue to demonstrate a level of operational proficiency unrivaled the world over. That fact will be evident in the coming days. Thanks to them, Americans are safer – not just today, but for generations to come.»

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Israelis awoke Saturday to the news that Operation «Roaring Lion» had begun, with joint American-Israeli strikes targeting military sites inside Iran. Within hours, satellite images circulated in Israeli media appearing to show damage to a compound associated with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly struck in the opening wave.

Air raid alerts were activated across parts of the country as Iran launched missile barrages in response. According to an Israeli military official speaking on background the incoming fire amounted to «more in the dozens» per round, though no significant impacts had been reported at the time of the briefing. Home Front Command urged civilians to follow updated safety instructions and avoid sharing real-time locations of missile strikes.

In a speech on Saturday morning, President Donald Trump condemned Tehran’s role in regional instability, saying, «From Lebanon to Yemen and Syria to Iraq. The regime has armed, trained, and funded terrorist militias that have soaked the earth with blood and guts. And it was Iran’s proxy, Hamas, that launched the monstrous Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, slaughtering more than 1,000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, while taking 12 of our citizens hostage. It was brutal, something like the world has never seen before.» 

He added, «Iran is the world’s number-one state sponsor of terror… It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again. They can never have a nuclear weapon.»

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, warning that «in the coming days we will be required to show resilience.» His remarks reflected a broader message from Israeli leadership framing the operation as necessary and potentially prolonged.

Israeli officials said the goal of the campaign is «to thoroughly degrade the Iranian regime’s capabilities and remove existential threats to the State of Israel.» The military cited renewed Iranian efforts to advance ballistic missile production and conceal elements of its nuclear program as justification for the timing of the strike.

Israeli assessments, according to local reports, indicate that Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Khamenei and a key figure linked to Iran’s nuclear program, was likely killed in the operation. The military has not formally confirmed specific individuals targeted, saying assessments are ongoing.

US JOINS ISRAEL IN PREEMPTIVE STRIKE ON IRAN AS TRUMP CONFIRMS ‘MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS’

Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv transfers patients to underground fortified facilities after the launch of the campaign against Iran. (Gideon Markowicz/TPS-IL)

The Israeli National Security Council issued a warning to Israelis abroad, urging them to take heightened precautions in all destinations and remain alert to potential threats against Israeli and Jewish targets overseas.

Inside Israel, the reaction combined tension with discipline. Schools in some areas shifted to remote learning, reservists received draft orders, and families checked that protected rooms were stocked. The military said approximately 70,000 reservists were being called up, largely for aerial defense, Home Front Command duties and border reinforcement.

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An interception is visible in the sky over Haifa during the latest barrage. (Anthony Hershko/TPS-IL)

Officials said forces are deployed across all borders in preparation for possible escalation involving Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and others. While leaders stressed that the targets are military and not civilian, they acknowledged that the coming days could test the country’s endurance.

For now, Israelis are watching closely as developments unfold, bracing for further retaliation while leaders signal that the campaign will continue «as long as necessary.»

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Irán afirmó este sábado que responderá «con decisión» al ataque de Israel y Estados Unidos en el país, ordenado pese a unas conversaciones sobre el programa nuclear iraní entre Teherán y Washington destinadas a evitar un conflicto.

«Las Fuerzas Armadas de la República Islámica de Irán responderán con decisión a los agresores», advirtió la cancillería iraní en un comunicado, donde también destacó que Irán hizo «todo lo necesario para evitar una guerra».

En ese marco, el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores destacó: «Así como estábamos listos para las negociaciones, ahora estamos más preparados que nunca para defender a la nación iraní«.

«La renovada agresión militar de Estados Unidos y del régimen sionista contra Irán se produce en un momento en que la República Islámica de Irán había declarado claramente que no buscaba la guerra ni la escalada», indicó el Ministerio de Exteriores.

Según publicó la agencia ANSA, una fuente de seguridad israelí anticipó que los ataques contra Irán continuarán «mientras sea necesario» para «garantizar que el régimen iraní ya no pueda socavar la estabilidad regional e internacional.

Para Irán, «Estados Unidos y el régimen sionista, al cometer esta agresión militar, han demostrado una vez más su desprecio por las normas del derecho internacional y por la paz y la estabilidad regional«.

Además, el gobierno iraní consideró que los ataques constituyen una violación de la Carta de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas y llamó al organismo internacional, así como a sus miembros a «adoptar medidas urgentes frente a esta agresión, que constituye una amenaza a la paz y la seguridad internacionales».

Según informó la agencia EFE, el Ministerio de Exteriores aseguró que la respuesta a estas agresiones «es un derecho legítimo e indiscutible de Irán, y las Fuerzas Armadas de la República Islámica ejercerán este derecho con determinación para defender la seguridad y los intereses nacionales».

La cartera recordó que el ataque se produce en medio del Ramadán, mes sagrado para los musulmanes, y a menos de un mes del fin de año persa, Noruz, que se celebra el 21 de marzo.

El ministerio de Exteriores reconoció que en los ataques de este sábado han sido alcanzados «objetivos e infraestructuras defensivas y militares», además de «otros lugares en distintas ciudades del país», sin dar más detalles.

A modo de cierre, la cancillería iraní afirmó que «la historia demuestra que el pueblo iraní nunca se ha rendido ante la agresión de los opresores y que esta vez también dará una respuesta firme y determinante, y los agresores lamentarán sus actos hostiles».

A través de un video publicado en sus redes sociales el primer ministro de Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmó el ataque contra Irán y le agradeció al presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, por la operación conjunto entre ambos países.

«Ha llegado el momento de que todos los sectores del pueblo de Irán –los persas, los kurdos, los azeríes, los baluchis y los ahwazis– se liberen del yugo de la tiranía y creen un Irán libre y pacífico», expresó Netanyahu.

En ese contexto, Israel llamó a la «precaución» a sus ciudadanos en el extranjero este sábado a la luz de la escalada militar con Irán, ante la posibilidad de que se produzcan ataques terroristas o llevados a cabo por individuos contra israelíes.

«El Consejo de Seguridad Nacional llama a todo el público israelí residente en el extranjero a tomar precauciones aumentadas en cualquier destino en el mundo», planteó un comunicado del Consejo difundido por la oficina del primer ministro de Israel.

El Consejo señaló que, en el marco de la escalada, «el régimen iraní actuará con más vigor para llevar ataques en el extranjero contra objetivos israelíes y judíos», lo que puede llevar a un aumento de ataques a manos de «elementos terroristas e iniciativas locales (incluyendo perpetradores individuales)».

El organismo pidió a los israelíes en el extranjero que no publiquen en redes sociales información sobre su localización, que eviten lugares asociados con el judaísmo o Israel si no están asegurados o difundir información sobre su situación cuando están cerca de lugares de esta índole (como sinagogas o restaurantes).