Hours after joint strikes by the US and Iran started a fresh military confrontation with Iran, President Donald Trump on Saturday said that his goal behind the military action was freedom for the Iranian people.
Speaking to The Washington Post on a phone call, Trump said, "All I want is freedom for the people". He added, "I want a safe nation, and that is what we are going to have."
The strikes targeted Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, both of whom were safe, according to Iran.
Khamenei was transferred to a secure location and may address the nation on Saturday night. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Iranian Defence Minister and the IRGC Commander have been killed in the strike.
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Earlier in the day, Trump called on Iranian forces to lay down their arms and surrender, saying they would be granted immunity, but warning they would face "certain death" if they refused. He said this shortly after the US and Israel launched a full-scale military operation, carrying out strikes on multiple targets.
Addressing the Iranian population, Trump called the escalation an hour of freedom. He said, "an hour of freedom is at your hand," urging Iranian citizens to remain sheltered as "bombs will be dropping everywhere". Trump said the operation was a historic opportunity for the public to "take over" their government.
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US-Israel strikes hit a girls' school in the southern Iranian town of Misab. The Iranian state media cited the area's prosecutor's office, saying that the death toll in the incident has climbed to 85.
Iranian retaliatory hits targeted the US bases all across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.