TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour are believed to have been killed in Israeli attacks, two sources familiar with Israel's military operations and one regional source said.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Israel has launched a major operation against Iran.
In a statement, President Trump said the goal of the operation is to ensure the security of the American people and to eliminate threats posed by the Iranian regime.
“Our objective is to neutralize dangers coming from the Iranian government and defend the safety of the American public,” he added.
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He emphasized that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons and noted that the operation targeted Iran’s preparations to restart its nuclear program.
The US and Israel carried out a joint strike on Iran on Saturday morning. Missiles were launched from both air and sea toward the capital, Tehran, with seven missiles landing near the presidential palace and the residence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
"The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," stated Defense Minister Israel Katz, confirming the commencement of the operation.