00:00U.S. and Israel launched attack on Iran as U.S. President Donald Trump confirms major combat operations are underway.
00:09European leaders described developments in Iran as concerning, urging all sides to avoid steps that could inflame tensions after U
00:18.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday.
00:20Israel and the U.S. launched coordinated strikes on Iran on Saturday in what Israel's defense minister called a preemptive
00:28strike and U.S. President Donald Trump described as major combat operations.
00:33A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran.
00:42Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of
00:53very hard, terrible people.
00:57Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.
01:06According to a statement from Israel's defense ministry, the attack was carried out, quote, to remove threats, end of quote.
01:13The statement added that a special and permanent state of emergency has been declared across Israel in anticipation of retaliatory
01:20strikes.
01:21According to reports, the first apparent strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
01:28Some media reports, however, claim the Iranian leader was sheltering in an undisclosed location and was not in Tehran at
01:35the time of the strikes.
01:36A cloud of smoke was seen rising from the city's downtown, and Iranian media reported explosions have been heard in
01:43five cities across the Islamic Republic.
01:46The attacks come as tensions in the region have been high as Washington and Tehran try to reach an agreement
01:53and a deal to limit Iran's nuclear activities.
01:59European leaders reacted with alarm to news of the United States and Israel's joint military strikes on Iran on Saturday,
02:07operations that the Pentagon has referred to as Operation Epic Fury.
02:12A joint statement from the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa
02:18called the development greatly concerning.
02:21The statement urged all sides to avoid steps that could further inflame tensions.
02:27The EU's chief diplomat, Kaya Callas, struck a somewhat measured tone, characterizing the situation as perilous.
02:34The remarks came just hours after the U.S. and Israel launched large-scale strikes across Iran,
02:41triggering a response from Tehran that has seen U.S. bases in the Middle East attacked.
02:46Last month, the EU bloc took fresh sanctions against members of the Iranian regime,
02:52after thousands were killed in the regime's recent crackdown on protesters.
02:59The first wave of Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. interests in the region have been felt here in Doha,
03:05just across the Gulf from Iran, as well as several countries across the Gulf region.
03:09This comes after coordinated attacks from the U.S. and Israel targeting several sites in Iran.
03:14In response, Tehran said its retaliation would be crushing.
03:17The Qatar News Agency reports multiple explosions on U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE,
03:23indicating a dramatic escalation that signals this conflict has wrapped in widely.
03:28Also, Qatar's Ministry of Defense has its military intercepted and shot down several missiles before they entered its airspace.
03:35The ministry is reiterating that the security situation is stable and calm,
03:39and warning citizens to shelter in place until further notice.
03:43Adil Halim, Bureau News, Doha.
03:48Joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered a massive disruption to international travel,
03:53with airspaces across the Middle East closed this Saturday.
03:57Regional giants including Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad have canceled services,
04:02while Kuwait has indefinitely halted all flights to Iran.
04:06The escalation has forced carriers to reroute planes mid-flight,
04:10as countries from Israel to the UAE shut down their skies for security.
04:14In Europe, major airlines, including Lufthansa, British Airways, and Air France,
04:18have suspended all flights to the region, some until 2nd of March, and some until 7th of March.
04:24Virgin Atlantic confirmed it is now avoiding Iraqi airspace entirely,
04:28while Turkish Airlines has canceled all services to the Gulf and Levant through the weekend.
04:33Across Asia, Air India and several Russian carriers are also bypassing the affected zones to ensure passengers' safety.
04:39With many suspensions lasting into next weeks,
04:42travelers are being urged to check their flight status online as the situation continues to evolve.
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