War in the Middle East: The First Hours of the US-Israel Campaign Against Iran

The long-anticipated “Zero Hour” has officially ignited a rapidly escalating, multi-front conflict across the Middle East. Following the collapse of the Geneva nuclear talks, the U.S. and Israel initiated a massive, coordinated air campaign against the Islamic Republic, prompting an immediate and direct military response from Tehran.
Here is a breakdown of the kinetic and political developments that have unfolded so far:
The Allied First Strike
* The Target Bank: U.S. and Israeli forces executed precision daylight strikes against approximately 30 strategic sites deep inside Iranian territory.
* Key Locations Hit: Heavy bombardment concentrated on the capital, Tehran—specifically targeting the Ministry of Defense and areas adjacent to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office. Additional strikes devastated known nuclear and ballistic missile hubs in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.
* The Stated Objective: President Trump confirmed the U.S. mission is a maximalist effort to permanently dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, obliterate the IRGC’s missile manufacturing capabilities, and neutralize its naval assets.
Iran’s Immediate Retaliation
* The Counter-Strike: Surviving the initial wave of allied bunker-busters, the Iranian military command initiated a direct response, launching a concentrated barrage of 30 ballistic missiles aimed squarely at Israeli territory.
* Testing Defenses: The retaliatory strike is an immediate test of the newly integrated U.S.-Israeli air defense grid, specifically the U.S. THAAD and Patriot batteries deployed across the region alongside Israel’s Arrow and David’s Sling systems.
Israel on Wartime Lockdown
* State of Emergency: Anticipating the incoming missile barrage and potential swarm attacks from regional proxies, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a nationwide state of emergency.
* Economy Frozen: The Israeli Home Front Command has mandated that the country shift exclusively to “essential activity only.” All schools and non-critical businesses are closed, civilian airspace is locked down, and citizens have been ordered to remain in close proximity to fortified bomb shelters.
The Regional Fallout
The sheer scale of the kinetic exchange has paralyzed the broader Middle East. Commercial aviation has ground to a complete halt, and global diplomatic missions—including those from the U.S., UK, China, and Australia—are executing emergency evacuations of their personnel from Lebanon, Iran, and the Gulf states to avoid the inevitable spillover.