Strikes began at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time against facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including command-and-control centers, missile and drone launch sites, air defense systems, and military airfields. According to CENTCOM, the objective is to dismantle what U.S. officials called Iran’s "security apparatus” responsible for orchestrating attacks against American forces and regional partners.

"The President ordered bold action, and our brave Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen are answering the call,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement released saturday morning.

For the first time in U.S. combat history, CENTCOM’s Task Force Scorpion Strike deployed low-cost, one-way attack drones—modeled after Iran’s widely used Shahed systems. Officials said the American-made drones were employed in coordinated precision strikes alongside munitions launched from air, land, and sea platforms.

Following the initial wave, U.S. and partner forces repelled what CENTCOM described as "hundreds” of retaliatory Iranian missile and drone launches. The command reported no U.S. casualties and minimal infrastructure damage, adding that operational capabilities remain intact.

Security analysts caution, however, that strategic air campaigns alone rarely topple entrenched governments. "Governments do not fall by missiles or by air or naval attack alone,” Mohamud Osman, a Jordanian security analyst, told Diplomat News Network. "Iran has deep historical roots, and its political structure does not rely on one individual but on a loyal and organized support base.”

The escalation marks a dramatic intensification of U.S.–Iran tensions, raising concerns among regional governments about potential spillover across the Gulf and Levant.