U.S. and Israel strike Iran; Beshear questions action, McConnell backs operation
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The United States and Israel launched major strikes against Iran on Saturday, opening a dramatic new chapter in rising tensions in the Middle East.
According to The Associated Press, President Donald Trump announced what he called “major combat operations,” urging the Iranian people to “seize control of your destiny” and rise up against the country’s Islamic leadership.
Iran responded by firing missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in the region. Exchanges of fire continued into the evening.
AP reports some of the first strikes appeared to hit near offices of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s foreign minister called the attack “unprovoked, illegal and absolutely illegitimate,” and said both Khamenei and Iran’s president were alive.
The AP reports the strikes come after weeks of escalating tensions and stalled nuclear talks. U.S. and Israeli officials said the operation targeted members of Iran’s leadership, military sites and missile systems. There was no immediate confirmation whether top officials were killed.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, according to AP reporting. Israeli officials said many missiles were intercepted. Iranian state media reported at least 85 people were killed in southern Iran after a girls’ school was struck, though U.S. officials said they were reviewing those reports.
The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting. Global markets are watching closely, particularly with concerns about potential disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route.
Kentucky leaders respond
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear criticized the president’s decision in a statement posted online.
“The American people were promised by the president that he would avoid foreign conflicts,” Beshear said. “Generations of Americans are still dealing with long term impacts of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president could have made his case at the State of the Union but instead played political games. He owes Congress and the American people a full explanation as these actions put American troops at significant risk.”
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell voiced strong support for the operation.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran made ‘death to America; death to Israel’ a central pillar of its brutal rule,” McConnell said. “Today, my prayers are with the brave U.S. and Israeli servicemembers carrying out Operation Epic Fury, and with the people of Iran who have long struggled for the right to determine their own future. A regime that relishes killing Arabs, Israelis, Americans, and its own people deserves no sympathy.”
Democrats in Congress have questioned whether the president had authorization for the military action, while the White House says congressional leaders were briefed in advance, according to AP reporting.
The situation remains fluid as retaliatory strikes continue and international leaders call for de-escalation.
