The United States and Israel launched a large-scale military assault on Iran early Saturday, marking what officials describe as a significant escalation in U.S. involvement against the Islamic Republic. Source: HOSSEIN FATEMI / Getty In an eight-minute video posted to Truth Social, President Donald Trump confirmed the operation. "A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran," Trump said. "Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.