President Donald Trump on Saturday appealed to the Iranian people to “take over your government” after the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran. He said: “It will be yours to take.”The US and Israel launched an attack Saturday on Iran, with the first apparent strike happening near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Iranian media reported strikes nationwide, and smoke could be seen rising from the capital.

President Trump said in a video posted on social media that the US had begun “major combat operations in Iran.” He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear program and plans to develop missiles to reach US.It also wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei was in his offices at the time. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown.

The attack comes as the United States has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear programme.Roads to Khamenei’s compound in downtown Tehran had been shut down by authorities as other blasts rang out across the capital.In his statement, Trump announced Saturday that "major combat" is underway to destroy Iran's missile forces and "annihilate" the country's navy.

"The United States' military began major combat operations in Iran," Trump said in a video message posted on his social media site while he spent the weekend at his Florida golf club. "Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime." "We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally -- again -- obliterated. We're going to annihilate their navy," Trump said. He offered the military there "immunity" or "certain death" and told Iranians the "hour of your freedom is at hand."

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)