In a dramatic break from conventional military practice, the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran early Saturday, targeting the heart of the Islamic Republic’s command structure in broad daylight. The operation, which military analysts say closely follows the “centers of gravity” air power theory theorized by Colonel John Warden and refined by retired Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula during the 1991 Gulf War, appeared designed to decapitate senior leadership and neutralize Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal before expanding to secondary targets.

Explosions rocked Tehran and other cities at daybreak local time, catching Iranian officials off guard as they gathered for what Israeli and U.S. sources described as a meeting of senior political and military leaders. Strikes hit the Supreme Leader’s compound, the presidential palace and sites linked to the Supreme National Security Council. Israeli officials reported several high-ranking figures killed, though the fate of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remained uncertain hours later. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the supreme leader was alive “as far as I know,” while Israeli media cited intelligence suggesting he may have been among those targeted or affected.

The daytime timing defied the long-standing preference for nighttime operations intended to maximize stealth and surprise. Analysts said the choice reflected precise intelligence on the leaders’ meeting, prioritizing the political center of gravity over traditional force-protection concerns. This is yet another brilliant Trump deception operation, as he had announced an address to the American nation that would have been in the late hours in Iran.

“This is classic effects-based targeting,” said one U.S. defense official familiar with the planning, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Deptula’s framework from Desert Storm emphasized paralysis of the enemy’s command, control and strategic weapons systems rather than attrition warfare. Leadership first, then the only strategic weapons Iran possesses — its ballistic missiles.”

Initial waves of strikes, involving approximately 200 Israeli fighter jets supported by U.S. assets, focused on the regime’s leadership and missile infrastructure. Only afterward did follow-on attacks expand to air defenses, additional military sites and other targets across Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah. The approach marked a sharp evolution from last summer’s 12-day war in June 2025, when Israel — under reported U.S. restraint — avoided direct strikes on the supreme leader’s inner sanctum despite intense fighting.

President Donald Trump, announcing U.S. participation in the operation codenamed “Epic Fury,” left little doubt about broader ambitions. “When we are finished, the Iranian people should take over their government,” he said in a video message. “The hour of your freedom is at hand.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the sentiment, saying the strikes would “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to cast off the yoke of tyranny.”

Iran responded swiftly, launching dozens of ballistic missiles and drones not only at Israel but also at U.S. military installations and civilian areas across the Persian Gulf in what appeared a calculated attempt to ignite a wider regional war. Targets included bases in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as population centers such as Dubai and Riyadh.

The strategy backfired. Gulf states, long wary of Iranian aggression, unified in defense. Saudi Arabia condemned what it called “brutal Iranian aggression” and actively intercepted incoming missiles, with officials indicating readiness to play at least a defensive role alongside U.S. and allied forces. The UAE reported one civilian death from debris in Abu Dhabi and condemned the attacks. Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait all reported successful interceptions, with minimal damage. Even nations that have maintained cautious diplomacy with Tehran voiced outrage at the extension of the conflict to their territory.

As of Saturday afternoon, the conflict remained fluid. Additional waves of strikes and Iranian counter-launches were reported, and the operation could extend for days or weeks. Yet senior U.S. and Israeli officials suggested the ultimate outcome may rest less with military hardware than with the Iranian people themselves.

“The real battlefield now is the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities,” one analyst commented. Decades of economic hardship, recent deadly protests crushed in January and the sudden vacuum at the top of the regime have created conditions unseen since the 1979 revolution. Whether Iranians rise to seize the moment — as Trump and Netanyahu have openly urged — could determine if the Islamic Republic survives or collapses under the weight of its own isolation.

For now, the carefully sequenced campaign has demonstrated the relevance of Deptula’s doctrine: strike the centers of gravity hard and early, and the rest of the enemy system may crumble from within. The coming hours and days will reveal whether that theory holds not only on the battlefield but in the complex politics of a region long defined by its fault lines.