Supporters of Iran-aligned factions poured into the streets of Baghdad on Saturday night, attempting to march toward the U.S. Embassy in the heavily fortified Green Zone, in response to early-morning U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, a Kurdistan24 correspondent reported.

Dilan Barzan, Kurdistan24’s correspondent in Baghdad, said demonstrators affiliated with the so-called “Islamic Resistance” groups gathered in large numbers and advanced from Al-Muallaq Bridge, a main gateway into the Green Zone, with the apparent aim of reaching the U.S. Embassy compound to stage protests and declare solidarity with Tehran.

Despite the heavy deployment of Iraqi security forces to prevent protesters from breaching the area, the large crowd continued pushing forward, chanting anti-American slogans and waving Iranian flags, portraits of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the Iraq Hezbollah flag as they marched.

For the first time, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has publicly disclosed details of the strikes launched against Iran in the early hours of Saturday, revealing the scope and tactics of what President Donald Trump ordered as a pre‑emptive campaign against Tehran’s military infrastructure.

CENTCOM said the offensive, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, began at 1:15 a.m. ET, with U.S. and partner forces targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

Explosions and missile barrages rocked major cities across the oil‑rich Gulf on Saturday as Iran launched wide‑ranging attacks in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, with residential districts, military installations, and vital maritime routes coming under fire in an unprecedented escalation of the regional conflict.

The Bahrain Interior Ministry said residential buildings in Manama were struck by Iranian missiles, prompting ongoing firefighting and rescue operations. Residents near the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in Manama’s Juffair district were evacuated after loud explosions rattled the area.

U.S. President Donald Trump and his top aides are closely monitoring developments in Iran from Mar-a-Lago, after the United States and Israel on Saturday started launching coordinated air and missile strikes on multiple Iranian targets. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X on Saturday that Trump “monitored the situation overnight” and that he and his national security team would continue to track the crisis throughout the day.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, on Saturday confirmed that the country’s high-ranking leaders are safe and that Tehran faces no direct threat to its regime amid ongoing regional tensions. He emphasized that recent Iranian strikes were carried out solely against U.S. military bases in the region as part of defensive measures, condemning Israel for civilian attacks and the killing of children during past operations.

The Kurdistan Region Counter-Terrorism Directorate (CTD) on Saturday issued a public safety advisory urging residents to remain in protected locations when air raid sirens sound, as coalition forces intercepted multiple projectiles over Erbil province.

According to Iranian state media, a missile strike in southern Iran destroyed a girls' primary school in Minab, killing at least 40 students. Officials stated that around 170 children were inside the building at the time of the attack.

Simultaneously, strikes targeted Tehran, reportedly hitting a compound belonging to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a facility linked to the Presidency. Reports indicate the operations killed several senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other political officials.

Coalition forces intercepted Iranian missiles and drones targeting the US Consulate and Airport in Erbil, causing no casualties. The attack followed Israeli strikes on Tehran. Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw assured the public that food stocks are sufficient for six months.

Saudi Arabia led Arab nations in condemning Iranian missile strikes on the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan that killed one in Abu Dhabi, targeted US bases including the Fifth Fleet, and saw projectiles intercepted over Jordan and Erbil.

Several drones were shot down over Erbil on Saturday after Iran reportedly launched aerial attacks targeting U.S. military positions in the region, including near the American consulate and Erbil International Airport.

The developments come on Saturday, after Israel and the United States carried out joint strikes on Iranian territory. In response, Tehran has targeted U.S. military bases across the region with missile attacks.