SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre joins us now. Greg, thanks for being with us.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.
SIMON: And what can you tell us about this military operation?
MYRE: Well, first of all, this is a massive operation, and that's based on the extent of the initial strikes and in the way President Trump is describing this. There was a lot of speculation beforehand whether he might opt for a short, sharp attack or a longer one. The initial impression is that the president chose to go very big. These strikes began after sunrise in Iran. Huge explosions rang out in the capital, Tehran. Iranians posted videos on social media that showed large plumes of thick smoke. There are preliminary reports of strikes in many parts of Iran, though we don't have word on the full extent of damage on specific targets like the country's nuclear facilities. President Trump posted this eight-minute video on Truth Social. Here's part of it.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.
SIMON: Greg, did the president offer any details about the operation itself?
MYRE: A bit. He said the U.S. would destroy Iran's missile program and its Navy. So these are parts of the Iranian military that could hit U.S. ships or military bases in the region. So it makes sense that they'd be a priority in the early days of the campaign. Now, he also said Iran was rebuilding its nuclear program, the same one he said the U.S. obliterated last year. And nuclear analysts have said they haven't seen that rebuilding, but it's something President Trump keeps citing.
SIMON: What does Iran say today?
MYRE: Yeah, the foreign ministry calls the airstrikes a gross violation of its national sovereignty. The statement said the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes hit both military and civilian targets. Iran said it will defend itself, adding that schools and universities will be closed, and it warned Iranians to avoid crowded areas.
SIMON: Before the strikes began, the president didn't say much about what his ultimate goal might be in Iran, but that's changed today, hasn't it?
MYRE: Yeah, that's right, Scott. And really, the most striking part of his video came right near the end when he spoke directly to the Iranian people. He said, you know, they should stay inside and shelter now, bombs would be falling everywhere. But then he added, quote, "when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations." So this is really hugely significant. He's encouraging Iranians to directly confront the very same government that killed thousands of demonstrators in mass street protests just last month.
Now, Trump is explicitly calling for regime change. He's not describing a limited operation, and he wants Iranians themselves to oust the Islamic clerical regime that's ruled for 47 years. One final point, though, we should stress that there's no sign the U.S. will send ground troops into Iran, and it's not clear how much the U.S. will weaken the government with air power alone. So at this stage, it's just impossible to say whether the leadership might be vulnerable to the kind of domestic uprising that Trump is calling for.
SIMON: Of course, the operation is just hours old, but is fighting spreading to other parts of the region?
MYRE: Yes, we've already seen that. Now, Israel has joined the air campaign against Iran and is coming under attack at home. I know we're going to hear more about this from our colleague Daniel Astrin in Israel. Also Iran is firing on U.S. military bases in the region. Video on social media shows a big explosion in Bahrain at or near the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and Iran has fired at several other countries in the Gulf, according to multiple reports in these countries - the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar. These countries are not directly involved in the attacks, but they do host U.S. bases. Iran is apparently trying to draw them into the conflict as well.
SIMON: NPR's Greg Myre. Thanks so much.
MYRE: Sure thing, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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