WASHINGTON(National Times)- The United States will hit Iran “with a force that has never been seen before,” U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, should the Middle East nation retaliate for U.S. strikes. “Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever been hit before,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He added, “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! US and Israel launched major operation against Iran on Saturday morning, hitting several targets at a time. The strike killed Iranian leadership along with the Supreme Leader Khamenei. An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with Washington, and that the launch date was decided weeks ago. Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, and sirens sounded across Israel around 08:15 local time in what the military said was a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of an incoming missile strike. The Israeli military announced the closure of schools and workplaces, with exceptions for essential sectors, and a ban on public airspace. Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights, and the airports authority asked the public not to go to any of the country’s airports. The U.S. and Iran renewed negotiations in February in a bid to resolve the decades-long dispute through diplomacy and avert the threat of a military confrontation that could destabilise the region. Israel, however, insisted that any U.S. deal with Iran must include the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, not just stopping the enrichment process, and lobbied Washington to include restrictions on Iran’s missile programme in the talks. Iran said it was prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions but ruled out linking the issue to missiles. Tehran also said it would defend itself against any attack. It warned neighbouring countries hosting U.S. troops that it would retaliate against American bases if Washington struck Iran. In June, the U.S. joined an Israeli military campaign against Iranian nuclear installations, in the most direct American military action ever against the Islamic Republic. Tehran retaliated then by launching missiles toward the U.S. Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest in the Middle East. Western powers have warned that Iran’s ballistic missile project threatens regional stability and could deliver nuclear weapons if developed. Tehran denies seeking atomic bombs.