UPDATE - Trump monitoring strikes on Iran from Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida: White House

ADDS ADDITIONAL DETAILS

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Donald Trump monitored the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran overnight from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the White House said Saturday.

Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump tracked developments alongside his national security team throughout the night.

The US president also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone, she added, though no details of the conversation were provided. Netanyahu's office confirmed the call by sharing a photo of him speaking with Trump.

Leavitt also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the congressional Gang of Eight, the eight senior lawmakers who receive classified national security briefings, ahead of the strikes, reaching seven of them. The group includes House and Senate leadership and chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House intelligence committees and was invited for a briefing at the White House earlier this week.

"The president and his national security team will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the day," she added.

In a later post on the US social media platform X, Leavitt reported that Trump "has spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte."

Leavitt did not share further details of the conversations.

Israel and the US early Saturday launched a joint military operation against Iran, citing "threats" posed by the "Iranian regime." The strikes came after the latest round of US-Iran nuclear talks concluded in Geneva on Thursday, where both sides had described the atmosphere as serious and constructive under Omani mediation.

Last June, the US had struck three Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day Israel-Iran conflict.

*Merve Aydogan contributed to this story