Hours after the joint US-Israel military operation, US President Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was dead.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “there are many signs” that Khamenei had been killed.
Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency confirmed Khamenei's death early Sunday
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it launched a fresh wave of strikes targeting Iranian ballistic missile and air defence sites.
Israel and the United States carried out waves of strikes on Saturday, calling for regime change in Iran, prompting retaliation from the Islamic republic.
Following the attacks on Saturday, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting, where the US and Israel clashed with Iran.
The U.N. chief and several countries urged an immediate halt to the fighting and a return to negotiations to prevent the conflict from spreading further across the region and beyond.
Flights across the Middle East were cancelled Saturday as several countries closed their airspace after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed on Sunday to punish the "murderers" of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, after his death was confirmed by state television.
"The hand of revenge of the Iranian nation for a severe, decisive and regrettable punishment for the murderers of the Imam of the Ummah will not let go of them," the Guards said in a statement.
They further said that Tehran would launch the "most ferocious" operation in history against Israel and US bases.
"The most ferocious offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces will begin any moment now," the Guards posted on Telegram.
Iran state television announced a 40-day mourning period and seven public holidays following the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had been in power since 1989.
"With the martyrdom of the supreme leader, his path and mission neither will be lost nor will be forgotten, on the other hand, they will be pursued with greater vigour and zeal," a presenter said.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, Iranian state media reported early Sunday.
Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency confirmed Khamenei's death early Sunday, hours after Donald Trump announced the killing of the 86-year-old cleric he described as "one of the most evil people in History."
IRNA news agency reported the 86-year-old's death without elaborating on the cause.
Iranian media reported on Sunday that the daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in US and Israeli strikes.
"After establishing contact with informed sources in the Supreme Leader's household, the news of the martyrdom of the daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter of the Revolutionary Leader has unfortunately been confirmed," Fars news agency and other Iranian media reported.
The Iranian Red Crescent said the death toll from a strike on Saturday that hit a school in the country's south has risen to 108, after the US and Israel launched a wave of attacks on the Islamic republic.
"The number of student martyrs at Minab School has reached 108, and relief and debris removal operations are still ongoing," a spokesperson for the organisation said.
The Israeli military said it launched a fresh wave of strikes targeting Iranian ballistic missile and air defence sites on Sunday, while an AFP journalist in Tehran reported hearing loud explosions.
Tehran's enemies Israel and the United States began waves of strikes on Saturday, calling for regime change in Iran and prompting retaliation from the Islamic republic.
A military statement said Israeli forces had begun "an additional strike wave targeting the ballistic missile array and the aerial defence systems belonging to the Iranian terror regime", without specifying any location.
At least three explosions were heard in Tehran around 0030 GMT, the AFP journalist said.
The United States and Israel on Saturday defended their attacks on Iran, which called resulting civilian deaths a "war crime" during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
"The international community has long affirmed a simple and necessary principle: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," said US ambassador Mike Waltz, pointing to past UN resolutions ignored by Tehran.
"That principle is not a matter of politics, it's a matter of global security, and to that end, the United States is taking lawful actions," he added.
Referencing Iran's recent deadly crackdowns on protesters, Waltz said that Iran's presence at Saturday's emergency meeting in New York "makes a mockery of this body."
"But where the UN lacks moral clarity, the United States of America will maintain it," he added.
An explosion was heard and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem early Sunday as the Israeli military said it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel, prompting warnings for residents to take shelter.
"At this time, the Israeli Air Force is operating to intercept and strike... where necessary to remove the threat," the military said in a statement.
A major attack launched by Israel and the United States killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Donald Trump said Saturday, announcing an assassination that he said gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back" their country but that also put the future of the Islamic Republic in doubt and raised the risk of regional instability.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote in a social media post. He warned of “heavy and pinpoint bombing” that he said would continue throughout the week and even beyond, part of a lethal assault the U.S. has justified as necessary to disable the country's nuclear capabilities.
Iran did not immediately confirm the death.
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he believes multiple reports that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in air strikes are true -- but stopped short of directly confirming the news.
"We feel that that is a correct story," he said.
Two Israeli television networks reported that a photograph of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's body had been shown to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"A photo of the body was shown to Netanyahu and Trump," reported Channel 12.
"Senior Israeli officials were informed of Khamenei's elimination. His body was recovered from the rubble of his compound," reported public broadcaster Kan. There has been no confirmation of Khamenei's death from Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said 'there are signs' that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is no longer alive. He also said the US-Israeli attack on Iran will last 'as long as necessary'.
The joint US-Israeli operation against Iran on Saturday involved the dropping of 30 bombs on the compound of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel's Channel 12 network reported.
"Thirty bombs were dropped on the complex. Ali Khamenei was underground, but probably not in his own bunker," Channel 12's Amit Segal, who is known to be close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said without giving a source.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held conversations with the foreign ministers of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Israel, and Qatar as tensions intensified following recent military strikes and retaliatory actions.
The outreach comes as New Delhi steps up diplomatic engagement to monitor developments closely and safeguard Indian citizens living and working across the region. Over 10 million Indians reside in West Asia, making their safety a top priority for the government.
India has already urged all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritise dialogue and diplomacy, while emphasising respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Indian missions across the region have issued advisories and activated emergency helplines to assist nationals if required.
Iran called Saturday for an emergency meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog to discuss "baseless" US and Israeli claims that Tehran's atomic programme partly justified their military action against it.
"In light of ongoing acts of aggression by the US and Israeli regimes... (Iran) called for an urgent extraordinary meeting" of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors, Iran's mission to the Vienna-based agency said on X.
"Baseless claims, vicious threats and wrongful acts of aggressors against Iran's peaceful nuclear program shall be addressed by the Board immediately," it added.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported on Saturday evening that at least 201 people were killed and 747 wounded in strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The organisation said "24 (of Iran's 31) provinces were affected and the Red Crescent is in a state of alert", in a statement published by the ISNA news agency. This is the first official Iranian toll from the strikes.
Residential buildings were targeted in Manama, the interior ministry, as Iran launched strikes across the oil-rich Gulf in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks.
"Several residential buildings in Manama were targeted. Civil Defence continues with firefighting and rescue operations at the affected sites," the ministry said in a statement.
India's foreign minister said he had spoken with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts about the spiralling Middle East conflict and urged dialogue to end the violence.
"Spoke with Israeli FM Gideon Sa'ar this afternoon. Reiterate India's call for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tension," Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar wrote on X.
In a separate post, he said he "had a telecon with Iranian FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi this evening. Shared India's deep concern at the recent developments in Iran and the region."
A gymnasium in Iran's Lamerd was hit in attacks carried out by US and Israel, reported Fars news agency
“Initial estimates indicate that more than 15 people were killed in this apparent crime,” it added. “At the time of the attack, children were playing and exercising in this hall.”
An Iranian news agency affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has reported that the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint, will be closed.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations also said it has received multiple reports that vessels operating in the region have been warned not to pass through the Strait.
Around one fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz. About 2.6 million barrels per day of India’s crude imports transit the Strait of Hormuz, roughly 50% of monthly imports as of January-February, according to shipping data.
Jordan's armed forces said they had successfully intercepted 13 ballistic missiles since Saturday morning in an operation that resulted in damage but no casualties.
"The armed forces engaged 49 drones and ballistic missiles targeting Jordanian territory today," a military source said in a statement, adding that "13 ballistic missiles were successfully intercepted by Jordanian air defence systems, while drones were shot down".
The statement said "the interception operation resulted in material damage but no casualties".
Lebanon's Hezbollah expressed solidarity and condemned the US-Israeli attack on Iran. Hezbollah called it 'continuation of the arrogant and domineering approach" by Israel and the US, Al Jazeera reported.
Iran called the UN Security Council to take "immediate" steps to halt what it said was an illegal aggression by the United States and Israel.
In a letter to the UN secretary-general, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the council must "address the US and Israeli regime's acts of aggression" and "take the necessary and immediate measures to halt this unlawful use of force."
US President Donald Trump and top aides were "closely" monitoring the Iran situation from his Florida resort on Saturday, the White House said, after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
"The President and his national security team will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the day," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X, adding that Trump also "monitored the situation overnight at Mar-a-Lago."
Two witnesses told AFP they heard an explosion and saw a plume of smoke rising from Dubai's famed man-made island 'The Palm', as Iran carried out retaliatory strikes in the Gulf following US and Israeli attacks.
One of the witnesses said he saw thick black smoke rising from a hotel on the palm and heard ambulances rushing towards the scene.
Dubai residents and AFP correspondents in the city heard several loud bangs following that explosion.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone call with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, the Israeli leader's office said, after the two countries launched attacks on Iran.
"Netanyahu in conversation with US President Donald Trump," the premier's office said, releasing a photograph of him speaking on the phone.
The death toll from an attack on a school in Iran's south has risen to 85, the judiciary said, after the US and Israel launched strikes on the Islamic republic.
"The number of martyrs at the girls' school in Minab has increased to 85," the judiciary's Mizan Online website quoted the area's prosecutor's office as saying.
A drone struck Kuwait's international airport on Saturday, the civil aviation authority said, causing minor injuries as Iran retaliated across the Gulf for US and Israeli strikes.
"A drone targeted Kuwait International Airport, resulting in minor injuries to a number of employees, in addition to limited material damage to the passenger terminal," the authority said in a statement.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have launched a new wave of missiles against US bases in the Gulf, state TV reported Saturday, in response to the Israeli and US strikes on the Islamic republic.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "has started a new wave of missile attacks against American bases", state TV reported, citing the IRGC.
Global airlines suspended and rerouted flights across large parts of the Middle East.
Preliminary data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed that nearly 40 percent of flights to Israel were cancelled on Saturday as airlines reacted swiftly to the deteriorating security environment.
Across the broader Middle East region, about 6.7 percent of scheduled flights were scrapped, reflecting a significant, though uneven, operational impact. The cancellations affected both regional carriers and major international airlines that rely on the Middle East as a crucial transit hub linking Europe, Asia and Africa, Reuters reported.
Iran's foreign minister said the country's supreme leader was alive, along with all high-ranking officials, after Israel and the United States launched strikes across the country on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was alive "as far as I know", in an interview from Tehran with the US outlet, adding that "all high ranking officials are alive".
Araghchi said he had been in contact with Gulf states and "explained for them that we have no intention to attack them but we are actually attacking the American bases in the act of self defence".
He added that while there was no communication with Washington now, "if Americans wants to talk to us. They know how they can contact me. We are certainly interested for de-escalation".
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday condemned the "escalation" of military violence in the Middle East and urged an immediate cessation of fighting.
He said the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and the Islamic republic's retaliatory attacks, undermine international peace and security. "I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation," Guterres said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia confirmed Saturday that Iran hit Riyadh and its eastern region with strikes, warning it reserved the right to defend itself including by retaliating, reported AFP.
Saudi Arabia "expressed its strongest condemnation of the blatant and cowardly Iranian attacks targeting the Riyadh and Eastern Province regions, which were repelled," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"In light of this unjustified aggression, the Kingdom affirms that it will take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory, citizens and residents, including with the option of responding to the aggression."
European leaders distance themselves from US-Israel attacks on Iran, call for restraint and diplomacy as global powers warn of wider Middle East war and legal fallout. (Read more)
Iran’s defence minister and a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been killed in Israeli attacks, three sources told news agency Reuters.
The report cited unnamed sources as saying the two senior officials died in the strikes, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. There was no immediate official confirmation from Iranian authorities.
India has expressed deep concern over the recent developments in Iran and the Gulf region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
Urging all sides to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation, the MEA emphasised that the safety of civilians must be prioritised amid the hostile situation in the Middle East.
The government said dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate tensions and address the underlying issues contributing to the crisis.
India also underlined that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected.
The MEA added that Indian missions across the Middle East are in touch with members of the Indian community and have issued appropriate advisories asking them to remain vigilant.
Dubai Airports has confirmed that all flight operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) have been suspended until further notice.
Passengers have been advised not to travel to the airport at this time and to contact their respective airlines directly for the latest updates on their flights.
The operator said it appreciates the cooperation of travellers and will provide further updates as the situation continues to be monitored.
Dubai Airports confirms that all flight operations at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) are suspended until further notice.
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 28, 2026
Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport at this time and to contact their respective airlines…
Abbas Araghchi has said that the attack on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, a city in Hormozgan province in southern Iran, will “not go unanswered.”
Speaking in remarks carried by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which said the strike killed 53 students, Araghchi described the victims as “innocent children.”
The destroyed building is a primary school for girls in the south of Iran. It was bombed in broad daylight, when packed with young pupils.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) February 28, 2026
Dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone.
These crimes against the Iranian People will not go unanswered. pic.twitter.com/AVqiuolgWm
More than 20 of Iran's 31 provinces have been impacted by US and Israeli strikes launched on Saturday, Iran's Red Crescent Society said.
"Up until now, more than 20 provinces have been affected in attacks," spokesman Mojtaba Khaledi said, according to state media.
Oman called on all parties to stop fighting on Saturday, warning of "dire consequences" as the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, which has retaliated with wide-ranging missile attacks, reported AFP.
The foreign ministry of Oman, a mediator in recent US-Iran talks, expressed "deep regret over the military operations launched by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran, warning of the danger of the conflict escalating into something with dire consequences for the region".
Oman said it calls "on all parties to immediately cease military operations and urges the United Nations Security Council to convene an emergency meeting to impose a ceasefire".
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday all sites involved in the Israeli and US strikes on Iran were "legitimate targets" for the Islamic republic's armed forces.
"The Iranian armed forces consider as legitimate targets the sites from which the US and Zionist operations were carried out as well as the sites of all actions against Iran's defensive operations," Araghchi said on Iranian TV.
We obtained the first known satellite image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's compound in Tehran. There are several destroyed buildings. While the current whereabouts of Iran's supreme leader are unknown, the compound is generally used as his official residence. 🛰️📸: @Airbus pic.twitter.com/48krjclMBL
— Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) February 28, 2026
The death toll in an Israeli-U.S. strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran rises to at least 40 people killed, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
At least 45 others had been wounded in the attack in Minab in Iran’s Hormozgan province.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has a base in the city.
Neither the U.S. nor Israel has offered any details on the campaign so far.
Syrian state television says an Iranian missile hit a building in the southern city of Sweida, killing four people.
The broadcaster said the missile hit an industrial area in the city, but gave no other details.
The United Nations' rights chief deplored Saturday's strikes in the Middle East and urged all parties to return to negotiations, saying attacks would only result in "death, destruction and human misery".
"I deplore the military strikes across Iran this morning by Israel and the United States of America, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran. As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price," Volker Turk said in a statement.
"To avert these terrible consequences for civilians, I call for restraint and implore all parties to see reason, to de-escalate, and for a return to the negotiating table where they had been actively seeking a solution only hours earlier," he said. - AFP
The number of students killed in an Israeli strike on a school in southern Iran has risen to 24, according to Iran's state-affiliated Fars News agency.
Earlier, reports said an elementary girls’ school in Minab, in Hormozgan province, had been hit, with five people initially reported dead.
Fars now reports the death toll has increased to 24.
A new AP-NORC poll finds that many American adults continue to view Iran's nuclear program as a threat — but they also don't have high trust in US President Donald Trump's judgment on the use of military force abroad.
Most Americans, 61%, say Iran is an "enemy" of the US, which is up slightly from a Pearson Institute/AP-NORC poll conducted in September 2023.
But their confidence in the president's judgment when it comes to relationships with adversaries and the use of military force abroad is low, the new poll shows, with only about 3 in 10 Americans saying they have "a great deal" or "quite a bit" trust in Trump.
Even some Republicans — particularly younger Republicans — have reservations about Trump's ability to make the right choices on these high-stakes issues.
Explosions reported in key Gulf capitals amid widening regional tensions, according to AFP.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is prepared to mediate between Washington and Tehran, the foreign ministry said on Saturday following US strikes against Iran, reported AFP.
"Indonesia calls on all parties to exercise restraint and to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy," it said in a statement on X.
"The Government of Indonesia... expresses its readiness to facilitate dialogue to restore a conducive security condition and, if agreed by both parties, the President of Indonesia is prepared to travel to Tehran to carry out mediation."
Pakistan's foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart in a call on Saturday that Islamabad "strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran", following US-Israeli strikes.
Pakistan "called for an immediate halt to escalation through urgent resumption of diplomacy", Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said, according to a statement.
Qatar's civil aviation authority said on Saturday it had temporarily closed the Gulf state's airspace and Qatar Airways said it had suspended all flights from Doha, after Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran.
In a statement the authority "announced the temporary suspension of air traffic in Qatari airspace as part of a series of precautionary measures" and Qatar Airways said it "confirms the temporary suspension of its flights to, and from, Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace".
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said Saturday it was treating a man with blast injuries in the north of the country, after missiles were launched towards Israel from Iran.
"MDA paramedics and EMTs scanned several scenes where reports were received, and at this stage are providing medical treatment to a man approximately 50 years old in mild condition with blast injuries in northern Israel," the MDA said in a statement.
Five students were killed when an Israeli strike hit an elementary girl’s school in Minab, a city located in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, reported the state-run IRNA news agency, according to Al Jazeera.
At least one person has been killed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, after several missiles launched from Iran were intercepted, according to the country’s state news agency, reported Al Jazeera.
The UAE called the attacks "a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law" adding that "it reserves its full right to respond to this escalation."
The UK government expressed the fear Saturday that the military strikes pitting the United States and Israel against Iran could blow up into a broader Middle East conflict.
"We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict," a government spokesperson said, adding that the UK's "immediate priority" was the safety of its citizens in the region.
Several explosions were heard across Doha on Saturday as Qatar's defence ministry said it had intercepted several missile attacks targeting the Gulf state. Blasts were heard over central Doha and near the Al-Udeid military base, the largest US military facility in the region.
An AFP journalist saw an interceptor destroy one missile in a puff of white smoke, as Qatar's defence ministry said in a statement it had "repelled a number of attacks."
Iran said on Saturday it will "respond decisively" after Israel and the United States launched strikes on the country despite talks underway on Tehran's nuclear programme.
"The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond decisively to the aggressors," a foreign ministry said in a statement, insisting Iran had done "everything necessary to prevent war."
"Just as we were ready for negotiations, we are now more prepared than ever to defend the Iranian nation," it said.
Moscow's embassy in Tehran on Saturday condemned the "aggression of the United States and Israel" towards Iran, urging Russians to leave the Islamic republic if they could.
"We strongly recommend that Russian citizens and their compatriots residing in Iran leave the country if they have the possibility to do so," the embassy said in a statement, urging those staying behind "to be vigilant" and not approach "military and government facilities."
Israel and the United States launched a joint daylight attack across Iran, including its capital, Tehran, on Saturday, as US President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had begun “major combat operations” against the Islamic Republic.
Trump also offered the Iranian military a choice between “immunity” or “certain death”, further urging Iranian people to “take over your government — it will be yours to take.”
The Israeli military said its strikes on Iran, in coordination with the United States, targeted dozens of military sites and followed months of joint planning between the allies.
Meanwhile, Iran responded to the airstrikes with retaliatory attacks targeting US military bases across West Asia, with strikes and explosions reported in Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE’s Abu Dhabi and Qatar — which hosts the largest American base in the region.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the country would “respond decisively” to US and Israeli strikes.
The attacks come as Washington has deployed a large number of fighter jets and warships to the region, in what officials have described as an effort to pressure Iran over its nuclear programme.
Launching a major attack alongside Israel against Iran, US President Donald Trump is pursuing the goal he once adamantly rejected -- regime change.
Trump, who has ordered a military buildup in West Asia unseen since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, made clear in a video address that his goal was to remove the cleric-run state that has long been a US nemesis.
Trump, who had publicly suggested for weeks a more limited goal of forcing a deal on Iran to end its nuclear program, said that Iran's missiles will be "obliterated" and said the United States would "annihilate" the Iranian navy. Speaking to Iranians, Trump said: "When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take."
"This will be, probably, your only chance for generations," Trump said. "The hour of your freedom is at hand."
Indicating coordination, the son of Iran's late pro-Western shah, who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic revolution, released his own address in which he called for Iranians to wait -- and then seize power.
"Stay vigilant and ready so that, at the appropriate time -- which I will announce to you precisely -- you can return to the streets for the final action," said Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the Washington area.
Trump himself had long criticized US attempts to remake the Middle East.
The United States had been deploying significant military assets — from aircraft carriers to fighter jets — across West Asia in the weeks leading up to what it has described as "major combat operations" targeting Iran, which began on Saturday.
Robert Pape, a prominent security expert at the University of Chicago and founding director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats, said the scale of the build-up suggests preparations for more than a short, one-day operation. Instead, he argued, it points to the potential for a weeks-long air campaign aimed at grinding down the regime.
Update: 250+ combat US aircraft poised to strike Iran. Trump is cocking the gun— not for 1 day of strikes, but weeks long air campaign to grind down the regime. For more, see https://t.co/OGFrB8duU8 pic.twitter.com/XBZgrPbvQu
— Robert A. Pape (@ProfessorPape) February 28, 2026
The Israeli military said its strikes on Iran, in coordination with the United States, targeted dozens of military sites and followed months of joint planning between the allies.
"The strike (on Iran) targeted dozens of military targets and was carried out as part of a broad, coordinated, and joint operation against the regime," the Israeli army said in a statement.
"In the months preceding the strike, close and joint planning was conducted between the IDF and the US military, enabling the execution of the broad strike in full synchronisation and coordination between the two militaries," it added.
The military said the strikes were part of operation "Roaring Lion", which it said aimed to "thoroughly degrade the Iranian terrorist regime and to remove existential threats to the State of Israel over time."
In a later separate statement, the army said the Israeli air force was striking a number of Iranian military sites in the country's western region. "The Israeli Air Force is currently conducting a broad strike on a number of military targets belonging to the Iranian regime in western Iran," the Israeli military said in a statement.
A statement from Israel's Magen David Adom emergency services just before 11:00 am (0900 GMT) said that no reports of impact had been received. "MDA teams were dispatched to treat several individuals who were injured on their way to protected areas, as well as people suffering from anxiety," it said.
A bombing that targeted an Iraqi military base housing a pro-Iran group caused casualties, a security official and sources in the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi told AFP.
The Jurf al-Sakher base in southern Iraq belongs to Hashed al-Shaabi or the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) but mostly hosts the powerful pro-Iran group Kataeb Hezbollah.
"The bombing targeted the 47th brigade of Kataeb Hezbollah," a source in the Hashed al-Shaabi told AFP. A security official and another Hashed source confirmed that the base was targeted.
Abu Dhabi residents told AFP they heard loud explosions in the Emirati capital on Saturday, after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, which has vowed retaliation.
Two residents told AFP they heard the blasts. Abu Dhabi is home to a base housing US personnel.
Earlier the UAE said it had closed its airspace "temporarily and partially" as an exceptional precautionary measure.
Qatari defence systems on Saturday intercepted an Iranian missile, an official told AFP, as warning sirens sounded in the Gulf state.
Qatar's US-made Patriot interceptors downed an Iranian missile, the official said on condition of anonymity after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
Qatar hosts the Al-Udeid military base, the largest US military facility in the region.
A centre for the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain has been hit in a "missile attack", Bahrain said on Saturday, as Iran vowed retaliation following US and Israeli strikes.
"The Fifth Fleet's service centre was subjected to a missile attack. We will provide you with details later," Bahrain's National Communication Centre said, in a statement.
The Pentagon has formally named the US' "major combat operations" across Iran as 'Operation Epic Fury', announcing the title via social media.
The Trump administration similarly formalized last year’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites as 'Operation Midnight Hammer' and his strike to abduct Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this year as 'Operation Absolute Resolve'.
Meanwhile, Israel dubbed its mission 'Operation Lion’s Roar'.
Following joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, Tehran began retaliatory strikes targeting American military bases across West Asia.
Bahrain said the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet had been targeted in what it described as a missile attack, but provided no immediate further details.
Residents in the United Arab Emirates reported explosions in the capital, Abu Dhabi, home to a base housing US personnel.
Qatar said its air defences intercepted an Iranian missile, while AFP reported explosions being heard in Kuwait.
As Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the US had begun “major combat operations” against Iran, a 2013 tweet resurfaced in which he claimed former President Barack Obama would “attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly.”
Obama had in fact negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or 'Iran nuclear deal', in 2015, securing sanctions relief for Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. However, it was Trump who withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018.
Remember that I predicted a long time ago that President Obama will attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly-not skilled!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2013
Trump said Iran had sought an agreement to avoid conflict, but described the talks as unproductive, adding that his patience had been exhausted by the back and forth. “They just wanted to practice evil,” he said.
“They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.”
He added that after the June attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, “we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons. And we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried.”
Trump reiterated that Iran had “rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.”
He also said the strikes would dismantle Iran’s ability to launch terror attacks and halt its development of ballistic missiles, though he did not explain how aerial bombardment would achieve those aims.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says joint attack with US was to "remove an existential threat posed" by Iran.
Netanyahu said in a statement that the attacks were aimed at ending “the threat of the Iranian ayatollah’s regime.” He said Israel was striking sites belonging to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and its all-volunteer Basij force, as well as ballistic missile sites.
Trump acknowledges that there could be American casualties following Iran strikes, saying "that often happens in war."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is "safe and sound", state media reported, following US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic.
"President Masoud Pezeshkian is safe and sound and has no problems," the IRNA news agency reported, alongside the Mehr and ISNA agencies.
US President Donald Trump said the United States would destroy Iran’s missile industry and “annihilate” its navy, while offering the Iranian military a choice between “immunity” or “certain death.”
He also addressed the Iranian people directly, saying, “Hour of your freedom is at hand,” and urging them to “take over your government — it will be yours to take.”
The US embassies in Qatar and Bahrain told their staff to seek shelter Saturday and advised US citizens to do the same after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
The embassies said in two separate statements they were "implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel. We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice," and urged US citizens to "find a secure location within your residence or another safe building."
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that his county's military has begun "major combat operations in Iran" after Israel launched strikes.
"The United States' military began major combat operations in Iran," Trump said in a video message posted on his social media site while he spent the weekend at his Florida golf club.
"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime."
"We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally -- again -- obliterated. We're going to annihilate their navy," Trump said.
The United States has started carrying out strikes on Iran, US media reported Saturday, after Israel said it had attacked its long-standing regional adversary.
Multiple US media outlets, citing American officials, reported that Washington had begun strikes on Iran in a joint operation with Israel, which said it had also carried out strikes and closed its airspace.
Iraq closed its airspace on Saturday, state media said, after Israel said it carried out strikes against Iran. "The ministry of transport announces closing Iraqi airspace," the Iraq News Agency INA reported.
Iranian media reported that attacks were taking place nationwide as Israel launched airstrikes targeting the country. Blasts were heard in Isfahan and other cities, according to local reports.
Israel’s public broadcaster said the strikes were aimed at regime and military sites in Iran.
Iran on Saturday closed its airspace until further notice, following multiple blasts in the capital Tehran and elsewhere, the civil aviation agency said.
"The airspace of the entire country is cosed until further notice," announced the spokesman of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation, quoted by Tasnim news agency.
Mobile phone services have also been cut across the Islamic Republic following the Israeli airstrikes.
Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights Saturday after announcing it had carried out "preventive strikes" on Iran and sounding sirens in Jerusalem.
"Following the security developments, the Minister of Transportation has ordered the Director of the Israel Civil Aviation Authority to close the airspace of the State of Israel to civilian flights," the minister, Miri Regev, announced.
Two loud blasts were heard in Tehran on Saturday morning by AFP journalists, and two plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the Iranian capital.
"The type of explosions suggests that this is a missile attack," the Fars news agency reported, without immediately providing further details.
Israel's defence ministry announced a "preemptive strike" against Iran on Saturday as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and people across the country received phone alerts about an "extremely serious" threat.
"The State of Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran. Defence Minister Israel Katz has declared a special and immediate state of emergency throughout the country," read a statement from his ministry.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired missiles at US military bases in the Gulf in retaliation for a major US-Israel attack on Iran, with explosions reported in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar. One person was killed in the UAE by shrapnel from an Iranian missile, officials said.
Explosions also rocked Tehran, with smoke seen rising from an area that includes the presidential palace. Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, with blasts reported over Jerusalem. The Israel Defence Forces said its air defence systems were intercepting the barrage.
Israeli officials told media that senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, were targeted. Khamenei is believed to have been moved to a secure location outside Tehran, while Iranian media reported Pezeshkian is safe.
US President Donald Trump said the “massive and ongoing” campaign would crush Iran’s military, eliminate its nuclear programme and bring about regime change, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the joint operation could enable Iranians to “take their destiny into their own hands”.
US-Iran nuclear talks ended inconclusively on Friday, with more discussions suggested for next week, though Trump said he was “not happy” with the progress.
