The United States (U.S) and Israel launched a coordinated series of military strikes against Iran early Saturday morning, February 28, 2026.
The operation, described by Israeli officials as a “preemptive strike,” has targeted multiple strategic locations across the Islamic Republic, including the capital, Tehran.
Witnesses in Tehran reported hearing at least two massive explosions in the northern Seyed Khandan district, with smoke seen rising near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In a statement this morning, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has declared a “special and permanent state of emergency” across Israel.
U.S President Donald Trump also confirmed that the country and Israel jointly launched strikes on Iran in a video message shared on Truth Social saying, “A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran.”
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” he said in the video, posted at 2:30 a.m. ET Saturday.
“It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again, they can never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that explosions have been heard in cities across Iran, according to Iranian media.
There have also been reports of explosions in the cities of Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.
It was gathered that several missiles hit University Street and the Republic area of the Iranian capital Tehran.
Explosions were heard in two locations in Tehran, the Islamic Republic News Agency also reports. It says that smoke can be seen in the centre of the city.
Iran has started launching missiles toward Israel in response to a joint attack from the Jewish State and the United States on Saturday morning.
The Israel Defense Forces said the Israeli Air Force was responding to the missiles launched from Iran.
“At this time, the IAF is operating to intercept and strike threats where necessary to remove the threat,” the IDF said, adding that sirens were sounding in several areas across the country.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass also reports that the U.S and Iran launched strikes on Iran after threats by the Trump administration, including a warning to U.S. embassy staff in Israel to leave the country if they felt it necessary.
Trump in his State of the Union address this week accused Iran’s government of “sinister nuclear ambitions.”
Trump claimed that Iran is seeking to develop missiles that can strike the United States and accused Tehran of working to rebuild a nuclear program that was targeted by American strikes last year.
“They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” Trump said during his State of the Union address.
However, Iran’s foreign ministry on Wednesday dismissed US claims about its missile programme as “big lies.”
“Whatever they’re alleging regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest, is simply the repetition of ‘big lies’,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.
