On Saturday, February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a massive wave of coordinated military strikes across Iran, signaling a dramatic shift from diplomacy to open conflict.
The offensive, which targeted major cities including Tehran, Qom, Isfahan, and Karaj, resulted in multiple explosions and large columns of smoke rising from the capital.
The operation, described by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz as a “preemptive strike,” was initiated after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed deep frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.
President Trump confirmed the commencement of “major combat operations” in a video message released from his Florida residence.
He stated that the primary objective was the total destruction of Iran’s missile infrastructure and its navy to eliminate what he characterized as an “imminent threat” to American and allied interests.
During his address, Trump offered a stark choice to the Iranian military, promising immunity to those who surrendered while warning of “certain death” for those who chose to resist.
He also directly appealed to the Iranian public, declaring that the “hour of your freedom is at hand” and urging them to take control of their government once the operations concluded.
The strikes focused heavily on the Pasteur and Keshvardoost districts of Tehran, areas that house the presidential palace and the offices of the Supreme National Security Council.
While Iranian state television reported that President Pezeshkian was safe, reports surfaced that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been moved to a secure, undisclosed location prior to the attacks.
Witnesses in the capital described seeing Tomahawk missiles flying at low altitudes, followed by several deafening blasts that severely disrupted communication services across the city.
In response to the hostilities, Iran, Israel, and Iraq closed their airspaces to civilian traffic.
Within Israel, sirens sounded in Jerusalem as the government declared a national state of emergency, moving hospital patients to underground bunkers and advising the public to remain near protected spaces.
The military escalation comes after a significant buildup of U.S. naval assets in the region, including the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln, which provided the platform for dozens of strike aircraft.
Although Omani mediators had recently suggested that Iran was willing to make concessions regarding uranium enrichment, the U.S. administration remained dissatisfied, ultimately choosing a kinetic response to ensure the permanent dismantling of Tehran’s strategic military capabilities.
