Trump said the ’major combat operations’ were to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes.
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What to Know: US, Israel Strike Iran
The United States has launched what President Donald Trump called “major combat operations” in Iran, saying the objective is to eliminate threats from the regime and ensure Tehran “can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump said Iran had rejected chances to curb its nuclear program and urged the Iranian people to rise up against their government.
The strikes followed a third round of U.S.–Iran talks on Feb. 26 that ended without a breakthrough. Tensions have mounted for years over Iran’s nuclear activities, escalating further after U.S. strikes on key sites last year.
Iran’s Supreme Security Council confirmed retaliatory attacks, and the Revolutionary Guard announced a “first wave” of drones and missiles targeting Israel. The Israel Defense Forces said it was intercepting incoming fire while conducting airstrikes inside Iran.
Iraq and the United Arab Emirates closed their airspace, and Qatar said it shot down several missiles. Reports said the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain had been attacked. The government of Bahrain confirmed that “sites and installations within its borders” were targets of attacks.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, endorsed the U.S. strikes and urged Iran’s security forces to defect.
By Tom Ozimek
Iran Warns Persian Gulf Countries May Be Targeted
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a warning to Persian Gulf countries in a Telegram post on Feb. 28.
Araghchi told neighboring countries not to participate in “aggressive acts” while he was on a briefing call with officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq.
The foreign minister said it was the responsibility of regional countries to prevent the United States and Israel from carrying out “aggressive operations against Iran,” according to his statement.
Araghchi said Iran maintained its “right of self-defense” and warned it would use all military capabilities to defend the country’s sovereignty.
By Jacki Thrapp
UAE Condemns Strike, Warns of Consequences
The foreign ministry of the United Arab Emirates condemned Iranian attacks on its territory, warning there would be consequences if such strikes continue.
The ministry said the attacks are part of a repeated pattern of Iranian violations.
The country’s defense ministry said falling debris killed one civilian of Asian nationality.
The U.S. Air Force maintains a major presence at the Al Dhafra Air Base, near Abu Dhabi.
Israeli Military Says Another Wave of Missiles Launched From Iran
The Israeli air force said Iran has launched another barrage of attacks.
“The IDF spokesman reiterates not to publish or share locations and documentation of casualties,” the statement reads, adding that the country’s “air defense system constantly identifies and intercepts threats.”
By Eva Fu
Israeli Military Says Another Wave of Missiles Launched From Iran
The Israeli air force said Iran has launched another barrage of attacks.
“The IDF spokesman reiterates not to publish or share locations and documentation of casualties,” the statement reads, adding that the country’s “air defense system constantly identifies and intercepts threats.”
At Least 40 Students Killed After Strike in Southern Iran, State Media Says
At least 40 students enrolled in an all-girls school in southern Iran have died after the United States and Israel attacked the country, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Minab’s Provincial Governor Mohammad Radmehr told IRNA, an Iranian state run media, that Shajareye Tayabeh school—located in Minab in Iran’s Hormozgan province—was hit in the strikes. The Epoch Times cannot independently verify the report.
At least 45 others were allegedly wounded in the attack.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has a base in the city.
Neither the United States nor Israel has offered any details on the incident so far.
By Jacki Thrapp
Kuwait Says It Repelled Iranian Attack
Kuwait’s air defenses prevented what it called a “heinous Iranian attack” on Feb. 28, according to Kuwait’s national news agency.
The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Feb. 28 attack a violation of Kuwait’s sovereignty, airspace, international law, and charter of the United Nations.
Kuwait added that it had the right to take all steps to defend its territory, people, and residents, the news agency reported.
Kuwait Airways confirmed in an X post on Feb. 28 that all inbound and outbound flights have been suspended due to the situation.
By Jacki Thrapp
Iran Claims Strikes on Regional Targets
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it struck several U.S. and Israeli-linked facilities in retaliation for recent American and Israeli attacks, launching what it called the first phase of “Truthful Promise 4.”
In a statement, the Guard said it targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet command in Bahrain, U.S. bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and military sites in Israel. It said missile and drone attacks were ongoing.
The Israel Defense Forces said missile alerts were activated across multiple areas after launches from Iran, with air defenses intercepting incoming threats.
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said it repelled a second wave of Iranian missiles targeting several areas, while its foreign ministry condemned the strikes as a “flagrant violation” of sovereignty.
The UAE defense ministry said its systems intercepted several ballistic missiles, though debris struck a residential area, causing material damage and one civilian death. Authorities said the security situation remains stable.
Saudi Arabia condemned Iran’s strikes on Gulf states, pledging full support and warning of serious consequences for further sovereignty violations.
By Tom Ozimek
World Leaders React to Strikes on Iran
Reactions from world leaders to the strikes on Iran were varied early in the aftermath of the joint U.S.–Israel operation.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country supports the United States keeping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and preventing Iran from “continuing to threaten international peace and security.”
He added that Australia “stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression.”
EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, meanwhile, didn’t directly state whether the bloc supports or condemns the strike, instead saying that the latest development in the Middle East is “perilous.” She also suggested that the EU has supported diplomacy, and that Iran posed a “serious threat to global security.”
Kallas said priority will be the protection of civilians, adding that the EU’s Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea is on red alert to help “keep the maritime corridor open.”
Japan’s Sanae Takaichi kept her post-strike comments focused on ensuring Japanese nationals in the area remain safe. Both Spain and Switzerland urged respect for international law.
Multiple Casualties Reported Across Middle East
Nations across the Middle East reported casualties on Feb. 28 as Iran retaliated against the attack by Israel and the United States.
The United Arab Emirates said at least one person was killed as a result of what its Ministry of Defense described as a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles.”
“The fallen debris … resulted in one civilian death of an asian [sic] nationality,” the ministry said in a post on social media.
Abdulla R. Al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s ambassador to the United States, also confirmed attacks on the country, describing them as “a blatant violation of sovereignty.” In a post to social media, he said that the country successfully intercepted several missiles detected in its airspace.
Israel’s rescue service reported one man was lightly wounded in Northern Israel, local media said. State-run media in Iran said that 24 students were killed in the city of Minab in southern Iran.
By contrast, Qatar’s interior ministry said on social media that no damage had been reported. “No casualties or material damage were recorded in residential areas,” it added.
By Sam Dorman
What to Know: US, Israel Strike Iran
The United States has launched what President Donald Trump called “major combat operations” in Iran, saying the objective is to eliminate threats from the regime and ensure Tehran “can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump said Iran had rejected chances to curb its nuclear program and urged the Iranian people to rise up against their government.
The strikes followed a third round of U.S.–Iran talks on Feb. 26 that ended without a breakthrough. Tensions have mounted for years over Iran’s nuclear activities, escalating further after U.S. strikes on key sites last year.
Iran’s Supreme Security Council confirmed retaliatory attacks, and the Revolutionary Guard announced a “first wave” of drones and missiles targeting Israel. The Israel Defense Forces said it was intercepting incoming fire while conducting airstrikes inside Iran.
Iraq and the United Arab Emirates closed their airspace, and Qatar said it shot down several missiles. Reports said the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain had been attacked. The government of Bahrain confirmed that “sites and installations within its borders” were targets of attacks.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, endorsed the U.S. strikes and urged Iran’s security forces to defect.
By Tom Ozimek
Iran Operation May Have American Casualties, Trump Says
President Donald Trump says the strike on Iran may result in casualties among American armed forces, adding that it’s part of armed conflict.
“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future,” Trump said in a video address announcing the strike on Iran in the early hours of Feb. 28.
“We pray for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure that Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran.”
Congress Reacts to US Strikes on Iran
Lawmaker reactions began to surface in the hours following the U.S. strikes on Iranian targets, as supporters praised the move as necessary. At the same time, critics questioned its legal basis and long-term consequences.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) praised President Donald Trump for executing “Operation Epic Fury,” calling it necessary and predicting it would be “violent, extensive and … successful.” He said the operation could hasten the fall of Iran’s ruling clerics amid a shifting geopolitical environment in the Middle East that could also see the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
“The demise of the ayatollah’s regime with American blood on its hands is necessary and more than justified,” Graham wrote.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also backed the move, saying Trump had been willing “to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.”
Senate Republicans collectively offered prayers for U.S. forces and the Iranian people.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans said Trump’s demand was simple: “No nuclear weapon in Iran.”
Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) said the administration was taking action after diplomacy failed.
Opposition emerged from both parties.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) warned against “young working-class kids” dying in another war “that hasn’t been explained or justified to the American people.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) called the strikes an act of “war unauthorized by Congress.”
By Tom Ozimek
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Condemns Attack
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the strike on Iran violates the United Nations Charter and amounts to an “act of armed aggression.”
The ministry added in its Feb. 28 statement in Persian that it will respond in kind.
“The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will use all their capabilities and resources to confront this criminal aggression and repel the enemy’s hostility,” the ministry said, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
“All member states of the United Nations, especially regional and Islamic countries, members of the Non-Aligned Movement, and all governments that feel responsible for international peace and security, are expected to strongly condemn this act of aggression and to take urgent and collective action to confront it, which has undoubtedly placed regional and global peace and security under an unprecedented threat.”
Iran Confirms Retaliatory Attacks
Iran’s Supreme Security Council has confirmed retaliatory attacks while Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had launched a “first wave” of drones and missiles targeting Israel, signaling that additional attacks could follow.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory, adding that air defense systems were operating to intercept the threats.
“The IDF will continue to act to thwart any threat forming against the citizens of the State of Israel anywhere and at any time,” an IDF spokesperson said in a video address. “Even at this moment, the Air Force continues to strike across Iran based on precise intelligence. The operation will continue as long as required.”
Qatar’s defense ministry also said the nation shot down several missiles, “in accordance with the pre-approved security plan,” the Associated Press reported.
A statement from Iran’s security council said that schools were ordered to close and warned Iranians to stay away from targeted zones. It also said banks would continue to operate.
By Tom Ozimek and Sam Dorman
Iraq, UAE Close Airspace
Officials from Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced respective airspace closures following a series of strikes in the Middle East.
Iraq’s Transportation Ministry made the decision early Saturday.
US Navy Fleet Attacked in Bahrain
The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which is headquartered in Bahrain, has reportedly been attacked. The Fifth Fleet, which reports to U.S. Central Command, participated in exercises with Israeli forces in December and Saudi Forces earlier this month.
Bahrain has so far not released further details on the reported attack.
A security alert from the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain warned of an “imminent drone/missile attack.” Citing “reported threats of missiles/drones over Bahrain,” the embassy urged people to shelter in place.
“Be aware that even if the incoming missile or drone is intercepted, falling debris represents a significant risk,” it said.
On social media, the Bahrain Ministry of Interior urged people to seek shelter. “The Ministry of Interior confirms to all citizens and residents that the concerned authorities in the Kingdom of Bahrain are exerting maximum efforts to address the current situation,” it said.
“It calls on everyone to exercise calm, enhance community cohesion, and avoid spreading or circulating rumors.”
Explosions were also heard in the skies over Syria and Lebanon. They were apparently caused by Israeli defenses intercepting missiles, according to the Associated Press.
By Sam Dorman
