The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, with President Donald Trump confirming that “major combat operations” are underway.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the US and Israel had struck military and civilian targets, “blatantly violating” the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
In a statement on Saturday morning Moscow condemned what it called a “premeditated and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent member state of the UN.”
The US-Israeli strike triggered a wave of responses across the Middle East. Explosions have been reported in multiple countries in the Gulf, as well as Lebanon, and the Houthi armed group based in Yemen has announced it will begin targeting shipping.
In a video posted on Truth Social, Trump vowed to decimate Iran’s military, eliminate its nuclear program, and bring about a change in its government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a video statement that a “joint operation” had been launched against what he described as the “existential threat” posed by Iran. He said the US-Israeli military action could “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that, in response to aggression by a “hostile and criminal enemy,” it has launched the first wave of extensive missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets.
Explosions have reportedly been heard in Israeli cities, and the Israeli military said it had detected ballistic missiles launched from Iran, describing them as the first wave of retaliation.
Large explosions have been heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and residents have reported seeing smoke rising from a district that houses the presidential palace and the Supreme National Security Council, according to local accounts.
The strikes came after indirect nuclear talks in Geneva between Tehran and Washington ended inconclusively on Friday and amid a massive US military build-up in the region.
28 February 2026
World reacts to US-Israeli strike on Iran
The strikes came after indirect nuclear talks in Geneva between Tehran and Washington ended without a breakthrough on Friday and amid a major US military build-up in the region.
- Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, who has mediated the latest nuclear talks in Geneva, said the US-Israeli action had undermined peace efforts. “Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this,” he said.
- In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a Security Council meeting by videoconference to discuss the situation, the Kremlin said. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the move as an “unprovoked armed attack” and urged an immediate halt to the strikes, saying Russia was ready to work through the UN Security Council to seek a diplomatic solution.
- French President Emmanuel Macron warned that an “outbreak of war” in the Middle East would carry grave consequences for international peace and security.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticized what Madrid described as unilateral US and Israeli military action, saying it represented an escalation and risked deepening global instability.
- A British government spokesperson said Iran “must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon” and called for a negotiated solution.
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said “bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences,” urging restraint and a return to negotiations.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa supported American efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and from threatening international peace and security.
- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it would not accept being drawn into matters that threaten its security and unity.
- Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that while Israel had described its action as preventive, such strikes were not in line with international law without an imminent threat.
- In Tehran, a spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces general staff said the Islamic Republic would teach what he called “criminal” Israel and the “aggressive” United States a lesson they had “never experienced in their history,” adding in a televised interview that the strikes had taken place during negotiations with Washington.
Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for Iran’s armed forces general staff, said Tehran would teach “criminal” Israel and the “aggressive” US a lesson they had “never experienced in their history.”
In a televised interview following the US-Israeli strikes, he urged Iranians not to worry and said the attacks had come during negotiations with Washington.
He added that, as previously promised by the Revolutionary Guards, Iran had launched missile strikes against American bases and locations used to support Israel’s operations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a Security Council meeting by videoconference to discuss the situation surrounding Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, a key mediator in the US-Iran nuclear talks, has said that US-Israeli strikes against Iran have undermined peace negotiations. “Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this,” he stressed.
The third round of the negotiations finished in Geneva only two days ago.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s late US-backed shah who was toppled in 1979 and who hasn’t been on Iranian soil for decades, welcomed the US-Israeli strikes, calling it “a humanitarian intervention” and thanking Donald Trump for delivering on his promise for aid.
He went on to urge Iranians to prepare for new protests, saying “it is we, the people of Iran, who will finish the job in this final battle.”
An unverified clip from Qatar shows what looks like a downed Iranian missile falling on a residential area in Doha, with an explosion and fire ensuing.
The Houthis in Yemen, who have had traditionally close ties with Iran, have vowed to resume strikes on Red Sea shipping routes and Israel, two sources with the movement have told the AP.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Aragchi on Saturday, according to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.
Lavrov condemned the “unprovoked armed attack” by the US and Israel on Iran, and urged an immediate halt to the strikes. He stressed that Russia is ready, including in the UN Security Council, to facilitate the search for peaceful solutions based on international law, mutual respect, and a balance of interests.
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the “outbreak of war” in the Middle East “carries grave consequences for international peace and security” while urging for a UN Security Council meeting.
He insisted that Iran must “understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good faith in negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs.”
A UK government spokesperson has said Iran “must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon” while calling for a “negotiated solution.”
The spokesman stressed that while “we do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,” the UK “stand[s] ready to protect our interests.”
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has indicated that both sides are to blame for the conflict. Madrid, he said, denounces “unilateral military action by the United States and Israel,” saying that it “represents an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order.”
“We likewise reject the actions of the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guard. We cannot afford another prolonged and devastating war in the Middle East.”
Israel has banned public gatherings, shut schools and workplaces and moved hospital patients to underground facilities. The police have also asked people to forego non-essential travel to allow security and emergency vehicles to move freely.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared a state of emergency across the country, warning the public of Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Explosions continue to be heard periodically in Qatar’s capital as air defenses continue to intercept Iranian missiles, according to Al Jazeera.
This latest series of blasts comes after multiple missiles were fired towards Qatar and other Gulf states.
Saudi Arabia has condemned Iranian attacks on US military bases across the region in the “strongest terms” while warning Tehran of “consequences” should it continue its actions which it said violate international law.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described the Middle East escalation as “perilous,” but noted that Iran’s “ballistic missile and nuclear programs, along with support for terror groups, pose a serious threat to global security.”
At least 35 ballistic missiles have been launched from Iran to Israel, according to the preliminary military assessment cited by the Times of Israel.
CNN reported, citing sources, that the Israeli attack was aimed at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, armed forces Chief of Staff Sayyid Abdolrahim Mousavi, the secretary of Iran’s Defense Council, Ali Shamkhani, and the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, Ali Larijani.
According to IRNA news agency, an Israeli strike on a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, killed five people, with some reporting suggesting the death toll could be much higher.
Warning: Disturbing video
The UAE has joined the condemnation of what it described as “brazen Iranian rocket attacks” targeting the nation and its neighbors.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry has issued a “strong condemnation of the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles,” describing it as “a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty.”
Journalist Ibrahim Wahdi has told RT that the new US-Israeli strikes differ from the operation carried out against Iran last year.
“It’s not like the 12-day war last year. This time it’s a joint military attack directly targeting the political establishment in addition to the [Iranian] Supreme Leader’s headquarters,” Wahdi said.
Targeting a sovereign country is an escalation that goes beyond military messages and threatens the whole region, he added.
Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah has threatened imminent attacks on US bases in response to the strikes targeting Iran.
Kataib Hezbollah is one of the largest groups within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), founded in 2014 to stop lightning advances by Islamic State at the time.
Two fighters were killed in US-Israeli airstrikes that hit the Jurf al-Sakhar base, also known as Jurf al-Nasr, in southern Iraq, according to Al Jazeera.
In case you’ve just joined us:
- US President Donald Trump has vowed that a “massive and ongoing” campaign against Iran will crush its military, eliminate its nuclear program, and bring about a change in the government.
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards says it has launched the first large-scale wave of retaliatory missile and drone strikes towards Israel.
- Bahrain has said a missile attack has targeted the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the country, while another missile has been intercepted in Qatar. An explosion has also been reported in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, while countries across the region have shut their airspace.
- Multiple explosions have been heard in Iran’s capital, Tehran, while blasts have also been reported in several other locations across the country.
An American official has told Al Jazeera that the US will “continue our strikes against Iran over the coming days.”
Russia‘s Foreign Ministry has condemned US-Israeli strikes on Iran, calls for urgent diplomatic response.
In a statement released on Sunday, Moscow said the scale of military, political, and media preparations preceding the strikes, including the buildup of a large US military presence in the region, left little doubt that the operation had been planned in advance and violated fundamental principles of international law.
The ministry described the strikes as a “premeditated and unprovoked act of aggression” against a sovereign UN member state.
An American reacts to Iranian attack on naval base in Bahrain.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has struck the American naval base in Bahrain with missiles, according to Iranian media agency Fars.
Smoke was seen rising from the Juffair area of Bahrain, where the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is headquartered – as seen in this video:
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement calling Saturday’s strikes a “criminal military aggression” by the US and Israel, saying they took place while Iran was “in the midst of a diplomatic process.”
The ministry said “now is the time to defend the homeland and confront the military aggression of the enemy” and called on UN member states to condemn what it described as an act of aggression and a violation of the UN Charter.
US military bases in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have been targeted by Iranian missile strikes, Mehr News has reported.
Iran’s armed forces general staff said any military base of a country providing assistance to Israel would become a target for strikes by the Islamic Republic.
The United Arab Emirates has announced a 'temporary and partial' closure of the country's airspace.
Explosions have been heard in Bahrain, APA reports, citing Al Arabiya TV.
It is also reported that Qatar has closed its airspace.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Qatar issued an alert ordering Americans to shelter-in-place due to an imminent missile threat.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has denounced the latest strikes. The deputy chairman of the Security Council highlighted that all of the recent negotiations with Iran are merely a cover operation, noting that no one really doubted this and that there was little genuine desire to reach any agreements.
Sirens heard in Jerusalem
Unconfirmed media reports suggest that at least one Iranian missile exploded in Bahrain, which hosts a major US naval base in Manama. Footage circulating on social media shows what appears to be plumes of smoke over the facility.
Earlier in the day, the US Embassy said it was “implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel” while recommending all American citizens “do the same until further notice.”
In the wake of the strikes, Israeli intelligence has launched a propaganda campaign targeting the people of Iran, urging them to share photos and videos of “resistance against the regime.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the latest military operation is aimed to achieve regime change in Iran. In his first video statement regarding the US-Israel strikes on the Islamic Republic, he reiterated demands that Iran curb its nuclear program.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that, in response to aggression by a “hostile and criminal enemy” against the Islamic Republic of Iran, it has launched the first wave of extensive missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets.
General Amir Hatami, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, has been killed in a series of IDF attacks on Iran, according to unconfirmed reports from the Israeli media. Authorities in the Islamic Republic have yet to confirm the claim.
The US has begun evacuating personnel from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar following the attack on Iran, Reuters has reported, citing a source.
The facility is the largest American military installation in the Middle East, hosting about 10,000 service members. In June 2025, the base was targeted by an Iranian missile strike in response to a US and Israeli attack against nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic.
‘Thick black smoke RISING’ over Tehran after Israeli strikes, RT correspondent Saman Kojouri reports
‘I’m hearing ANOTHER EXPLOSION right now’ as Iran warns of a ‘decisive response’
According to RT sources, the IDF is focusing its strikes on taking out missiles.
A source familiar with the matter also said a security meeting is currently taking place chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An air raid alert has been declared in Israel, with launches detected from Iran, authorities said.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has urged his people to remain steadfast “in the coming days” following the start of the operation against Tehran.
At least five explosions were heard in Tehran and were also reported in other cities – including Qom, Isfahan, Kermanshah and Karaj – Iranian news agencies have reported.
The military operation has been named “Roar of the Lion” for the Israeli phase and “Shield of Judah” for the joint operation with Washington.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was not harmed in the US and Israeli attack, Mehr news agency reported, citing a source.
Israel is preparing for four days of strikes in the initial phase of the operation against the Islamic Republic, Channel 12 reported.
US forces have begun a military operation against Iran, President Trump confirmed in a video posted on Truth Social. He said the aim of the operation was to protect the American people by eliminating what he described as the “threat” posed by the Iranian government.
He said the “major combat operation” against Iran was aimed at its nuclear and missile programs and added that Tehran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.
The current attack on Iran will be far larger in scale than US strikes on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities in June last year, American officials told the New York Times.
The strikes were reported to have come after US President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
Tehran is preparing retaliatory measures and its response will be devastating, an Iranian official told Reuters.
Farhad Ibrahimov, a lecturer at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow and a specialist on Iran and the Middle East, says Israel’s strikes on Iran were similar to the June 12-13 attack last year.
On the eve of those events, US President Donald Trump announced a new round of negotiations with Tehran, and the following day Israel struck Iran, he posted on his Telegram channel. “The same thing is happening today,” Ibrahimov, a regular RT contributor, added.
Israel carried out what it described as a “pre-emptive strike” on Tehran and a number of other Iranian cities, fully aware that Iran would respond, he posted. “And if Iran responds, the Americans will step in and the negotiations will be over.”