WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – The United States and Israel launched significant military strikes across Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026, with multiple explosions reported in Tehran and other cities. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that the U.S. military had begun “major combat operations,” while Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz stated the attacks were a “preemptive strike against Iran to remove threats.” The coordinated offensive has dramatically escalated tensions in the Middle East, with Iran’s state television reporting that Tehran is preparing to “take revenge” on Israel.
The strikes occurred just days after the U.S. and Iran concluded a round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, abruptly halting diplomatic efforts. This latest military action follows months of heightened tensions and a significant U.S. military buildup in the region, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.
Joint US-Israeli Operations Target Iran
The coordinated attacks saw missiles launched by Israel, resulting in a cloud of smoke rising from downtown Tehran, according to the Associated Press. Simultaneously, the Israeli army reported that missiles were launched from Iran towards Israel, triggering sirens in various parts of the country. The Israeli Air Force was reportedly operating to intercept these threats.
President Trump, in a video posted on his social media platform, asserted that the U.S. had commenced “major combat operations” in Iran. He urged the Iranian people to “sit tight for the moment, but then seize control of their government,” explicitly linking the military action to a potential internal uprising. U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters news agency, indicated that the operation against Iran is planned to be multi-day.
In response to the escalating situation, U.S. Embassies in Qatar and Bahrain issued “shelter-in-place” advisories for all personnel and urged American citizens in those countries to do the same. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that Polish embassy staff in Tehran were safe, reiterating earlier calls for compatriots to leave Iran.
Trump Cites Nuclear Program, Calls for Iranian Revolution
President Trump justified the strikes by claiming Iran had continued to pursue nuclear weapons despite ongoing negotiations. He referenced “Operation Midnight Hammer” from June of the previous year (2025), which he previously hailed as having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program and led to “peace” in the Middle East. However, a later U.S. assessment, reported by NBC News, suggested these earlier strikes had only destroyed one of three targeted sites.
Trump’s rhetoric extended beyond nuclear disarmament, explicitly calling for regime change. His recent posts on Truth Social had urged Iranian protestors, who demonstrated against the country’s ailing economy in December and January, to “TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” and promised “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.” This latest military intervention aligns with a long-standing U.S. policy under the Trump administration to exert maximum pressure on Tehran.
Regional Impact and Diplomatic Fallout
The sudden military offensive has sent shockwaves across the Middle East. Energy market participants are closely monitoring the situation, with oil prices already climbing to six-month highs amid concerns of a possible supply shock. Iran, a major oil producer and a founding member of OPEC, controls the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil passes.
The strikes have also cast a shadow over international efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a landmark agreement with world powers, was unilaterally abandoned by the Trump administration in 2018. While recent talks sought to resolve the standoff, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously highlighted Iran’s reluctance to discuss its ballistic missile development program alongside its nuclear activities as a “big, big problem.”
The coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran represent a significant and immediate escalation, moving beyond diplomatic pressure to overt military engagement. While President Trump has framed the actions as targeting Iran’s nuclear program and fostering a potential revolution, the broader implications include heightened regional instability, potential for retaliatory actions from Tehran, and a further unraveling of any remaining diplomatic pathways for de-escalation.