US and Israel Launch Major Assault on Iran, Raising Fears of Wider Conflict
The United States and Israel launched a major joint strike on Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026, targeting sites across the Islamic Republic and escalating regional tensions. The attacks, which began shortly after 8 a.m. Israel time, targeted Iran’s military infrastructure, symbols of government, and intelligence targets, according to officials. Iran responded with retaliatory missile attacks against Israel and Gulf Arab allies hosting American bases.
Escalation and Objectives
US President Donald Trump announced the start of “major combat operations” in Iran, describing the campaign as “a massive and ongoing operation” aimed at “eliminating imminent threats” from the Iranian regime USAToday. Targets included Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian Times of Israel. Several senior Revolutionary Guards commanders and political officials were reportedly killed, including the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, and Iranian defense minister Amir Nasirzadeh Times of Israel.
International Reactions
The joint attacks have drawn concern from international bodies and governments worldwide. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the “military escalation” and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, warning of a wider regional conflict with “grave consequences” CBS News. European Union President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described the developments as “greatly concerning” and emphasized the importance of EU sanctions against Iran’s regime and Revolutionary Guards CBS News. Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, stated the EU is coordinating with Arab partners to explore diplomatic paths and that a European naval mission in the Red Sea is on high alert CBS News. Other nations expressed concern over the risks of a new war in the Middle East CBS News.
Retaliation and Regional Impact
Iran launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes, hitting a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain. Iranian officials stated their enemies would be “decisively defeated,” but reported no American service members were wounded or killed USAToday. Reports from Tehran indicated smoke rising from the capital as residents sought cover, and Iran reported 40 people were killed in a strike at a girl’s school in the south USAToday. More than 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces were affected by the US and Israeli strikes New York Times.
Trump’s Involvement
President Trump’s official schedule for February 28th included meetings related to his super PAC, MAGA Inc., with no other official events listed USAToday. He announced the strikes via social media, calling the Iranian regime “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people” USAToday.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.