Iran Retaliates as Explosions Rock Northern Israel

In a major escalation of conflict in the Middle East, the United States and Israel launched a massive joint military offensive against Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

The operation, which involved both air and sea strikes, hit numerous targets across the country, including an apparent strike near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in downtown Tehran

In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced it has initiated a “first wave” of retaliatory drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, while Bahrain confirmed that a missile strike also targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island nation.

Confirming the start of “major combat operations,” President Donald Trump stated in a video message that the offensive aims to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, which he claimed have continued to develop despite diplomatic efforts.

Trump appealed directly to the Iranian public to “take over your government,” framing the military action as a catalyst for popular regime change. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed this objective, asserting that the joint campaign was necessary to “remove an existential threat” and empower the Iranian people to reclaim their sovereignty.

The human and logistical impact of the conflict was immediate, as explosions were reported in several Iranian cities and thick smoke rose over Tehran.

While the condition of the 86-year-old Ayatollah Khamenei remains unknown, authorities in Tehran shut down roads leading to his compound and disabled mobile phone services across the capital.

In Israel, the military activated its air defense systems to intercept incoming Iranian fire over northern regions, prompting several hospitals to move patients and surgical operations into underground bunkers as sirens blared nationwide and in neighboring Jordan.

The regional fallout continues to widen as Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and Israel in support of Tehran.

Meanwhile, neighboring countries including Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have closed their airspaces to civilian traffic.

Despite reports from mediators suggesting that U.S.-Iran negotiations had recently made significant progress, the onset of these combat operations marks a definitive turn toward a large-scale regional war.