US and Israel strike Iran, sparking regional missile attacks

The United States and Israel launched major strikes on Iran today (February 28), targeting top leaders in an operation that sparked missile attacks across the Middle East and raised fears of a wider war.

The first wave of strikes, named “OPERATION EPIC FURY” by the Pentagon, focused mainly on senior Iranian officials.

An Israeli official said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were targeted, but their condition was unclear. A source earlier said Khamenei had been moved to a secure location outside Tehran.

An Iranian source said several senior commanders in the Revolutionary Guards and political officials were killed. Iranian state media also reported that 40 people died in an Israeli airstrike on a girls’ primary school in southern Iran.

Iran responded by firing missiles at Israel and warning it would strike U.S. interests across the region. Explosions were heard in oil-producing Gulf states.

The United Arab Emirates reported blasts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, while Bahrain said the service center of the U.S. Fifth Fleet was hit by a missile. Qatar said it intercepted all incoming missiles.

Explosions were also reported near Kharg Island, through which Iran exports most of its crude oil via the Strait of Hormuz. Global airlines canceled flights across the Middle East, and analysts warned oil prices could jump sharply if fighting continues.

President Donald Trump said the operation aimed to remove what he called an imminent security threat and prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He urged Iranians to stay sheltered and called on them to “take over your government” once the strikes end.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a joint effort to create conditions for change in Iran. Defence Minister Israel Katz called it a pre-emptive strike to remove threats to Israel.

The campaign is expected to last several days. A U.S. official said air and sea operations are ongoing.

The conflict has dimmed hopes for a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear dispute with the West. Recent indirect talks between Washington and Tehran failed to make progress. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons but says it will not negotiate limits on its missile program.

In Tehran, witnesses reported long lines at banks and gas stations as people rushed to prepare for possible further strikes. Some feared internet blackouts that could cut communication with relatives abroad.

Iraq-based armed group Kataib Hezbollah, which is aligned with Iran, said it would soon attack U.S. bases in the region.

The strikes follow a 12-day air war between Israel and Iran last June and months of U.S. military buildup in the region. Israeli officials said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with Washington.

Israel closed its airspace, schools and most workplaces as the conflict escalated.