Israel and US launch strikes on Iran

Israel and the United States launched coordinated military strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, with Israel conducting a pre-emptive attack and the U.S. initiating a series of air and sea operations, citing Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs as threats to regional security. The Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the operation, stating it had been planned for months in coordination with Washington. Explosions were reported in Tehran, and Israel activated air raid sirens across the country at approximately 8:15 a.m. local time, with schools and non-essential businesses ordered to close and civilian airspace restricted. In response, an Iranian official indicated that Iran was preparing a "crushing retaliation," with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly moved to a secure location. The military action comes after 12 days of air conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025, and despite renewed U.S.-Iran diplomatic efforts in February 2026 aimed at resolving the decades-long nuclear dispute. While Iran had expressed willingness to discuss nuclear program limitations in exchange for sanctions relief, it rejected linking this to its missile program. Israel insisted any agreement must include dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure rather than merely stopping enrichment, lobbying Washington to impose restrictions on Iran's missile development. The strikes have plunged the Middle East into renewed military confrontation, with Iran warning neighboring countries hosting U.S. troops that it would retaliate against American bases if attacked. The development follows the most direct U.S. military action against Iran to date, which occurred in June 2025 when American forces joined Israeli operations against Iranian nuclear installations, prompting Iranian missile strikes on the U.S. Al Udeid air base in Qatar. Western powers have consistently warned that Iran's ballistic missile program threatens regional stability and could potentially deliver nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies.