A joint military strike by the United States and Israel on Iran, which started on Saturday morning, triggered a sharp escalation across the Middle East, setting off waves of missile exchanges, mounting casualties, and far-reaching political and security repercussions.
On February 28, around 0620 GMT, Xinhua reporters in Tehran reported hearing explosions in the Iranian capital. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed a "preemptive" strike on Iran and declared a nationwide state of emergency. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel, with emergency alerts sent to civilians. Iran's Fars news agency reported multiple missile strikes in central Tehran, with additional explosions in Isfahan, Qom, and Kermanshah. Reports also indicated a strike near the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's office. Israeli media, citing security sources, reported the operation was a joint U.S.-Israeli strike.
Both Israel and Iran closed their airspace. Israeli and U.S. assessments concluded that negotiations with Iran were no longer viable. Washington said the strikes aimed to dismantle Iran's security apparatus. U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington had launched a large-scale military campaign to destroy Iran's missile industry, naval forces, and nuclear capabilities. An Israeli source said the first phase would last four days and target senior leadership, including Khamenei.
Iranian media said Tehran was preparing "crushing" retaliation. Missile launches from Iran were detected, with explosions reported in northern Israel. Civilians were ordered into shelters. The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced large-scale missile and drone attacks. A senior Iranian official said retaliation would have "no red lines." Explosions were reported across Israel, causing damage in Haifa. Iranian media reported strikes on U.S. military bases across the region, including in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan.
On March 1, Iranian media confirmed that Khamenei had been killed. The government declared 40 days of national mourning. Earlier, Donald Trump said on social media that Khamenei was "dead" and that military operations would continue. CBS News, citing U.S. officials, reported that around 40 Iranian officials, including Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, were killed.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran had prepared contingency plans for the post-Khamenei period. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said an interim leadership council would be formed and a new supreme leader selected. The IRGC claimed it launched four ballistic missiles at the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, saying its retaliatory strikes against the United States and Israel had entered a "new phase." The Pentagon confirmed that three U.S. troops were killed in the U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, marking the first American casualties of the conflict.
The IRGC said it struck three oil tankers belonging to the United States and Britain in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, with the vessels reported on fire, according to its official outlet Sepah News. The Israeli military said it had achieved "air superiority in the skies over Tehran" following a wave of airstrikes targeting Iran's capital. The killing of Khamenei, 86, opened the air offensive launched this weekend by Israel and the US in an effort to overthrow the radical clerical regime in Tehran, plunging the Middle East into renewed chaos and violence.
