By Reuters – published by CNA and Agencies – published by DW
ISRAEL said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran in coordination with the United States on Saturday (Feb. 28), pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West.
An Israeli defence official told Reuters that the attack was coordinated with the US and was planned for months, with its launch date decided weeks ago.
The New York Times, citing a US official, reported that US strikes on Iran were underway. A source told Reuters that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.
The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war last June, follows repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Explosions were heard across Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, and sirens sounded across Israel at around 8.15 a.m. local time in what the military said was a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of an incoming missile strike.
The Israeli military announced the closure of schools and workplaces, with exceptions for essential sectors, and a ban on public airspace. Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights, and the airports authority asked the public not to go to any of the country’s airports.
The Associated Press news agency reported that the first apparent strike happened near the offices of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei had been in his offices at the time.
He hasn’t been seen publicly in days amid growing tensions with the US.
An Israeli official told AP targets in the Israeli campaign included Iran’s military, symbols of government and intelligence targets.
Meanwhile, an Iranian official told Reuters that Khamenei was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.
The US and Iran renewed negotiations in February in a bid to resolve the decades-long dispute through diplomacy and avert the threat of a military confrontation that could destabilise the region.
Israel, however, insisted that any US deal with Iran must include the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, not just stopping the enrichment process, and lobbied Washington to include restrictions on Iran’s missile programme in the talks.
Iran said it was prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions, but ruled out linking the issue to missiles.
Tehran also said it would defend itself against any attack.
It warned neighbouring countries hosting US troops that it would retaliate against American bases if Washington struck Iran.
Last June, the US joined an Israeli military campaign against Iranian nuclear installations, in the most direct American military action ever against the Islamic Republic.
Tehran retaliated by launching missiles toward the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest in the Middle East.
Western powers have warned that Iran’s ballistic missile project threatens regional stability and could deliver nuclear weapons if developed. Tehran denies seeking atomic bombs
CAPTIONS:
Top – A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on Feb. 28, 2026. Photo: AFP and published by CNA
Front Page – A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on Feb. 28, 2026. Photo: AFP/Atta Kenare and published by CNA
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