U.S. and Israel Launch Major Attack on Iran; Region Erupts in Retaliatory Strikes

The United States and Israel launched a sweeping joint military assault on Iran on Saturday, February 28, striking at a moment that stunned diplomats worldwide: just two days after the most intensive round of nuclear negotiations the two sides had yet conducted. The third round of indirect U.S.-Iran talks, mediated by Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi in Geneva on February 26, had ended with what many described as a genuine breakthrough. Iran had agreed never to stockpile enriched uranium, a concession al-Busaidi called unprecedented, and he declared that "a peace deal is within our reach if we just allow diplomacy the space it needs to get there."

On Friday, al-Busaidi flew to Washington to brief Vice President JD Vance, telling reporters he believed all outstanding issues could be resolved within months. That same Friday, Trump told reporters he was "not happy" with the talks but appeared to indicate he would give negotiators more time. Strikes began the following morning.

The attack itself was broad and devastating. Trump announced that the U.S. had begun "a major combat operation" aimed at eliminating threats from Iran while Israel simultaneously targeted Iranian military and political leadership. Israeli officials said their strikes hit Iran's military and nuclear-related infrastructure, and airspace across Israel, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and parts of Syria was closed.

Explosions were reported across Tehran, including in residential neighborhoods. Iran's government said a missile struck a girls' elementary school in southern Hormozgan province, killing dozens of students. The Iranian Red Crescent reported more than 200 people dead and roughly 700 injured. The fate of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remained contested: Israeli officials claimed he had been killed in a strike on his compound, Trump confirmed the report on social media, but Iran denied it, with state media saying he was commanding from the field.

Iran responded within hours. Tehran declared that all American and Israeli assets and interests in the region were legitimate targets, and launched strikes against Israel and U.S. military bases across the Gulf. Missiles hit Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Jordan said it shot down two ballistic missiles, and Abu Dhabi reported one fatality from intercepted shrapnel. Satellite imagery had shown earlier in the week that U.S. Navy vessels normally docked in Bahrain had been moved out to sea, a precaution similar to one taken before a prior Iranian attack on Gulf bases last June.

Iran's Foreign Ministry noted bitterly that the assault came while indirect negotiations were still actively underway, with a fourth round of talks and technical discussions in Vienna having been scheduled for the following week.

The international response was immediate and alarmed. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the escalation from both sides, saying the strikes undermined international peace and security. France's Emmanuel Macron called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, which convened Saturday afternoon. At the Council Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchim who days earlier had called the Geneva talks "the most intense and longest round of negotiations" yet, told reporters the attack came as diplomacy was still alive.

Back in Washington, thousands of protesters took to the streets within hours of the attack being announced. Crowds gathered near the White House and Lafayette Square. Similar demonstrations broke out in New York City, where protesters chanted opposition to the strikes.

Trump says 'heavy and pinpoint bombing' will continue 'uninterrupted' through the week or longer.