In a post made at 1:44 a.m. on February 28 2026, President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations” against Iran, following a campaign of bombing in coordination with Israel in the country. In the eight minute post on X and Truth Social, Trump invokes a supposed history of anti-American sentiment and activities from the Iranian “regime.” Among these activities include accusations of the Iranian government funding terror groups, as well as Iran’s support for Hamas in the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, it appears the main justification from Trump is a concern about a supposed nuclear weapons program in Iran, discussing how it could be a threat to American allies, American bases in the region, and eventually, a threat to the “American homeland.”
The reported goals, as shared by Trump, is to stop the development of a nuclear weapon, and to install a new regime in the country, calling upon the people and military of Iran to lay down their arms and “take over their government.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed their involvement in the strike, stating “our joint operation will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands.”
AP News has reported that the American strikes have been focused on Iran’s capital, Tehran. It is further reported that shortly after the initial American-Israeli strike, Iran launched dozens of missiles in retaliation, targeting American bases in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as targets in Israel. Though no official war has been declared by the United States, as such would require approval from Congress, it seems all but inevitable that this will continue to develop. This is in stark contrast to last year’s operation in Iran, Operation Midnight Hammer, which was communicated as a swift military action to disable sites supposedly producing nuclear weapons.
Continuing from reports from AP News, the United Nations has scheduled an emergency session to be held regarding the outbreak of conflict in the region, while leaders in the Middle East scramble to establish communications and are their responses. As of the time of writing, the fate of the Ayatollah is still uncertain as of the time of writing, with Israeli intelligence confirming his death while Iranian sources claim he is still alive. While Khamenei’s situation is unconfirmed, the fate of 51 elementary school children are not, as various videos out of Tehran show the aftermath of one elementary school after the initial bombing.
As the day progressed, multiple countries published their responses. The Russian Federation and the Peoples Republic of China both issued condemnations of the attack. The United Kingdom confirmed that they provided air support in the attack, and has since spoken with the United States. Both the French Republic and other European allies have condemned the attack, while simultaneously stating that Iran should not ever attain nuclear weapons. As of the evening of February 28, Iran has confirmed at least 200 causalities of war, while Israel has confirmed one. Strikes continued to spread across both Iran and the greater Middle East. Among those struck is the world’s largest building, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. Trump confirmed that the strikes will continue “throughout the week or, as long as necessary” on social media.
The ultimate fate of Iran, Israel, and indeed the entire situation in the Middle East will likely remain uncertain for the near future. However, what is certain is that these actions will likely result in the deaths of hundreds, likely thousands or more, including those complicit in war and those who are not.