U.S. and Israel Launch Coordinated Military Strikes Against Iran as Trump Declares 'Major Combat Operations'
The U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, targeting military and nuclear infrastructure across multiple cities.
Overview
The United States and Israel launched a coordinated military campaign against Iran on February 28, 2026, striking military installations, intelligence facilities, and nuclear-linked infrastructure across multiple Iranian cities. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu named the Israeli operation “The Roar of the Lion,” according to CBS News, and said it was designed to “remove the existential threat” posed by Iran’s regime. U.S. President Donald Trump described the U.S. portion as a “massive and ongoing” military campaign, confirming that the U.S. military had begun “major combat operations in Iran,” as reported by NBC News. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the strikes as a “preemptive attack” intended to “remove threats to the State of Israel.”
What We Know
Explosions were reported across several Iranian cities within hours of the operation commencing. According to Al Jazeera, strikes in Tehran hit areas near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with smoke rising from the capital’s center. Missiles struck the district housing the presidential palace and the National Security Council, as well as University Street and the Jomhouri area. Additional explosions were reported in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah, Lorestan, and Tabriz.
Targets identified by U.S. and Israeli officials, as reported by NBC News, included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Directorate, missile launcher sites, unmanned aerial vehicle bases, and facilities associated with the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization. The operation was conducted through combined air and sea assets, including Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles and aircraft operating from bases across the Middle East and from at least one aircraft carrier.
According to CBS News, an Israeli security official told Reuters the operation had been planned for months, with the timing finalized weeks in advance. Khamenei was moved to a secure location outside Tehran prior to the strikes. Iran shut its airspace and mobile phone services were disrupted across parts of the capital.
Israel declared a nationwide state of emergency and closed its airspace. Citizens were instructed to remain near protected spaces, as noted in Euronews coverage. In response, the Israeli Defense Forces reported that Iran launched missiles toward Israel, with air raid sirens activated across multiple areas of the country.
An Iranian parliament member stated that the country had “started down a path whose end is no longer in your hands,” and an Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran was preparing a retaliation described as “crushing.”
Context: Collapsed Nuclear Talks
The strikes follow the breakdown of multiple rounds of nuclear negotiations held in Oman and Switzerland. According to CBS News, Trump’s core demand was that Iran accept zero uranium enrichment; Iran refused to abandon its enrichment program entirely. On February 26, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Iran was not currently enriching uranium but was “trying to get to the point where they ultimately can,” as reported by PBS NewsHour.
The February 28 strikes are the second major military campaign targeting Iran within nine months. In June 2025, U.S. forces carried out Operation Midnight Hammer, attacking the Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, the Natanz Nuclear Facility, and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center with B-2 Spirit stealth bombers carrying GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles. The Council on Foreign Relations reported that a classified intelligence assessment concluded the June 2025 strikes set Iran’s nuclear program back by less than six months — significantly less than the “complete destruction” claimed by Trump at the time. Iran had reportedly relocated much of its enriched uranium stockpile before those strikes and had since accelerated construction of deeper underground facilities.
Trump warned on January 28 of an attack “far worse” than the June campaign if Iran continued its nuclear activities, and on February 23 pressed advisers for military options, according to CBS News.
What We Don’t Know
Casualty figures had not been released by Iranian authorities at the time of publication. The extent of damage to nuclear facilities targeted in this round of strikes remains unconfirmed; satellite imagery and ground-level assessments were not yet available. Whether Iran’s missile launches against Israel resulted in interceptions or impacts was unconfirmed. The diplomatic response from Russia, China, and European allies — all parties to previous nuclear agreements — had not been formally issued. The scope of any planned Iranian asymmetric retaliation, including possible action in the Strait of Hormuz or via proxy forces, remained unclear.
Significance
The strikes represent a significant escalation in what has become an active military confrontation between Iran and a U.S.-Israel coalition. The Council on Foreign Relations has noted that repeated strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure risk undermining international nonproliferation norms, potentially signaling to other nations that nuclear transparency agreements offer no protection against attack. Iran has since accelerated construction of deeper underground facilities designed to be impervious to future bunker-busting munitions. The situation remains active and rapidly developing.