The Daily Star
Key updates:
- 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces ‘affected in attacks’, Iran’s Red Crescent Society says
- At least 51 people killed in Israeli attack on school in southern Iran: State media
- Israel’s operation against Iran was coordinated with US, Israeli official says
- Trump says US carrying out ‘major combat operations’ in Iran
- Trump says US ‘may have casualties’ in Iran attack
- Iran attack should allow Iranians to take destiny into their own hands, Netanyahu says
- US strikes on Iran being carried out by air, sea, official says
- Tehran preparing for retaliation, Iranian official says
- Russia suspends flights to Iran and Israel
- Iran’s supreme leader not in Tehran, transferred to secure location, official says
- US Embassy in Qatar implements shelter-in-place for all personnel after Israeli strikes on Iran
- Israeli airspace closed to civilian flights, airports authority says
- Loud blasts and columns of smoke in Tehran: AFP journalists
Israel launched an attack against Iran on Saturday, and a United States attack is underway, plunging the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s nuclear dispute with the West.
The US military initiated a series of strikes against targets in Iran, two US officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The scope of the air and sea operations was not immediately clear. Iran was preparing a crushing retaliation, an Iranian official told Reuters.
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 follows a 12-day air war in June between Israel and Iran and repeated U.S.-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Follow live updates:
9:27pm
Drone targets Kuwait International Airport
A drone has targeted Kuwait International Airport, resulting in “minor injuries” to a number of employees, in addition to “limited material damage” to the passenger building, according to The General Authority of Civil Aviation in Kuwait.
Its official spokesperson, Abdullah al-Rajhi, stated that the authorities immediately initiated “approved emergency procedures, where the incident was handled, and the site was secured”.
Al Jazeera
9:25pm
Iran Guards launch new wave of missiles against US bases in Gulf: state TV
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have launched a new wave of missiles against US bases in the Gulf, state TV reported Saturday, in response to the Israeli and US strikes on the Islamic republic.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “has started a new wave of missile attacks against American bases”, state TV reported, citing the IRGC.
AFP
9:12pm
Iran’s foreign minister says Khamenei alive ‘as far as I know’: Report
In an interview with NBC News, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is alive “as far as I know”.
Here are some of his other remarks:
- Trump’s message about regime change in Iran is “mission impossible”
- He said there is no communication with the US as of now, adding that is Washington wants to talk, they know how to reach out to the Iranians. But he added that attacks should stop before there is a possibility to talk.
- He said one or two commanders were killed, but most officials were alive.
- The diplomat stressed that there is a possibility of reaching a deal which can guarantee that Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful.
- Iran does not have the capability to hit the US and will not build missiles that could do that
Al Jazeera
8:43pm
At least 70 killed in southern Iran province: Official tells Iranian news agency
The head of Hormozgan Medical Sciences says at least 70 people have been killed and more than 90 wounded in attacks on Minab and Jask, both in Hormozogan province in southern Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency is reporting.
Earlier, it was reported that a strike hit an elementary girls’ school in Minab, killing more than 50 people.
The numbers could not be immediately verified.
8:38pm
‘All I want is freedom for the people’: Trump
The US president has given a brief remark to the Washington Post, the first comment since his recorded video message earlier today.
“I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have,” Trump claimed. “All I want is freedom for the people.”
Iranian state media has reported more than 50 people were killed in a strike that hit an elementary girls’ school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran.
In the video posted on Truth Social overnight, Trump had encouraged the Iranian people to take over their government, saying it would “be probably your only chance for generations.”
Al Jazeera
8.25pm
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE leaders condemn Iranian strikes
A statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Iran targeted Riyadh and the kingdom’s eastern region, adding that the attacks were repelled.
“These attacks cannot be justified under any pretext or in any way, and they came despite the Iranian authorities knowing that the Kingdom had confirmed that it would not allow its airspace and territory to be used to target Iran,” it added.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has discussed the situation in the region with the president of the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement from his office.
Sheikh Tamim and the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan condemned the targeting of Qatar, the UAE, and other Arab countries by Iranian missiles, the statement said.
“Their Highnesses affirmed the solidarity of the two countries with all brotherly Arab countries that are subjected to aggression, and the continuation of joint coordination in a way that preserves the security of the region and the dignity of its peoples,” it added.
7.56pm
Iran defence minister, Guards commander killed in Israeli attacks, three sources say
Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour are believed to have been killed in Israeli attacks, two sources familiar with Israel’s military operations and one regional source said.
However, Iran’s foreign minister refuted the claim and said all high-ranking officials were ‘alive’.
Reuters
7:50pm
20 of Iran’s 31 provinces ‘affected in attacks’
More than 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces have been impacted by US and Israeli strikes launched today, Iran’s Red Crescent Society said.
“Up until now, more than 20 provinces have been affected in attacks,” spokesman Mojtaba Khaledi said, according to state media.
AFP
7:45pm
Israel believes its attacks killed several senior Iranian officials
Israel believes its attacks have killed several senior Iranian officials, a source briefed on the military’s operations told Reuters.
Reuters
7:40pm
US senator says Trump’s attack on Iran ‘illegal and unconstitutional’
US Senator Edward J Markey has called Trump’s military attack on Iran “illegal and unconstitutional”.
“It was not approved by Congress and holds dangers for all Americans. Trump’s illegal actions raise the threat of escalation into a wider regional war with grave risks for U.S. troops and civilians in the region. Trump has consistently exaggerated the imminence of Iran’s nuclear threat, even after insisting the United States ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program during his illegal Operation Midnight Hammer attack.” he said in a statement.
“Even Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted Iran is not enriching uranium. There was time for diplomacy before this attack, and there still is,” Markey added, calling for a diplomatic solution.
“This is a crisis of Trump’s creation. Americans do not want another endless war in the Middle East. They do not want to see young men and women sent overseas for endless warfare while families at home cannot afford health care. If Trump does not stop this war now, Congress must. No more war with Iran.”
7:18pm
Multiple Arab states that host US assets targeted in Iran retaliation
Iran has targeted US assets across the Gulf Arab states in retaliation for a huge joint attack on Iran by the US and Israel, as the region’s worst fears of being ignited in the flames of a sustained war loom.
The Iranian government on Saturday confirmed its attacks on several targets, according to the Fars news agency, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where US airbases are hosted.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed all Israeli and US military targets in the Middle East have been struck “by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles”.
Al Jazeera
6:48pm
At least 51 people killed in Israeli attack on school in southern Iran: State media
The number of people killed in Israeli attack on the girls’ elementary school in Iran’s southern city of Minab has risen to 51, with 60 others injured, according the IRNA news agency.
Mohammad Radmehr, a city official, was quoted by the agency as saying that Israel “directly attacked” the school this morning.
He said 170 students were in the facility when the strike happened, so there was a possibility that the death toll would rise again as the rescue operation was still under way.
Al Jazeera
6:41pm
Two students killed in strike on school near Tehran
Iran’s Mehr news agency is reporting that at least two students have been killed by an attack that hit a school east of the capital, Tehran.
Earlier, an Israeli strike hit an elementary girls’ school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, killing 40 people, state media reported.
Al Jazeera
6:27pm
Four people killed in Syria after an Iranian missile falls on building, state media reports
Four people were killed and several others wounded when an Iranian missile struck a building in the southern Syrian city of Sweida on Saturday, the state news agency SANA said.
Other missile debris fell in the city of Quneitra and the Yarmouk Basin in Daraa province in southern Syria, according to Reuters witnesses and videos shared by residents.
The sounds of warplanes were heard repeatedly in the skies over Syria on Saturday, after the United States and Israel announced a military operation against Iran.
Dozens of interceptor missiles were seen in the skies over Damascus, according to two witnesses, one of them a Reuters reporter.
Reuters
5:20pm
Iranian missiles target Israel again, efforts under way to intercept: Army
The Israeli army is trying to intercept a new wave of Iranian missiles that were launched “a short while ago”, the military statement says.
“A short while ago, sirens were sounded in several areas across the country following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel,” it said. “At this time, the Israeli Air Force is operating to intercept and strike threats where necessary to remove the threat.”
“The defense is not hermetic, and therefore it is essential that the public continue to adhere to the Home Front Command’s guidelines. The public is requested to continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command,” the alert said.
Al Jazeera
5:00pm
IRGC says Iran’s military operation to continue ‘until the enemy is decisively defeated’
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims all Israeli and US military targets in the Middle East have been struck “by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles”.
“This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated,” it said.
All US assets throughout the region are considered legitimate targets for Iran’s army, it added.
Al Jazeera
4:40pm
Five killed in Israeli attack on elementary school in Iran
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency has reported that an Israeli strike hit an elementary girl’s school in Minab, a city located in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran.
It added that five students were killed.
Al Jazeera
4:18pm
At least two killed in attack on Iraq base
A bombing that targeted an Iraqi military base housing a pro-Iran group killed at least two people, Iraqi authorities said Saturday.
The United States and Israel have launched strikes against Iran, with US President Donald Trump vowing to “annihilate” the country’s navy and missile sites.
The Jurf al-Sakher base, also known as Jurf al-Nasr, in southern Iraq belongs to Hashed al-Shaabi or the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a former paramilitary group now integrated into the regular army.
But the base mostly hosts the powerful pro-Iran group Kataeb Hezbollah.
A source from Kataeb Hezbollah told AFP that “there are two martyrs from Kataeb and another five wounded in the aggression on the Jurf al-Nasr base.”
The Iraqi government’s security media cell announced that “at 11:50 am (0850 GMT), the Jurf al-Nasr area… was targeted by several airstrikes, resulting in the martyrdom of two people.”
It also wounded three others.
The Hashed al-Shaabi confirmed the attack and the casualties.
A source in the Hashed al-Shaabi told AFP: “It is not clear yet if the attack was carried out by the Americans or the Israelis”.
The US-blacklisted Kataeb has several brigades that operate within the Hashed al-Shaabi. It is also part of the Iran-backed so-called “axis of resistance” and has a reputation for acting on its own.
The group warned the US on Thursday of “immense losses” were it to start a war in the region, and it urged its fighters “to prepare for a potentially long war of attrition”.
AFP
4:02pm
At least one person killed in Abu Dhabi after UAE intercepts several Iranian missiles: Report
At least one person has been killed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, after several missiles launched from Iran were intercepted, according to the country’s state news agency.
The UAE said “this attack is a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law”. It added “it reserves its full right to respond to this escalation”.
Al Jazeera
4:00pm
Russia’s Medvedev chides Trump ‘the peacemaker’ over attack on Iran
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s powerful Security Council, chided US President Donald Trump on Saturday for the attack on Iran and questioned Washington’s staying power given the relatively short history of the United States compared to that of Persia’s civilisation.
“The peacemaker once again showed his face,” Medvedev, a former Russian president, said. “All negotiations with Iran are a cover operation. No one doubted it. No one really wanted to negotiate anything.”
“The question is who has more patience to wait for the inglorious end of their enemy. The USA is only 249 years old. The Persian Empire was founded more than 2,500 years ago. Let’s see in 100 years…”
Reuters
3:10pm
Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon’s al-Tuffah region, Markaba: Reports
Israeli air strikes have targeted Blat and Wadi Barghouti in several strikes in southern Lebanon’s Iqlim al-Tuffah region, in the latest violation of a ceasefire reached in November 2024 between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground.
The Israeli military said its forces were launching attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. This is the usual army line, but civilians and civilian infrastructure have been targeted in the ongoing near-daily Israeli attacks.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent noted that no casualties have been reported so far, with most of the raids targeting open areas amid forests and hills, and added that Israeli army aircraft continue to fly over southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel confirmed that the Israeli army aircraft targeted the heights of the al-Tuffah region with a series of raids. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported that Israeli “quadcopter” drones dropped explosive devices for the third time in the town of Markaba.
Al Jazeera
02:50pm
Trump says US ‘may have casualties’ in Iran attack
President Donald Trump warned Saturday that US forces could take casualties in what he called a massive attack on Iran to destroy the country’s military and spark a popular revolt against the government.
“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties,” Trump said in his video address announcing the start of the bombing campaign.
AFP
02:47pm
Warplanes and missiles seen in Iraq’s airspace: witnesses, military source
Warplanes and missiles were seen flying through Iraqi airspace as Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, witnesses and a military source told AFP.
The military source said on condition of anonymity “our forces detected warplanes from the direction of Israel that crossed the airspace over Baghdad” and other provinces, adding that missiles were also seen flying over the northern province of Kirkuk.
“We saw several missiles flying at a low altitude” near the district of Dakuk in Kirkuk, two witnesses said. A soldier in the city of Ramadi in western Iraq told AFP he saw warplanes flying overhead.
AFP
02:40pm
Blasts heard over Jerusalem: AFP journalists
AFP journalists heard several blasts over Jerusalem on Saturday following air raid sirens in the city, after the Israeli military said it had detected multiple barrages of missiles launched from Iran.
“An additional barrage of missiles was launched towards the State of Israel. The public is requested to continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command, the public is requested to stay in protected spaces until official notice,” the military said in a statement.
AFP
02:38pm
Emergency sirens sound in Bahrain, home of US fleet, after strikes on Iran: interior ministry.
AFP
02:35pm
US calls Iran strikes ‘OPERATION EPIC FURY’
The Pentagon said on Saturday that US strikes against Iran were named “OPERATION EPIC FURY.”
Reuters
02:30pm
Son of Iran’s late shah says ‘final victory’ near
The son of Iran’s last shah voiced confidence Saturday in victory against the Islamic republic after the United States and Israel launched an attack.
Reza Pahlavi released a video message online shortly after the strikes, suggesting coordination after he repeatedly urged President Donald Trump to intervene.
“We are very close to final victory. I want to be by your side as soon as possible so that together we can take back and rebuild Iran,” said Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the Washington area.
Pahlavi, who has called for a secular democracy in Iran but does not enjoy universal support among the Islamic republic’s critics, called on Iranians to wait but eventually take to the streets.
AFP
02:27pm
Iran attack should allow Iranians to take destiny into their own hands, Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran launched on Saturday “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.”
“The time has come for all sections of the people in Iran … to remove the yoke of tyranny from (the regime) and bring a free and peace-loving Iran,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Reuters
02:10pm
Army says additional barrage of missiles launched towards Israel
The Israeli military said Saturday it had identified an additional barrage of missiles launched towards Israel, after it announced it was striking targets in Iran.
“An additional barrage of missiles was launched towards the State of Israel,” the military said.
“The public is requested to continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command. The public is requested to stay in protected spaces until official notice.”
AFP
01:53pm
Russia suspends flights to Iran and Israel
The Russian Ministry of Transport said on Saturday that Russian air carriers had suspended flights to Iran and Israel.
Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday, 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.
The ministry said that in connection with the closure of Iranian and Israeli airspace, Russian air carriers, in cooperation with the ministry and Rosaviatsiya aviation watchdog had worked out alternative flight routes in advance to ensure safe flights to the Persian Gulf countries.
Flight times will increase due to the longer distances, it said.
Reuters
01:45pm
Trump says US carrying out ‘major combat operations’ in Iran
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States had begun “major combat operations” in Iran.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said in a video shared on social media.
Reuters
01:44pm
Israel opposition leader vows to ‘stand together’ after strikes on Iran
Israel’s main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, vowed to “stand together” with the ruling government and the military, after Israel launched strikes on arch-foe Iran on Saturday.
“In moments like these we stand together — and we win together. There is no coalition and no opposition, only one people and one IDF, with all of us behind them,” Lapid posted on X.
AFP
Caption A woman runs for cover following an explosion, after Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran, in Tehran, Iran February 28, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
01:32pm
US strikes focused on military targets, CNN reports
US strikes on Iran are focused on military targets, CNN reported on Saturday, citing a US official.
Reuters
01:27pm
Israeli strikes on Iran target ‘military sites and ballistic missiles’: public broadcaster
Israeli strikes on Iran were targeting “regime and military sites including ballistic missiles”, the Kan public broadcaster reported, citing an Israeli official.
“Israeli official: Regime targets and military sites are being attacked — including ballistic missiles,” appeared on the ticker of the Kan 11 television channel.
AFP
01:26pm
Tehran preparing for retaliation, Iranian official says
Tehran is preparing for retaliation after Israel launched an attack against Iran on Saturday, with the response set to be crushing, an Iranian official told Reuters.
Reuters
01:20pm
US strikes on Iran being carried out by air, sea, official says
US strikes against Iran are being carried out by air and sea, a US official told Reuters on Saturday.
Reuters
01:11pm
Iraq shuts airspace as Israel launches strike on Iran
The Iraq transport ministry said on Saturday it closed national airspace after Israel launched what its defence minister said was a pre-emptive attack against Iran, the state news agency said.
Reuters
01:05pm
Iran closes airspace until further notice: civil aviation
AFP
12:59pm
Israel’s operation against Iran was coordinated with US, Israeli official says
The Israeli operation against Iran on Saturday was coordinated with the U.S., an Israeli defence official told Reuters.
The operation was planned for months and the launch date was decided weeks ago, the official added.
Reuters
12:55pm
Iran’s supreme leader not in Tehran, transferred to secure location, official says
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location, an official told Reuters on Saturday.
Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday, with multiple explosions reported in Tehran.
Reuters
12:46pm
US Embassy in Qatar implements shelter-in-place for all personnel after Israeli strikes on Iran
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar implemented shelter-in-place for all personnel, recommending that all of its citizens to do the same until further notice. The move comes after Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday.
Reuters
12:43pm
Israeli airspace closed to civilian flights, airports authority says
Israeli closed its airspace to civilian flights on Saturday, the airport’s authority said on Saturday after Israel launched what defense minister said was a pre-emptive attack against Iran.
Reuters
12:32pm
Israeli military announces closure of workplaces, schools after attack on Iran
The Israeli military on Saturday announced a “prohibition on educational activities, gatherings, and workplaces” after Israel launched what the defence minister said was a pre-emptive attack against Iran.
“Essential sectors” were exempted, the military said.
Reuters
12:27pm
Israel military triggers sirens to prepare for possible missile attack
Israel’s military on Saturday said it had protectively sounded air raid sirens in areas across the country “to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward Israel.”
Reuters
12:26pm
Months of planning with US, Israel says
An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with Washington, and that the launch date was decided weeks ago.
Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, and sirens sounded across Israel around 8.15 am 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 US and Iran renewed negotiations in February to try 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.
In 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 then 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.
Reuters
12:24pm
Loud blasts and columns of smoke in Tehran: AFP journalists
Two loud blasts were heard in Tehran on Saturday morning by AFP journalists, and two plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the Iranian capital.
“The type of explosions suggests that this is a missile attack,” the Fars news agency reported, without immediately providing further details.
