On the morning of February 28, Israel and the United States jointly struck key government and military facilities in Iran. In response, Iran attacked Israel and American military bases in neighboring countries, as well as the neighboring countries themselves. The editorial team of Kaktus.media has prepared a summary of the current information.
The operation by American forces was comprehensive and multi-layered, involving space forces, marine corps, ground troops, air force, and naval forces. Tomahawk missiles were launched from both ships and aircraft of the U.S. Air Force and Navy.
The strikes targeted facilities such as Tehran's airport, intelligence and missile installations, air defense systems, presidential and government buildings, as well as the port city of Bushehr, which houses a nuclear power plant. The residence of Ayatollah Khamenei was also completely destroyed. In addition to Tehran, the cities of Qom, Isfahan, Karaj, and Kermanshah were also hit.
American forces likely focused their efforts on destroying Iran's military facilities, while Israeli strikes targeted political infrastructure. This is explained by the fact that the Trump administration emphasized the elimination of Iran's nuclear and missile potential in support of Israel, rather than the overthrow of the current regime. U.S. President Donald Trump urged the Iranian people to "take control of their government."
Drones and ballistic missiles were also launched at Israel; however, at the initial stage, they were unable to overcome the air defense system. Subsequently, American facilities in Bahrain (including the U.S. Navy base management building), Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai (UAE), and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) were attacked. The geography of the attacks expanded, covering more countries in the Persian Gulf. Explosions were heard in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait, and Riyadh. In Dubai, four people were injured as a result of a strike on a hotel on Palm Jumeirah and a five-star hotel "Tower-Pearl." In Abu Dhabi, the airport was attacked, resulting in one death and seven injuries. In Kuwait, a drone attacked the airport, injuring several staff members. Iranian drones also struck Bahrain International Airport. In Israel, a missile hit a residential building, resulting in one woman's death and multiple injuries. The Israeli emergency service reported 121 injuries across the country.
According to media reports, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sent a radio signal to ships indicating that "no vessel may pass through the Strait of Hormuz." There was no official confirmation of this directive from Iran.
Internet access restrictions began in Iran, with connectivity levels dropping to 4% of normal, according to NetBlocks.
As a result of the U.S.-Israeli attacks, flights across the Middle East were canceled, and several countries closed their airspace, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, the UAE, Jordan, and Qatar. Flight tracking services showed clear skies over most of the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump reported that the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed as a result of the joint operation. Later, Iranian state media confirmed this information, announcing a 40-day mourning period in the country.
Israeli military also published a list of high-profile Iranian officials allegedly killed in the raids. The list includes Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Security Council head Ali Shamkhani, IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, intelligence officer Saleh Asadi, and others.
According to U.S. Central Command, American forces did not suffer any losses, and the damage from the attacks was "minimal" and did not affect the course of the operation.
Central Command also confirmed that "no U.S. Navy ship was hit."
Iran reports more than 200 deaths as a result of the U.S. and Israeli attacks, including over 100 girls who died in a strike on a girls' school. The Fars agency confirmed the death of four family members of the supreme leader of Iran, including his daughter and grandson.
In an interview with Axios, Donald Trump stated that he has several options for further action, including long-term efforts to "capture" the country. He expressed satisfaction with the course of the operation, noting: "I can prolong the process and take full control or finish it in two to three days and tell the Iranians: 'See you in a few years if you start to restore' the country's nuclear potential." According to the U.S. president, it will take Iran "several years" to recover from the strikes.
In announcing Khamenei's death, Trump added: "Massive and targeted bombings will continue throughout the week or as long as necessary to achieve our goal - PEACE."
