Tehran: Explosions have rocked Iran’s capital after the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on targets in Iran, with multiple missiles reported to have struck key areas of Tehran.
Iranian media outlets reported that missiles hit University Street and the Jomhouri district, sending plumes of smoke across the skyline. The media reports stated that additional explosions struck the northern Seyyed Khandan area, indicating that attacks were extending to the western province of Ilam.
Washington and Tel Aviv cite security threats
US President Donald Trump described the operation as a pre-emptive move against what he called imminent threats from the Iranian regime, stating that American forces had begun a major combat operation aimed at protecting US citizens.
President Donald J. Trump on the United States military combat operations in Iran: pic.twitter.com/LimJmpLkgZ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said the missile campaign was intended to remove threats to the State of Israel, framing the strikes as a defensive necessity.
Officials said the joint operation involved air and naval forces after months of military buildup in the region, even as Washington and Tehran engaged in indirect negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Key sites targeted, communications disrupted
One strike occurred near offices linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Reports indicated Khamenei had been moved to a secure location outside the capital before the attack.
Communications across Tehran were severely affected. Journalist Maziar Motamedi reported that mobile networks in several districts went down immediately after the strikes, leaving residents unable to make calls.
Region on high alert
Iranian officials warned of a crushing retaliation as air-raid sirens sounded across Israel and a nationwide state of emergency was declared. Israeli authorities issued public alerts about possible incoming missile fire, while the Israel Airports Authority closed national airspace to civilian flights.
Security measures rippled across the region. The US embassy in Qatar ordered personnel to shelter in place, and Iraq shut down its airspace as a precaution.
Analysts warn of derailment of diplomacy
Experts say the strikes could collapse ongoing diplomatic efforts. Mehran Kamrava of the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies and Georgetown University in Qatar suggested the operation appeared designed to derail negotiations between Washington and Tehran over nuclear issues.
With military forces mobilising across the Middle East and fears of retaliation mounting, the confrontation marks one of the most dangerous escalations in the region in years, raising concerns of a broader conflict that could draw in multiple countries.
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