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 have said, as the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
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The Islamic Republic retaliated with barrages of missiles at Gulf states and Israel, targeting US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, sparking fears of a wider regional war.
Satellite imagery captured by Airbus shows multiple structures within a secure Tehran compound that appear heavily damaged or destroyed. The site is widely understood to function as the official residence and administrative compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that “as far as I know” both Iran’s supreme leader and president were still alive. He conceded that several Iranian commanders may have been killed but said “this is not a big problem.”
“All high ranking officials are alive. So everybody is now in its position, and we are handling this situation, and everything is fine,” Araghchi said.
The death toll from what Iran says was an attack on a girls school in the province of Minab has risen to 85, according to state news agency IRIB News.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned what he called a “cowardly attack” on Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school, adding that it had “caused deep pain to the hearts of the Iranian nation and all free people of the world.”
“This brutal act is another dark page in the record of countless crimes by aggressors against this land and will never be erased from the historical memory of our nation,” Pezeshkian said.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that the armed forces have begun a “crushing response” to the US and Israeli attacks.
Iranian state television reported attacks on four US bases across the region: “The Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain have been targeted by Iranian missile strikes.”
A text message sent out to cellphones in Iran said that Iran will deliver a “more forceful” response than the 12-day war with the US and Israel last summer.
At least one person has been killed in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates confirmed, after falling debris fell on a residential area, also causing “some material damage.”
The UAE’s defence ministry called the attacks “a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law.”
As of now, there are no reported American casualties from Iran’s retaliatory strikes, according to two US officials. The officials said there is damage to infrastructure in Bahrain after Iran struck the Fifth Fleet, but it’s not clear if the damage is on the base or not.
Kuwait International Airport was also targeted by a drone, resulting in minor injuries to “a number of employees” and some damage to Terminal 1.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke after conducting their joint attack on Iran.
Trump, who monitored the situation overnight at Mar-a-Lago alongside members of his national security team, said in a video statement that his objective is “to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
“All I want is freedom for the people,” Trump said in a brief phone interview. “I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have.”
Netanyahu said the joint military action would “create the conditions for the courageous Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.”
So far in the military operation, Israel targeted Iranian leaders, while the US targeted Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, according to two US officials.
Israel targeted three sites where senior Iranian officials were gathering, an Israeli military official said. “Several senior figures essential to the management of the campaign and the regime’s governance were eliminated.”
The Israeli military official said the US and Israel had worked jointly “for thousands of hours” to develop a bank of targets in Iran.
Michael Herzog, the former Israeli ambassador to the US, said, “There’s overwhelming support here in Israel for this operation.”
He added that Israelis expected Iran to retaliate, saying, “nobody is surprised that they fired back.”
“The idea is to, among the other things, to degrade the regime, send wave shocks into the Iranian system that will weaken the regime, empower the people, and ultimately hasten the demise of the regime,” Herzog said.
Germany, France and Britain condemned Iranian attacks on countries in the region on Saturday, saying Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes and resume negotiations.
“We condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms,” French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement.
“We call for a resumption of negotiations and urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future,” they said.
The leaders said their countries did not participate in strikes on Saturday.
The United Nations Security Council called a meeting for later today following the joint attack on Iran.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the military escalation. “The use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security,” Guterres said.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on Iran as “a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state.”
China said it was highly concerned and called for an end to military action.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was interested in de-escalation and ready to talk once the joint US-Israeli strikes end.
“There is no communication right now. But if Americans wants to talk to us. They know how they can contact me. We are certainly interested for de-escalation,” Araghchi said.
“This is a war of choice by the United States, and they have to pay for that. But as far as we are concerned, we don’t want war.”
On regime change, Araghchi said it was “mission impossible.”
“You cannot do regime change while millions of people are supporting the so-called regime,” he said.
The group of congressional leaders known as the Gang of Eight was briefed earlier this week that taking military action against Iran “may become necessary” to protect American citizens and troops, House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called each member of the Gang of Eight to give them a heads up about the imminent operation.
Saudi Arabia condemned what it described as “brutal Iranian aggression” after Tehran launched retaliatory strikes targeting US military bases across the region.
The statement affirmed Saudi Arabia’s “full solidarity and support for the sisterly countries” and said it was placing “all its capabilities at their disposal.”
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said he was “dismayed” that “active and serious negotiations” had “yet again been undermined.”
Just a day ago, after meeting with Vice President JD Vance, al-Busaidi had expressed optimism over the “progress achieved so far” in indirect talks between Washington and Tehran, which have been brokered by Oman.
“Peace is within our reach,” he had said.
Expect oil prices to rise after the US and Israel struck Iran, industry analysts say.
“Oil prices could rise $3 to $5 per barrel, perhaps more, when trading re-opens Sunday night,” oil industry expert Andy Lipow predicted.
Retail gas prices move about 2.4 cents per gallon for every $1 move in the price of oil.
The joint US-Israeli attack on Iran came as many Muslims have been observing the holy month of Ramadan.
The strikes began hours after Iranian citizens observing Ramadan awoke to eat suhoor, a meal to prepare for the fast, and pray the sunrise prayer.
Iran’s internet connection to the outside world has slowed to a trickle in the wake of strikes.
Doug Madory, the director of internet analysis at Kentik, said Iran is “99% down” with “a tiny trickle” still connecting.
The Basij militia, which is overseen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, began patrols across all 22 districts of Tehran, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.
The Basij played a key role in the violent crackdown against protestors last month, which left thousands dead, and deployment across the capital could be an indication of government concerns about internal unrest.
Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa, said Trump had been “willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.”
“God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel,” he added.
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC, said: “God bless @POTUS for planning and now executing Operation Epic Fury, making America more safe and eventually more prosperous.”
However, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called the attack an act of war “unauthorized by congress.”
Senator Andy Kim, D-NJ, called for Congress to return to Washington to vote on a war powers resolution, calling the military action “appalling.”
“This is giving us nightmares and flashbacks” to the Iraq War in the 2000s, Kim said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said that it “urges restraint” in the Middle East “to avoid any nuclear safety risks to people in the region.”
No radiological impact has been reported in the region so far, the agency said.
Long lines of traffic were seen along highways in Tehran, as well as Iranians crowding grocery stores to pick up essential items. Motorcyclists were seen lining up to get gas in the Iranian capital.
Long queues also formed at gas stations across Beirut following strikes by the US and Israel.
Residents of the United Arab Emirates reported hearing ongoing explosions across the country in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contacted the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq and warned them not to let the US and Israel use their territory to attack Iran or they could become “legitimate targets.”
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