The United States carried out a major military strike on Iran, pledging to cripple the country's armed forces, dismantle its nuclear programme and push for a change in leadership, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with Israel, which also targeted multiple Iranian cities, including the capital, Al Jazeera reported.
“Operation Epic Fury”
The US Department of War called these strikes “Operation Epic Fury.”
OPERATION EPIC FURY ????????
— Department of War ???????? (@DeptofWar) February 28, 2026
Loud explosions were reported across the Iranian capital, Tehran. Videos verified by The New York Times show strikes hitting a part of Tehran that includes the presidential palace and Iran's National Security Council, along with several other key government buildings.
A separate video captures a strike near the country's Ministry of Intelligence.
The strike occurred close to the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It was not immediately known whether the 86-year-old leader was present at the time of the attack.
What Donald Trump Said
Trump announced that the United States has begun “major combat operations” in Iran, accusing the Iranian regime of an “unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States.”
He made the announcement in a video posted on Truth Social early on Saturday, February 28, shortly after explosions were reported across Tehran.
Trump stressed that Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon,” explaining that the US strikes targeted nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
He accused Tehran of rejecting every opportunity to abandon its nuclear ambitions while continuing to develop long-range missiles capable of threatening US troops abroad, European allies and potentially the American homeland.
The President vowed a crippling response, saying the US would “raze Iran's missile industry to the ground” and “annihilate” its navy. He also highlighted the regime's long-standing hostility toward the US, noting that Iran has chanted “Death to America” for 47 years.
Acknowledging the risks of military action, Trump warned, “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties.”
He directly addressed the Iranian people, declaring, “The hour of your freedom is at hand,” and urged them to “take over your government,” framing the operation as an opportunity for internal change.
What Benjamin Netanyahu Said
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the joint operation “to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran” in a video of his own posted to social media. Netanyahu also praised Trump for his “historic leadership” in coordinating the strikes.
Netanyahu underscored the stakes of the operation, warning that “this murderous terrorist regime must not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity.”
He framed the mission not only as a military strike but as an opportunity for Iranians to assert control over their own future, writing that the action “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweets, "Just an hour ago, Israel and the United States embarked on an operation to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran. I thank our great friend, President Donald Trump, for his historic leadership...This… https://t.co/1Hj91qh8FN pic.twitter.com/HjDWVCz07P
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2026
Operation Midnight Hammer: The June 2025 Strike On Iran
In June 2025, US forces launched a sweeping assault on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, deploying 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs against two major underground uranium enrichment facilities.
American military officials described the operation as a decisive blow to a programme that Israel has long regarded as an existential threat.
The operation, code-named Operation Midnight Hammer, was presented by US officials as a highly coordinated and precise strike that significantly crippled Iran's nuclear capabilities. Tehran, however, rejected those claims at the time.
More recently, on February 24, the White House reiterated its position. According to Al Jazeera, officials said the June 2025 strikes had effectively destroyed Iran's nuclear programme.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt described the mission as overwhelmingly successful.
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