Topline
The U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran Saturday as President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations” to overthrow Tehran’s leadership, following weeks of military buildup in the region and the U.S. urging Iran to scale down its nuclear program—which Trump now says he wants to eliminate.
Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Key Facts
At least 57 students were killed when an Israeli strike hit an elementary school in southern Iran early Saturday, according to Iran’s state news agency, with Iran reportedly launching counter strikes on several U.S. bases in the Middle East.
Trump said the United States’ objective “is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” which the president described as “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people” whose “menacing activities directly endanger the United States” and its allies.
The Iranian deaths include “dozens of innocent children,” according to Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who said in a post on X “these crimes against the Iranian People will not go unanswered.”
Araghchi told NBC News Iran was interested in de-escalation talks, but said a regime change was “mission impossible.”
No American deaths have been reported as of 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
Crucial Quote
“Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump said in a message to the Iranian people. “This will be probably your only chance for generations.”
Key Background
The strikes come after months of escalating confrontation between Iran and Israel that increasingly drew in the U.S., whose officials warned Tehran’s nuclear program had advanced past diplomatic limits. Israel and Iran exchanged strikes last June, attacks that culminated in the U.S. striking Iranian nuclear sites before brokering a months-long ceasefire alongside Qatar. Tensions reignited in late 2025 when the Iranian economy collapsed and nationwide protests were met with a violent state crackdown. Hostility between the U.S. and Iran, who have been geopolitical rivals for decades, has intensified in recent years amid disputes over Iran’s nuclear program.
Further Readi
U.S. Embassy In Israel Urges Staff To Evacuate Amid Threat Of Iran Attack (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikestunson/2026/02/28/trump-announces-major-combat-operations-in-iran-more-than-50-dead-in-strikes-live-updates/
