Israel launches pre-emptive strike on Iran as US joins military action
Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel had launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran, in Tehran, Iran February 28, 2026. PHOTO | REUTERS
Israel said it launched what it described as a “pre-emptive” military strike against Iran on Saturday, escalating tensions in the Middle East and raising fears of a wider regional conflict that could disrupt global security and economic stability.
According to the The New York Times, citing a US official, American strikes on Iran were also under way. A source told Reuters that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, had been moved from the capital, Tehran, to a secure location.
The attack follows weeks of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, including a 12-day air war in June, and repeated warnings from both Israel and the United States that further action would be taken if Tehran continued with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said the operation was intended to remove threats to Israel’s security. An Israeli defence official said the mission had been planned for months in coordination with Washington.
Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, while air raid sirens sounded across Israel as a precaution against possible missile retaliation.
Israeli authorities closed schools and many workplaces, except for essential services, and shut the country’s airspace to civilian flights. The airports authority urged the public to avoid travelling to airports.
The US and Iran had resumed negotiations in February aimed at resolving their long-running dispute over Tehran’s nuclear activities through diplomacy. Israel, however, has insisted that any agreement must dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure entirely and include limits on its missile programme.
Iran has said it is willing to discuss restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions but has ruled out linking the talks to its missile capability. Tehran also warned it would defend itself and retaliate against American bases in neighbouring countries if attacked.
In June, the United States joined Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, marking its most direct military action against Iran. Tehran responded by firing missiles towards the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the Middle East.
Western powers argue that Iran’s ballistic missile programme threatens regional stability and could potentially be used to deliver nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran denies.
