Johannesburg – Israel and the United States launched coordinated pre-emptive strikes on Iran, prompting a multi-pronged response from the Islamic Republic that has seen missiles fired at U.S. interests in neighboring states.
The Israeli and U.S. strikes, which began early Saturday, 28 February 2026, targeted nuclear facilities, missile sites, and leadership compounds in Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.
Reuters reports that explosions rocked the Iranian capital, with smoke rising near Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s offices, though officials confirmed he was relocated to safety.
The operation, dubbed “Roaring Lion” by Israel and “Operation Epic Fury” by the U.S., escalated tensions after failed nuclear negotiations.
Aljazeera.com reports that Iran retaliated swiftly, firing over 35 ballistic missiles at Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, prompting air defenses to activate in northern Israel.
The Iranian strikes hit U.S. facilities in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq, with explosions reported in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, reports nytimes.com
Saudi Arabia and Jordan also reported impacts, condemning the Iranian attacks as sovereignty violations.
Airspace closures rippled across the region: Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Syria shut down flights, disrupting global routes and forcing airlines like Lufthansa and Air France to cancel services to Dubai, Tel Aviv, and Beirut, reports iranintl.com
U.S. President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations” in a Truth Social video, vowing to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground” and “annihilate their navy” to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“When we are finished, take over your government,” Trump urged the Iranians.
cnn.com is reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the strikes as removing an “existential threat,” stating the joint action “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands” and remove the “yoke of tyranny.”
Reports by aljazeera.com said Tehran officials vowed a “crushing response,” with a senior commander declaring, “We will teach Israel and America a lesson they have never experienced in their history.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called for an emergency UN Security Council session, asserting “no red lines after this aggression.”
Iranian News is reporting that: “This morning, following U.S. and Israeli missile attacks on a residential area in the city of Abiq, a missile hit the side of the city’s water reservoir, resulting in the death of a student and the injury of several others”.
The escalating conflict follows a third round of indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva that ended without a deal on uranium enrichment limits, despite Omani mediation.
Trump had amassed U.S. forces in the region amid threats of attack if diplomacy failed, echoing a 12-day war in June 2025 where similar strikes targeted Iranian sites.
Analysts warn of a broader regional conflict, with oil markets volatile and Gulf states on high alert.
Meanwhile, in South Africa the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party has condemned the “illegal and unjustified Israeli-US attacks” on Iran and declared that the Islamic Republic has a right to defend itself.
