The United States and Israel have started an aggressive war against Iran, and Tehran has retaliated with strikes against Israel and American military bases in the Middle East.
In a video posted to Truth Social early Saturday morning, President Donald Trump announced the beginning of military operations against Iran. Trump called on the Iranian people to rise up and seize power from their government. The President also stated that the war may result in American soldiers being killed.
🚨Trump says US has launched a regime change war and called on Iranians to rise up & seize power. He said the U.S. aims to destroy Iran’s missile program & naval forces & target leadership. Called on IRGC to surrender. He said the U.S. may take casualties pic.twitter.com/cqgbd2jwU8
— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) February 28, 2026
An Israeli official said the goal of the war is regime change in Tehran. “The goal is to create all the conditions for the overthrow of the Iranian regime. We are targeting all of Iran’s political and military leadership – past, present, and future.” They continued, “The developments also depend on the question of how much the Iranian people will rise up.”
The Department of War has dubbed the attack on Iran Operation Epic Fury. U.S. officials told Fox News that the strikes against Iran are expected to continue for days.
Kann News reports that Israeli strikes targeted the top political leadership of Iran, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian state media has reported that Khamenei and Pezeshkian are unharmed. Trump said the United States would completely destroy Iran’s missile program and navy.
Iran has responded by attacking U.S. military bases around the Middle East and Israel. Blasts have been reported in Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, and Israel.
Explosions were reported at Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) bases in Iraq. The Iraqi militias have ties with Iran. Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shia militia allied with Iran, said it would begin striking U.S. bases in the region.
Congress did not authorize Trump to go to war with Iran. The House was planning to vote next week on a War Powers Act resolution to prevent the president from starting an aggressive war.
Trump ordered the bombing as American and Iranian negotiators were in the process of making a deal to avert war. On Friday, the Omani Foreign Minister, who is mediating the talks, said Tehran had agreed to significant concessions and a deal was possible.
