Joint forces from the United States and Israel have initiated a major assault on Iran, with massive explosions reported across Tehran and various other provinces on Saturday (February 28).

In a social media post released earlier today, Donald Trump announced that the military strikes against Iranian targets—dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”—are designed to “obliterate” the country’s armed forces.

He characterised the US military effort as an “extensive and continuous operation” aimed at stopping a “wicked, radical dictatorship” from endangering American national security. Trump further asserted that the United States intends to “obliterate” the Iranian navy and “annihilate” its missile capabilities to guarantee the regime never obtains a nuclear weapon.

In response, Iran has launched a retaliatory barrage of drones and missiles targeting Israel and numerous Middle Eastern military bases housing American troops, according to the Mirror US.

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Where have the US and Israel struck in Iran?

According to reports at approximately 9:30 a. m. GMT explosions were heard in the capital, Tehran. Footage circulated on social media revealed smoke billowing across various parts of the city.

The missiles allegedly hit the Ministry of Intelligence, the Ministry of Defence, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran and the Parchin military facility. Missiles also struck the Jomhouri district of the capital and at least two students were reportedly killed in an attack on a school east of the capital, Al Jazeera reported.

Local media this morning reported that an Israeli strike has hit a girls’ school in Minab County. The semi-official Tasnim News Agency carried a report from the Governor of Minab, located in the country’s southern region.

He said: “In this morning’s Israeli missile attack on a girls’ elementary school in the city, 51 students have been martyred and 60 have been injured.”

Military installations have been struck in Kermanshah, Qom, Isfahan, Tabriz and Karaj, alongside Iranian naval facilities in Kenarak in the south of the country, the BBC reported.

Iran retaliates with attacks on Israel and US targets in the Gulf.

Shocking scenes circulating on social media appear to show people at Dubai International Airport injured and walking quickly to safety. The footage circulating on X comes amid reports the airport has been struck by a drone attack, as Iran has been launching a series of retaliatory attack against several targets in the Middle East – including a hotel in Dubai – following the US and Israel’s Operation Epic Fury. It is not clear whether Iran launched an attack against the airport in Dubai. Dubai Airports have confirmed “an incident” happened at the air hub, addinb multiple people had been injured.

In the early hours of Saturday, the US and Israel launched strikes on Iranian targets – reportedly including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound. Tonight, Mr Trump claimed the Iranian leader, who hasn’t been seen today, has died in the strikes. Iran has so far denied Khamenei is dead.

Explosions have shaken cities throughout the Middle East following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran this morning. In retaliation, Iran has declared it is hitting American bases and interests “in the region,” the Tasnim News Agency said.

Blasts have been reported in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with missiles also striking a US naval base in Bahrain amongst other targets throughout the region. NBC news is reporting that Iran is responding to attacks on “multiple US military facilities in the middle east” citing a US official.

Reports indicate that a strike in Bahrain has hit the US Fifth Fleet Naval Command. Explosions heard in the Qatari capital Doha. Qatar has reportedly intercepted two Iranian missiles over the country as well.

Explosions were reported in the skies over Jordan. Explosions have rocked Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital, with a fatality confirmed after debris fell in a residential area. Attacks have also been documented in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Residents were seen fleeing through Dubai’s streets in the United Arab Emirates as explosions rang out across the region.

The UAE defence ministry stated via an X post that a civilian died in a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” when missile debris hit a residential district, killing someone “of Asian nationality.”

Major air hub struck as Iran ‘launches drone strikes’ on UAE

Shocking scenes circulating on social media appear to show people at Dubai International Airport injured and walking quickly to safety. The footage circulating on X comes amid reports the airport has been struck by a drone attack, as Iran has been launching a series of retaliatory attack against several targets in the Middle East – including a hotel in Dubai – following the US and Israel’s Operation Epic Fury.

It is not clear whether Iran launched an attack against the airport in Dubai. Dubai Airports have confirmed “an incident” happened at the air hub, addinb multiple people had been injured.

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Two iconic hotels in Dubai have been struck by falling debris following intercepted missiles and drones from Iran, authorities have confirmed. The Fairmont Hotel on Palm Jumeirah and the iconic Burj Al Arab in Dubai were struck by shrapnel after air-defence systems intercepted incoming missiles. Explosions were also heard in Abu Dhabi and in several cities across the Gulf after Iran launched retaliatory strikes following a joint US-Israeli attack on Tehran earlier today

Four people were injured in the fire at the Fairmont Hotel as emergency services treated the casualties at the scene before they were taken for further medical assessment. No injuries have yet been reported at the Burj Al Arab. A clip circulating on social media shows what appears to be shrapnel hitting the hotel’s facade, and flames erupting afterwards. Explosions have rocked Abu Dhabi and cities across the Gulf as Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes following the joint US-Israel attack on Tehran earlier today. Air-defence systems were activated in several countries as missiles targeted sites linked to American forces, and debris fell in residential areas.

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in huge Israeli-US airstrikes, Donald Trump has claimed. Iranian state media earlier denied Israeli reports that the country’s leader is dead, adding that Khamenei is safe and sound and is “commanding the field”. But on Saturday night, shortly before 9.45pm GMT, the US President took to Truth Social to claim the Iranian Supreme Leader had died.

He wrote: “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.” Mr Trump, whose forces joined Israeli strikes in Operation Epic Fury overnight, claimed the Iranian leader was “unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously hinted Khamenei could have been killed, saying: “The plan to destroy Israel no longer exists, and there is a high likelihood that the tyrant Khamenei does not either.” Aerial pictures show the compound of Khamenei being largely destroyed following the strikes. The US and Israel launched strikes across Iran, with Donald Trump calling on the people of Iran to overthrow the government. Following the wave of attacks launched by the US and Iran, retaliatory Iranian strikes have been rocking several Middle Eastern countries for the whole days.

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