Missiles have been flying in and out of Iran. Trump said US strikes marked the start of 'major combat operations.'
Business Insider
February 28, 2026
US and Israeli F-35s flew together during a training exercise. The two countries launched new strikes against Iran using land, air, and sea assets.
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Duncan C. Bevan
The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, the two countries announced.
President Donald Trump said in a video that the strikes were the start of "major combat operations."
The joint strikes come after the US and Israel bombed Iran last summer.
The US military fired missiles, drones, and more into Iran on Saturday as President Donald Trump announced the start of "major combat operations" against the country following the collapse of nuclear talks.
In a video statement, Trump vowed to destroy Iran's missile program and other military capabilities, and said the goal was to ensure that Tehran can "never" have a nuclear weapon. He called on Iranian forces to surrender or face "certain death."
"The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war," Trump said. "But we're doing this not for now — we're doing this for the future. And it's a noble mission."
The president also urged Iranian citizens to "seize control" in the aftermath of US operations. "This will be, probably, your only chance for generations," he said in the video statement.
President Donald J. Trump on the United States military combat operations in Iran: pic.twitter.com/LimJmpLkgZ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026
The US strikes on Iran, which were carried out with Israel, followed months of tensions between Tehran and Washington and a massive American military buildup in the region.
The Israeli government first announced the strikes. Defense Minister Israel Katz called the military action "preemptive" and carried out "to eliminate threats against the country of Israel."
US forces fired Tomahawk cruise missiles, rocket artillery, and drones at Iran, a US official said. American land, air, and sea assets were all involved in the strikes, which the Pentagon indicated are part of an operation called "Epic Fury."
Footage circulating on social media appeared to show explosions and plumes of smoke in Iran in broad daylight.
Iranian retaliatory strikes targeted US bases across the region. Several countries that host American military installations, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, said that they engaged in air defense. British aircraft were also involved in defensive operations, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
US and Israeli F-35s fly together above the Middle East.
US Air Force photo
A US official told Business Insider that top air defenses, including MIM-104 Patriot launchers, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries, and ship-launched Standard Missile interceptors, were involved in shielding the region from the retaliatory strikes.
The official said multiple Iranian missiles were intercepted and that no US facilities have sustained critical or significant damage. There have been no reports of any American casualties.
The attack on Iran marks the second time that the Trump administration has taken direct military action against the country in less than a year. In June 2025, the US bombed the country's nuclear facilities as part of Operation Midnight Hammer, and Trump said at the time these had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites.
This new round of strikes comes on the heels of negotiations between the US and Iran, part of the Trump administration's efforts to pressure Tehran into a deal that would severely limit its nuclear and military capabilities. It also follows the withdrawal of Western diplomats from several Middle East countries.
In recent weeks, as Trump has issued repeated threats and warnings to Iran, pushing it to make a deal, the US has built up a large military footprint in the Middle East and nearby European waters.
Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran.
ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect
The Pentagon has surged hundreds of fighter jets, aerial refueling tankers, reconnaissance planes, support aircraft, and warships into the region.
One complicating factor has been public resistance from US allies to operations against Iran. The UK barred the US from using its nearby bases, and Jordan said that its bases couldn't be used for attacks on Iran, despite imagery showing the US has shifted cargo planes and F-35 stealth fighters to one of its bases.
The significant US naval presence on station or taking up position in the area includes at least two aircraft carriers, more than a dozen guided-missile destroyers, and three littoral combat ships, which are designed for near-shore operations.
The two aircraft carriers — USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford — are each equipped with dozens of embarked fighters, electronic attack jets, early warning planes, and helicopters. The Lincoln's air wing includes F-35 stealth fighters.
On Friday, a day after the Trump administration's negotiations with Iranian officials in Geneva, White House official Dan Scavino posted a photograph on social media of eight B-2 Spirit stealth bombers on a runway, suggesting these aircraft could be used to strike Iran again.
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Originally published on Business Insider on 2/28/2026