Tehran/Jerusalem, Feb. 28 (EFE).- The United States and Israel launched strikes early Saturday against targets in Tehran and other Iranian cities, sparking fears of a major Middle East conflict.
Iran responded by firing missiles toward Israeli territory and US military bases in the region, with no casualties reported so far.
After days of mounting tension, despite apparent progress in nuclear negotiations in Geneva between Iranian and US officials, the offensive was launched and announced by Israel’s Ministry of Defense at 8:15 a.m. local time (6:15 GMT).
Minutes later, explosions were heard in Tehran and other cities across the country.
The Israeli army initially described the operation as a “preventive attack” and later said it targeted “dozens of military sites” as part of a broad, coordinated campaign against the Iranian regime.
Israel has named its military campaign “Roar of the Lion,” while the United States has called its operation “Epic Fury.” Officials said the objective is to eliminate “existential threats” in a joint action planned over several months.
Iran can never have nuclear weapon: Trump
President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations in Iran” to defend the American people by eliminating “imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated,” Trump said in a video message posted on his account of Truth Social.
He said the military operation was launched to ensure that the “terrorist regime” of Iran did not obtain a nuclear weapon. “They can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump justified the attack saying Iran was “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror” and its regime recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested.
Iran retaliates with missiles and drones
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced the launch of what it described as the first wave of missile and drone attacks against Israel.
“In response to the aggression of the hostile and criminal enemy against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the first wave of extensive missile and drone attacks toward the occupied territories has begun,” it said in a statement.
Iran also claimed to have launched missile attacks against US bases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Kuwait, and threatened further strikes, the Iranian news agency Mehr reported.
“Any base in the region that assists Israel will be our target,” a spokesperson for Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff was quoted as saying by the agency.
Shortly beforehand, Tehran had vowed “revenge and a strong response against the Zionist regime.”
Some of the missiles were reportedly directed at US bases in Bahrain and Qatar, according to local media.
Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem and other parts of central Israel at 10:29 a.m. local time (8:29 GMT). Missile interceptions were visible in the sky, and explosions were heard for several minutes.
“The Israel Defense Forces have identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry denounced the attacks by Israel and the US as a violation of its territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
“The renewed military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran comes at a time when the Islamic Republic of Iran had clearly stated that it did not seek war or escalation,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The United States and the Zionist regime, by committing this military aggression, have once again demonstrated their contempt for international law and for peace and regional stability,” it added.
Qatar says Iran attacks ‘successfully” thwarted
Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said on Saturday it had “successfully” thwarted several Iranian attacks targeting its territory, where the United States operates Al Udeid Air Base, its largest military facility in the region.
“Thanks to high preparedness, security vigilance, and joint coordination between the relevant authorities, it has successfully countered a number of attacks targeting the country’s territory,” the ministry said in a brief statement posted on X, without providing further details.
Chaos in Tehran
Shortly after the first explosions were heard, the streets of northern Tehran filled with vehicles, blocking major roads.
Many parents rushed to schools to pick up their children, and long lines formed at ATMs as residents sought to withdraw cash.
On Jordan Avenue, traffic came to a standstill, with several drivers stepping out of their cars to try to restore order, according to EFE reporters on the ground.
Although the initial explosions occurred further south in the city of 12 million inhabitants, the smell of burning and chemicals reached northern neighborhoods.
Many residents navigating the congested streets were seen transporting children who had been dismissed from schools that had opened just two hours earlier.
Iranian state media also reported explosions in Isfahan (central Iran), Tabriz (northwest), Karaj, Qom (north), Kermanshah, and Ilam (west). Officials said the country’s leadership was “safe.” EFE
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