TEHRAN (Dunya News/Reuters) - Iran has launched missile attack against Israel after a “major combat operation” was commenced by the US and Israel on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran's long-running nuclear dispute with the West.
Reports said sirens sound can be heard across northern Israel amid an Iranian ballistic missile attack. The Israelis authorities have asked its citizens in the area to go to safe rooms.
Furthermore, explosions were heard in Bahrain, UAE's Abu Dhabi while several missile were intercepted in Qatari airspace as Iran has started targeting US bases in the region under its retaliatory operation "Fateh Khyber".
Due to regional hostilities, the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate in Dubai have instructed staff to shelter-in-place (i.e., take cover). “We recommend all Americans in the UAE do the same until further notice,” it said in a post on X.
Subject: Security Alert - Shelter-In-Place - U.S. Mission UAE, Feb. 28, 2026 Location: UAE Event: Due to regional hostilities, the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Consulate in Dubai have instructed staff to shelter-in-place (i.e., take cover). We recommend all Americans… pic.twitter.com/UurG3PY6Ol
— US Mission to UAE (@USAinUAE) February 28, 2026
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, in a post on X wrote: “We warned you! Now you have started down a path which end is no longer in your control”.
The attack on Iran follows repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
"The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported. It added that office of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the attack. Reports suggest that the supreme leader was not present in Tehran at the time of attack and he has been shifted to a safe location.
Trump Confirms 'Major Combat Operation in Iran'
US President Donald Trump announced that a “major combat operations” has been launched in Iran.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said in a video statement posted on his Truth Social account.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2026He said Iranian missile programme was a threat to the US and other countries, adding that Iran had been manufacturing long-range missiles since long.
Trump said Iran missile programme and naval forces will be eliminated in the operation.
“To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces and all of the police. I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or in the alternative, face certain death,” Trump said.
“Lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death,” Trump said.
“To the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere,” he added.
“When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”
“For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it… So let’s see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force,” Trump says.
“Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass,” he adds.
The Israeli operation against Iran was coordinated with the US, an Israeli defence official told Reuters. The operation was planned for months and the launch date was decided weeks ago, the official added.
Also Read: Israel's operation against Iran was coordinated with US, Israeli official says
Explosions were heard in Tehran, Ispahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah cities of Iran, according to Iranian media.
The US and Iran renewed negotiations in February in a bid to resolve the decades-long dispute through diplomacy and avert the threat of a military confrontation that could destabilise the region.
Israel, however, insisted that any US deal with Iran must include the dismantling of Tehran's nuclear infrastructure, not just stopping the enrichment process, and lobbied Washington to include restrictions on Iran's missile programme in the talks.
Tehran also said it would defend itself against any attack.
It warned neighbouring countries hosting US troops that it would retaliate against American bases if Washington struck Iran.
In June, the US joined an Israeli military campaign against Iranian nuclear installations, in the most direct American military action ever against the Islamic Republic.
Tehran retaliated by launching missiles toward the U. Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest in the Middle East.
Western powers have warned that Iran's ballistic missile project threatens regional stability and could deliver nuclear weapons if developed. Tehran denies seeking atomic bombs.
Earlier, under the shadow of a possible war between the United States and Iran, Israelis expressed weariness at the prospect of strikes on their country but said they were ever-prepared for a regional flare-up.
"The threat of war is, for us, a kind of routine," lawyer Maya Liya Cohen told AFP in the northern port city of Haifa.
"No matter what happens, what we do, if it has anything to do with us or nothing to do with us, then we are under continuous threat," she added.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran, and the US is currently pressing its biggest military build-up in the Middle East in decades.
Last June, Israel launched unprecedented strikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory drone and missile attacks and sparking a 12-day war. The US had briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites.
In Israel, the war killed 30 people and caused considerable damage, notably to a hospital and public institutions, including some army bases.
The lingering threat of war has prompted Cohen to adopt round-the-clock preparedness. "We always have a safe place. It's actually our bedroom in our house," Cohen explained.
"We have water, we have an emergency kit, we always have things that are ready over there in case."
Israel Closes Airspace, Schools
Following the attack, Israel has closed its airspace of all flights and declared an emergency in the country.
“The public is requested not to come to airports until further notice,” the Transportation Ministry says in a statement.
“As soon as the security situation permits, the airspace will reopen and flights to and from Israel will resume. Notice of this will be given 24 hours before flights are renewed.”
“Passengers currently abroad are asked to stay updated via the media and through their airlines regarding flight schedules once the airspace reopens.”
Travel Advisory For Pakistani Nationals Regarding Iran
For their safety and security, Pakistani nationals are advised to avoid all non-mandatory travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Foreign Office said in a statement following the Israeli attack.
Pakistani nationals currently residing in Iran must exercise caution, remain vigilant, minimize non-essential travel, and stay in regular contact with the Pakistani Missions using the contact
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) February 28, 2026Iran Prepares for Retaliatory Attack
Iranian officials said they are preparing for retaliatory attack, adding that the response will be devastating.
The Iranian health department has declared an emergency in all hospitals amid reports of several causalities and injuries.
This is a developing story...