US and Israel Launch Major Strikes on Iran as Donald Trump Announces “Combat Operations”
- The United States and Israel launched major strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, hitting targets in Tehran and areas near Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
- President Donald Trump announced the “major combat operations” on Truth Social, stating the mission sought to eliminate what he described as imminent threats posed by Iran to America
- Trump accused Iran of rejecting diplomatic efforts to abandon its nuclear ambitions and vowed to destroy its missile industry and naval forces
The United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran, sparking a second confrontation between the three nations in less than a year.
Source: Getty Images
In a video released via his Truth Social platform, President Donald J. Trump said the US military had launched what he called “major combat operations” against the Middle Eastern nation.
Trump blamed Iran for the crisis, claiming it had refused to give up its nuclear program despite intense diplomatic and military pressure from the United States.
According to CNN, the attacks began early on Saturday, February 28, 2026, as the Iranian week was starting and millions were headed to work or school.
Major targets were hit in Tehran and other parts of the country, including near the district housing the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded by launching waves of attacks against nearby countries hosting US military bases, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar.
Some attacks were also aimed at America’s great regional ally, Israel, which announced that it had launched what it termed ‘preventative’ strikes against the Iranian regime.
Donald Trump details reasons for Iran attacks
In his Truth Social video, US President Donald Trump said the operation was to neutralise the imminent threat the Iranian regime posed to the American people.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world,” he said.
The President shared a list of alleged evil acts Iran had taken against the US and warned that such a regime could never possess nuclear weapons.
“Iran is the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested…They can never have a nuclear weapon,” he continued.
Trump said America attempted a diplomatic solution, but the Iranians were not interested.
“They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore. We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We are going to annihilate their navy. And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon," he added.
Source: YEN.com.gh
