Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that there are "many signs" which show that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in a joint attack by Israel and US on his compound on Saturday.

"This morning, in a powerful surprise strike, the compound of the tyrant Ali Khamenei was destroyed in the heart of Tehran... and there are many signs that this tyrant is no longer alive," he said in a televised statement reported by AFP.

He added that senior Iranian Guards and nuclear officials have been killed in the strikes too. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News earlier on Saturday that Khamenei is alive but confirmed the death of some commanders. 

 

The spokesperson for the Red Crescent Society said that 747 people have been injured and 201 others killed in Israeli and US attacks that have so far struck 24 provinces across the country.

According to the spokesperson, Red Crescent teams remain deployed at the sites of the strikes, providing emergency assistance and medical support to those affected.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the country’s Security Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, made “the only correct decision” early this morning to safeguard Israel’s security and the future of its people.

According to the statement, choosing not to act would have posed a far greater danger than taking action, despite the significant risks involved. The minister argued that delaying a response would have enabled Iran to achieve a level of immunity for its nuclear program and accelerate the mass production of long-range ballistic missiles.

He stressed that Israel does not view the Iranian people as its enemy, praising what he described as their aspiration and struggle for freedom under oppression. Instead, he identified the Iranian regime as the adversary, accusing it of pursuing Israel’s destruction as a core objective.

 

Syrian FM Shaibani spoke on the phone with several regional leaders, including Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, to discuss the latest escalations in the Middle East, reported Syrian state media. 

"During the call, they discussed the latest security developments in the region and their implications for regional security and stability. Both sides stressed the importance of strengthening regional and international coordination to safeguard the security of the region," said the Kurdistan Region Presidency in a statement. 

 

Four people were killed and several others wounded when a missile exploded in the industrial city of Suwayda, according to local authorities.

The Suwayda Media Directorate reported the incident through the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The cause of the explosion and the origin of the missile were not immediately clear. However, the incident comes at a time of renewed military escalation after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, which Tehran has responded to with missile launches across the region, including strikes and interceptions in neighboring countries.

State media also reported the fall of another missile in the southern city of Quneitra. 

 

 

A senior Iranian military advisor has warned that Tehran is prepared for a prolonged conflict with the US and could deploy more advanced weaponry if the war escalates.

“Trump should know that, in order to fight for years, we have the best technologies. At the beginning of the war, we fired only older and leftover missiles, but as it continues, we will use our most powerful missiles and reveal those that we have not yet unveiled,” Ebrahim Jabari, advisor to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief, told semi-official media.

 

 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday told his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein that Tehran’s response to US and Israeli strikes on his country would target US military bases in the region and would be “limited to military sites”, according to the Iraqi foreign ministry.

Araqchi said “his country would continue to defend itself” and that “the Iranian response would target American military bases in the region” as “what he described as the right to self-defense,” according to a statement from Iraq’s foreign ministry.

“He clarified that these attacks do not target the countries concerned, but are limited to military sites,” the statement added.

Hussein, for his part, stressed “Iraq's firm position, which refuses to escalate military action,” affirming that war cannot be a means to resolve disputes, and that dialogue and de-escalation are the best ways to address crises while preserving regional security and stability.

Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said several airstrikes hit the Jurf al-Sakhar base in Babil province, killing at least two people and wounding three.

Outlets close to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) reported that two people were killed and eight were injured.

The base belongs to the PMF but is primarily used by Kataib Hezbollah.

A source from Iraq’s pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah told AFP that two people were killed and three wounded, while AFP cited another source as saying three fighters were killed.

Security officials and PMF sources told AFP the strikes “targeted” Kataib Hezbollah’s 47th Brigade.

United States President Donald Trump announced that the US has begun “major combat operations” in Iran, following Israeli missile attacks on the Iranian capital, Tehran.

“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. We are going to annihilate their navy,” Trump said. “We will ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the Middle East or the world.”

In an eight-minute address, Trump emphasized the US commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“It is a very simple message: they will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

The president further warned that the Iranian regime will “soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces.”

At the time of Trump’s remarks, multiple explosions were reported in Tehran and across several other locations in Iran.

There has been no official response from Iranian authorities as of yet.

#BREAKING: US President Donald Trump confirms the United States' attack on Iran.

"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime." pic.twitter.com/JGG9bid4uO

— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) February 28, 2026

Air traffic across Iraq has been suspended after Israel announced attacks on neighboring Iran, the head of Erbil International Airport confirmed to Rudaw.

The Iraqi Transport Ministry issued a statement saying that the country’s airspace is closed to all flights to and from Iraq until further notice.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Saturday morning that Israel had launched an offensive against Iran.

US media later reported that the strikes were carried out in coordination with the United States.

 

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel announced on Saturday that it had carried out what it described as a “preemptive strike” against Iran, as Iranian media outlets reported massive explosions in the capital, Tehran.

In a statement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “The State of Israel launched a preemptive strike against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel.”

Katz also declared a “special and immediate state of emergency” across Israel, warning that a missile and drone attack targeting the country and its civilian population could occur in the near future.

Iranian authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the reported explosions.