Iran warns of 'most intense' attack after Khamenei killed
After the United States and Israel launched military strikes and "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28 that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that "the most-intense offensive operation" is coming to target Israel and U.S. bases in the Mideast, according to Reuters.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS."
Iran’s state media confirmed that Khamenei was killed in the joint strikes on Iran.
"Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was martyred in Israeli-American attack on Saturday," Iran's state media IRNA News Agency said in a post on X.
The military strikes on Iran were conducted jointly with Israel to target the country's missile capabilities. Trump said that "heavy and pinpoint bombing" will continue "uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective."
Iran launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes against American and Israeli targets after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack, hitting a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain. Iran said its enemies would be "decisively defeated," but no American service members were wounded or killed in the attacks.
Images from Tehran early Saturday showed smoke rising from the Iranian capital as residents ran for cover. Iran said at least 40 people were killed in a strike at a girl's school in the south.
The conflict follows weeks of rising tensions as Trump repeatedly threatened to attack Iran if negotiations over its nuclear and missile development programs fail.
This is a breaking story. Follow along with USA TODAY's live coverage.
Trump warns Iran against retaliatory strikes
Rebecca Morin
President Donald Trump warned Iran to not strike back against the United States or “WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
“Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that "the most-intense offensive operation" is coming to target Israel and U.S. bases in the Mideast, according to Reuters.
Iran announces new leadership after Khamenei killed
Rebecca Morin
Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, and a jurist from the Guardian Council will take the "responsibilities of the transitional phase" of Iran after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's state media.
Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which is the country's state media, said the announcement came from Mohammad Mokhber, who was an advisor to Khamenei.
President Donald Trump on Saturday evening hinted he was already thinking of a replacement for Khamenei. "Yes, I think so. There are some good candidates.”
During a phone interview with CBS News, Trump was asked if there is someone in Iran he would prefer to replace Khamenei. The president responded, "Yes, I think so. There are some good candidates.”
Loud bangs heard in Dubai amid U.S-Israel attack on Iran
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Several loud bangs were heard in Dubai, according to Reuters, just a day after the Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates announced that it had been subjected to a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” that it had intercepted.
Iran launched retaliatory strikes on the neighboring Gulf states in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes. Among locations to suffer damage in Dubai by the Iranian strikes were Dubai International airport, Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, a luxury hotel, and a fire at “one of the berths” at Jebel Ali Port.
Iran has said it would target U.S. bases in the region.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warns of 'most intense' strikes on Israel, US bases
Jonathan Limehouse
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that the "most intense" offensive operation on Israel and U.S. bases is looming, possibly beginning in moments, Reuters reported Feb. 28 at around 9:15 p.m. EST, citing Iranian state media.
The IRGC, the primary branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, began initial attacks on Saturday morning, striking Israel, U.S. bases and other Middle Eastern countries, including Dubai and Bahrain. The threat of increased strikes comes after Iran’s state media confirmed that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed amid the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks.
A few hours before the IRGC's threat, the Israeli military announced on X that it launched another wave of strikes against Iran's ballistic missiles.
"The strike targeted a site that stored Ghadr H-1 ballistic missiles carrying hundreds of pounds of explosives, significantly degrading the regime’s offensive capability," the post reads. "This has prevented numerous launches that posed a threat to the civilians of the State of Israel and the broader Middle East."
President Donald Trump, who said Khamenei was dead in an earlier Truth Social post on Saturday, offered immunity to the "IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces."
"As I said last night, 'Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!'" Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. "Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves."
China calls for an immediate ceasefire after strikes on Iran
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
China's ministry for foreign affairs issued a statement soon after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that it was "highly concerned" over the military strikes.
"Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected," the statement said. "China calls for an immediate stop of the military actions, no further escalation of the tense situation, resumption of dialogue and negotiation, and efforts to uphold peace and stability in the Middle East."
The joint strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989 and is credited with creating and giving increasing power to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trump says he has candidate in mind to lead Iran
Jonathan Limehouse
After declaring that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed amid the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran on Saturday, President Donald Trump is already looking toward the country's future, including hinting at a potential new Iranian leader.
During a phone interview with CBS News, Trump was asked if there is someone in Iran he would prefer to replace Khamenei, to which the president responded, "Yes, I think so. There are some good candidates.”
When asked about who he thought was currently in charge in the wake of Khamenei's death, Trump said, "I know exactly who, but I can’t tell you.” He did not elaborate on who he thought was calling the shots in Iran.
Trump's comments came as Iran’s state media confirmed that Khamenei was killed in joint strikes on Iran, Reuters, CNN and AFP reported on Feb. 28. When the president said Khamenei was dead earlier in the day on social media, Trump called him "one of the most evil people in History."
Iran's state media confirms Khamenei is dead
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Iran’s state media confirmed that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in joint strikes on Iran, Reuters, CNN, AFP reported on Feb. 28.
Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump announced his death.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead." he wrote. “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country."
Khamenei, 86, had led Iran since 1989 and is credited with creating and giving increasing power to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp.
Wrong or exaggerated: Trump’s reasons for Iran attacks questioned
Michael Collins
President Donald Trump and members of his administration repeatedly made the case for military strikes against Iran by arguing that the Middle Eastern country posed a serious threat to the United States.
Iran, they said, was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles capable of striking the United States.
But national security analysts and experts on Iran and its ruling regime say those claims are based on assumptions that are wrong or greatly exaggerated.
Iran doesn’t have the capability of enriching uranium to the level needed for nuclear weapons. Most of Iran’s nuclear program was destroyed during U.S. attacks on three facilities last summer, said Matthew Bunn, an arms control expert at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
Three officials familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments told Reuters claims that Iran is close to developing a ballistic missile that could reach the United States appear to be exaggerated.
Pete Hegseth says 'Operation Epic Fury' is historic
Jonathan Limehouse
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commented on the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which officials have deemed "Operation Epic Fury," calling it "the most lethal, most complex, and most-precision aerial operation in history."
Hegseth's remarks came as part of an X post shared Saturday evening, in which he praised President Donald Trump and the U.S. military, saying, "Our warriors are the best in the world, and they are fully unleashed to achieve our objectives."
"The United States did not start this conflict, but we will finish it. If you kill or threaten Americans anywhere in the world — as Iran has — then we will hunt you down, and we will kill you," Hegseth's post reads.
Hegseth also reiterated previous comments Trump has made about Iran never having access to a nuclear weapon, calling the country's current regime, which he said has "targeted and killed Americans" for almost 50 years, "a cancer."
"The Iranian regime had their chance, yet refused to make a deal — and now they are suffering the consequences," the post says. "We will not tolerate powerful missiles targeting the American people. Those missiles will be destroyed, along with Iran’s missile production. The Iranian navy will be destroyed."
Dubai’s luxury hotel Burj Al Arab among locations to suffer damage in Iranian attack
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
The Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates announced that it had been subjected to a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” while noting that it had successfully intercepted several missiles.
The Dubai media office said a concourse at Dubai International sustained minor damage in “an incident” in which four staff sustained injuries. Another incident involved debris from an aerial interception causing a fire at “one of the berths” at Jebel Ali Port. Authorities also urged the public not to circulate an old video of the Jebel Ali Port fire from 7 July, 2021 to stop the spread of misinformation.
Debris from the interception of a drone also caused a “minor fire on the Burj Al Arab's outer facade,” the media office said. Located in Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel in Dubai.
Bahrain International Airport damaged by Iranian drone
Jonathan Limehouse
An Iranian drone struck Bahrain International Airport, only causing material damage, the country's ministry of interior posted on X.
There was material damage to the airport but no loss of life, Bahrain's ministry of interior wrote in the post.
The strike comes as Iran continues to fire retaliatory drone and missile strikes against American and Israeli targets following the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Saturday, Feb. 28. Iranian missiles did hit a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain.
Earlier in the day, in an X post, Bahrain Airport urged all passengers to "check the status of their flights with their respective airlines due to the closure of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s airspace." Other airports in the Middle East also suspended flights, including Dubai International Airport, due to the ongoing missile strikes.
It is unclear if anyone was at Bahrain Airport when the drone struck.
Reza Pahlavi, former shah's son, praises Iran strikes
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah of Iran who has lived in exile in the U.S. since the 1979, called the U.S.-Israel strikes in Iran a “humanitarian intervention.”
Pahlavi, a political activist, said the people of Iran “will finish the job in this final battle.”
“This is a humanitarian intervention; and its target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus, and its machinery of slaughter—not the country and great nation of Iran,” he wrote on X. “But, even with the arrival of this aid, the final victory will still be forged by our hands. It is we, the people of Iran, who will finish the job in this final battle.”
Pahlavi said the “Islamic Republic” was collapsing and urged the country's military, police, and security forces to defend the people, not a regime “that has taken our homeland hostage through repression and crime.”
“Join the people and help bring about a stable and secure transition. Otherwise, you will go down with Khamenei's sinking ship and his regime,” he said.
Iranian diplomat calls attack 'war crime'
Bart Jansen
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, called the “brutal” attack by the United States and Israel a “war crime” and demanded reparations.
The attack killed and wounded hundreds of civilians, including children at a school, he said.
“This is not only an act of aggression,” Iravani told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. “It is a war crime and a crime against humanity.”
Iran isn’t targeting neighboring countries but the U.S. military bases in those countries, he said.
“Just as the Israeli regime succeeded in dragging the United States into the quagmire of war with Iran, the United States in turn is deliberating seeking to expand the conflict by exploiting its bases in the Persian Gulf region,” Iravani said.
Iran seeks reparations for the damage to its country, he said.
“The Security Council must immediately determine the United States and Israeli regime have committed an act of aggression and demand the immediate cessation of its unlawful use of force,” Iravani said. “They must be held accountable.”
Will Iran conflict drive up gas prices?
Jessica Guynn
Crude oil prices rose on fears of war in the Persian Gulf. Now the U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran could disrupt oil exports and put pressure on prices at the pump.
Energy analysts at Barclays predicted crude oil prices would hit $100 a barrel “as the market grapples with the threat of a potential supply disruption amid a spiraling security situation in the Middle East.”
U.S. gas prices averaged $2.98 per gallon last week, according to AAA. Petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan said the national average will likely roll over $3 a gallon on Monday for the first time this year. Over the next couple weeks, he expects prices to hit at least $3.10 to $3.15 a gallon.
Whether Americans feel a greater pinch at the pump in coming weeks depends on the extent of the disruption to oil exports and how long the conflict lasts, analysts said.
The key questions are “how much oil could we lose and for how long,” Clayton Seigle at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, told USA TODAY.
4 injured after incident at Dubai International Airport
Jonathan Limehouse
Four people were injured at Dubai International Airport following what the media office for the city and emirate described as "an incident."
In an X post shortly before 5 p.m. ET, the media office said "four staff sustained injuries and received prompt medical attention" after a "concourse at Dubai International (DXB) sustained minor damage." The incident, which the office said was "quickly contained," comes as Iran continued launching retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in the region.
Due to the airport's contingency plans, most of its terminals were cleared of passengers before the strike, according to the Dubai media office. Hours before the strike, the media office announced that "all flight operations at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) are suspended until further notice."
Passengers were advised not to travel to the airport and to contact their respective airlines directly for the latest updates on their flights. It is unclear when flight operations will resume.
Additionally, Air Canada, the country's largest airline, announced in an X post that it has cancelled flights from Canada to Israel until March 8 and to Dubai until March 3, citing the ongoing military situation in the Middle East.
Bahrain blasts 'cowardly' Iranian attacks on neighbors
Bart Jansen
Bahrain’s ambassador to the United Nations, Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, blasted Iran’s “cowardly” attacks on neighboring countries as a violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The attack damaged vital facilities and residential areas, he told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Other countries that were hit included Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“My country, which is a champion of peace and coexistence, never expected to be targeted by wanton aggressions without any justification,” Al-Ruwaie said. “They were launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which confirmed its responsibility for these cowardly attacks.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancels trip to Israel
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
The U.S. State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be travelling to Israel on Monday, March 2, in the wake of Iran strikes.
“Due to current circumstances, Secretary Rubio will no longer travel to Israel on March 2,” Dylan Johnson, assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, wrote on X.
Rubio was scheduled to travel to Israel from March 2-3 to discuss a range of regional priorities including Iran, Lebanon, and ongoing efforts to implement President Donald Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza, the state department had previously announced.
At least 1 dead, 21 people injured after attack on Tel Aviv
Jonathan Limehouse
An attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv has resulted in one death and 21 people suffering injuries, according to Reuters and state media.
So far, Israeli media is reporting that one person has been killed after succumbing to wounds sustained from the attack.Israel National News reported that emergency responders were dispatched after Iranian missiles hit two homes.
Iran began firing retaliatory missiles at Israel on Saturday, Feb. 28, after the United States and Israel jointly struck the Middle Eastern country, ultimately killing dozens, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump struck Iran to preserve peace, Waltz says
Bart Jansen
Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Trump struck Iran militarily through “moral clarity” and to demonstrate peace is won through strength rather than appeasement.
“Peace is not preserved by appeasing those who threaten it,” Waltz told an emergency meeting of the Security Council. “Peace is preserved through strength in the face of terror.”
Waltz listed 20 years of Security Council resolutions aiming to prevent Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons. But he said Trump acted because Iran’s nuclear program and sponsorship of international terrorism through the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas continued.
Waltz said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner pursued diplomacy with Iran relentlessly. But he said Iran lecturing the United Nations about human rights and the rule of law made a mockery of the group.
“Its presence here in this council makes a mockery of this body,” Waltz said. “But where the UN lacks moral clarity, the United States of America will maintain it.”
UN chief regrets diplomacy 'squandered' with Iran
Bart Jansen
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attacks against and from Iran, and voiced regret that negotiations between the United States and Iran had been “squandered.”
“International law must always be respected,” Guterres told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Feb. 28. “That is why since this morning I have condemned the massive military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran. And I also condemn the subsequent attacks by Iran violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.”
Guterres noted that 20 cities inside Iran had been attacked, with hundreds killed. And he described Iran’s retaliatory strikes on countries throughout the region.
“We are witnessing a grave threat to international peace and security. Military action carries the risk of igniting chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world," he said.
Guterres noted that diplomatic talks had been proceeding between the United States and Iran, and more technical talks were scheduled for next week in Vienna.
“I deeply regret that this opportunity for diplomacy has been squandered,” he said.
Iran's Khamenei 'is dead,' Trump says
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
President Donald Trump announced on Feb. 28 that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint strikes on Iran.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS."
"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country," he added."
Khamenei, 86, led Iran since 1989 and is credited with creating and giving increasing power to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp.
“We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, 'Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!'" Trump wrote.
U.N. Secretary General: Iran strikes 'grave threat to international peace and security'
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres called for “de-escalation and an immediate cessation of hostilities” during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council emergency meeting on Feb. 28, hours after the joint strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.
Guterres condemned the "massive military strikes" by the United States and Israel against Iran and the “subsequent attacks by Iran violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.
“We are witnessing a grave threat to international peace and security,” he said. “There is the risk of igniting the chain events that no one can control in the most volatile region at the world. Let me be clear. There is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes”
Lasting peace can only be achieved through peaceful means, including general dialogue and negotiations is the president, he said.
Protests in DC, NYC. 'Americans do not want this,' Mamdani says
Eduardo Cuevas
NEW YORK − Demonstrators marched in Washington, DC, and New York City, opposing American and Israeli military strikes in Iran on Feb. 28.
A USA TODAY livestream showed protesters walking through downtown Washington streets. Some held flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Palestine. One large banner said “Remember Iraq,” referring to the United States’ 8-year war in the Middle Eastern country neighboring Iran.
In New York City, protesters passed through midtown Manhattan, including in Times Square.
In a statement earlier Saturday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has been critical of American and Israeli policies in the Middle East, called the military strikes on Iran “a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression.”
“Americans do not want this,” Mamdani said. “They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change. They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace.”
On Feb. 26, Mamdani met with President Trump a second time in the Oval Office to discuss building housing and immigration enforcement.
Iran's hardline military could succeed Khamenei: CIA
Bart Jansen
Before the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, the Central Intelligence Agency assessed that even if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, he could be replaced by hardline figures from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Reuters reported based on two sources.
Khamenei was killed in the airstrikes Feb. 28, Israeli sources told USA TODAY, CNN and Reuters.
The CIA’s assessments, which were produced over the past two weeks, looked broadly at what could happen after a military attack.
Trump has signaled for weeks he sought regime change and he encouraged the Iranian people to take over the government.
U.S. officials explain why Iran talks broke down
Francesca Chambers
A senior U.S. official said that the Trump administration had indicators when Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed top lawmakers that Iran could take preemptive action and President Trump determined he was not going to sit back and allow American forces in the region to absorb missile attacks.
The official said the United States had an analysis telling them American casualties and damage would be substantially higher if Iran struck first than if the Trump administration acted preemptively.
Iran also refused to even discuss its ballistic missile program inside or outside of mediated talks with the United States, and that was unacceptable to the Trump administration, the official said. The senior administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity argued that Trump had no choice but to conduct airstrikes.
Another official said that the United States had intelligence showing Iran was in the throes of rebuilding three nuclear sites that America bombed last summer.
The Trump administration officials said that they determined in the course of talks that Iran was seeking to preserve its ability to enrich uranium so that over time they could use it to make a nuclear bomb. Iran has said it seeks to use enriched uranium for civilian purposes, but the U.S. official said the administration has offered other ways to do so that Iran has rejected.
Negotiators were met with games, tricks and stall tactics, the U.S. official said. While President Trump could have made a short-term deal, it wouldn't have dealt with the long-term issues at hand, the official said.
Ayatollah Khamenei killed in strike
Mike Snider and Kim Hjelmgaard
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes Saturday, Israeli sources told USA TODAY, CNN and Reuters.
Khamenei was specifically targeted in the attack, a Middle Eastern source familliar with the matter previously told USA TODAY. Also targeted: the country's missile capabilities.
Khamenei, 86, had led Iran since 1989. He previously served as the president from 1981 to 1989. He was a close ally of Iran's first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the country's 1979 revolution that overthrew the government and founded Iran's Islamic Republic.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had told NBC News Khamenei was still alive “as far as I know.”
How many people were killed, injured in US and Israeli strikes?
Official estimates of fatalities and injuries haven't been confirmed by American or international authorities yet.
Reuters reported on Saturday that 201 people were killed and 747 were wounded in the attacks across 24 provinces, according to Iranian media that cited Red Crescent, a humanitarian group working in the region.
Trump says US has 'off ramps' from Iran operation
Jeanine Santucci
President Trump in a Saturday interview with Axios described "off ramps" for the U.S. military operation in Iran and said it would take several years for Iran to "recover" from the strike.
"I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: 'See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programs]," Trump told Axios.
Trump told the outlet that two factors sparked the attack: failed negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and Iran's actions over decades. "I saw that every month they did something bad, blew something up or killed someone," Trump said.
You may pay more at the pump as soon as Monday, analyst says
Mike Snider
Gas prices are expected to rise in the wake of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, said Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis.
The national average price of gasoline – at about $2.98 per gallon as of Saturday, according to GasBuddy – will "absolutely hit $3/gal on Monday for the first time in 2026," De Haan said in a post on X.
Subsequently, he expects prices to rise to $3.10 to $3.15 per gallon "in the next couple of weeks." Iran is the third largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, producing about 4.5% of global oil supplies. But its production capabilities aren't the biggest concern, De Haan said.
Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, from which about 20% of global oil flows through, is even more important, he explained in a post on Substack.
Iranian state media has reported ships were getting messages from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps that no vessel was allowed to pass through the strait, Reuters reported. "Even the perception of risk there can send oil prices higher," De Haan said.
Trump's schedule shows only super PAC meetings Saturday
Sarah D. Wire
President Trump's official White House schedule for the day includes two events, both which are for his super PAC, MAGA Inc.
He is having a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago home followed by a dinner. Participants at the gatherings are not included in the notice of his official schedule.
Beyond a video posted to social media at 2:30 a.m. ET, the president has not addressed the American people following military strikes in Iran.
Secret Service boosts security for people it protects
Bart Jansen
The Secret Service announced it was boosting the security for people the agency protects, who include President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, as it monitors the situation in Iran.
“While we do not discuss our specific protective measures for operational security reasons, the public may notice an increased law enforcement and federal presence around U.S. Secret Service protected sites,” the agency said. “Any temporary traffic or pedestrian impacts will be communicated by our local law enforcement partners.”
The agency provides round-the-clock protection for several dozen officials, including relatives of the president and former presidents.
No US service members killed or wounded, military says
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Iran's retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases and allies in the Middle East have caused no reported U.S. casualties or "combat-related injuries," U.S. Central Command said in a statement posted to X. "Damage to U.S. installations was minimal and has not impacted operations."
The American and Israeli military attack on Iran began at 1:15 a.m. on Saturday with strikes to "dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus," according to the statement.
"Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields."
Low-cost, one-way attack drones were used in combat for the first time during the attack, according to the statement.
US strikes come during holy month of Ramadan
Jeanine Santucci
The U.S. attacks came as millions of Muslims in Iran are observing Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar that began this year in the country on Feb. 18 and lasts 30 days. Its exact timing each year depends on sighting of the moon.
During Ramadan, observant Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and recognize a time of prayer and reflection.
According to the Iranian government, more than 99% of the population is Muslim. The United States estimates there are about 87.6 million people living in Iran, according to a 2023 State Department report.
United Nations Security Council to meet
Bart Jansen
The United Nations Security Councilscheduled a briefing on the Middle East at 4 p.m. ET.
French President Emmanuel Macron and others had called for a council meeting, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pushed for an immediate drawdown of hostilities.
The security council, which has 15 members, aims to maintain international peace and security. The group can impose sanctions or even authorize the use of force. But any of the five permanent members, including the United States, can veto council resolutions.
Major US cities up security measures amid American, Israeli strikes in Iran
Eduardo Cuevas
Officials in cities across the country increased security measures after American and Israeli strikes in Iran.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said police in the nation’s second largest city have stepped up patrols, including near places of worship and community spaces. The Los Angeles area has the nation's largest concentration of Iranian Americans.
In the nation’s largest city, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said police are enhancing patrols out of an abundance of caution, and officials are coordinating with emergency management. In a statement, Mamdani said Iranian New Yorkers are a “part of the fabric of this city.” “You will be safe here,” he vowed.
The strikes come amid Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar worldwide, and days before the start of the Jewish holiday of Purim, beginning March 2. Christians are also observing Lent.
Ships report possible Strait of Hormuz closure
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Ships operating in the Arabian Gulf reported that Iran may have closed the Strait of Hormuz, according to news reports and a British agency.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center said in a Saturday advisory it received multiple reports from vessels in the area that Iran may have closed the key shipping channel.
Iranian state media reported that ships were receiving messages from the country's Revolutionary Guard Corps that no vessel was allowed to pass through the strait.
A closure of the strait, which sees around 20% of the world's oil and gas flow through, could have a significant impact on global oil prices.
‘Stop lying to the American people,’ AOC tells Trump
Eduardo Cuevas
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, said Americans are “once again dragged" into a war they don’t want by President Trump.
In a statement on Saturday, Ocasio-Cortez, a leading progressive figure, said a war would be unlawful, unnecessary and catastrophic. Trump, she added, walked away from negotiations that could have staved off war, then “flippantly acknowledged” the possibility of American casualties.
“Mr. President: this was not an inevitability,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach. Stop lying to the American people.”
Trump spoke to Netanyahu from Mar-a-Lago, White House says
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
President Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone and monitored the situation in Iran overnight from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X hours after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran.
Before the attacks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called the members of the Gang of Eight − a bipartisan group of top lawmakers in the House and Senate − and was able to reach seven of them, Leavitt said.
"The President and his national security team will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the day."
John Bolton calls Iran strikes 'completely justifiable'
Bart Jansen
John Bolton, who served as President Trump’s national security adviser during his first term and who the president sometimes criticized as too bellicose, supported the use of U.S. forces against Iran’s leaders, military and nuclear weapons program.
“This mission is completely justifiable and necessary,” Bolton said on social media. “The regime must fall, and the opposition needs the support of the West.”
McConnell says Iran 'deserves no sympathy'
Bart Jansen
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, the former majority leader who has opposed Trump on other foreign policy issues such as tariffs and supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, said Iran “deserves no sympathy” after wielding violence at home and terrorism abroad.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran made ‘death to America; death to Israel’ a central pillar of its brutal rule,” McConnell said on social media. “A regime that relishes killing Arabs, Israelis, Americans, and its own people deserves no sympathy.”
'America last.' MTG lights up Trump, Vance over conflict
Francesca Chambers
Former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ripped into President Trump and Vice President JD Vance for campaigning on their "America First" platform and promising to end foreign wars − only to turn around and commit the United States to what could end up being a long conflict with Iran.
"But we are freeing the Iranian people. Please. There are 93 million people in Iran, let them liberate themselves. But Iran is on the verge of having nuclear weapons. Yeah sure. We have been spoon fed that line for decades and Trump told us all that his bombing this past summer completely wiped it all out. It’s always a lie and it’s always America Last," Greene said in a lengthy social media post.
Greene, once one of the president's closest allies, left Congress last month after publicly splitting with Trump.
After the latest strikes, the former Georgia lawmaker said she felt betrayed by Trump because she believed he was a different type of leader. But now, she said Americans are fighting a war "on behalf of Israel" that won't lower the cost of living for average Americans.
Humanitarian groups urge militaries to follow rules of war
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
The International Committee of the Red Cross urged all parties to uphold the rules of war.
"The military escalation in the Middle East is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians," Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the committee, said in a Saturday statement.
Civilian hospitals, homes and schools, as well as medical personnel and first responders, must be protected from military attacks, Spoljaric said.
"Upholding the rules of war is an obligation and not a choice."
Canada supports US blocking Iran from nuclear weapon
Bart Jansen
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country “supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”
Carney has had disputes with President Trump throughout his second term, largely over trade and tariffs between the two longtime allies. But Carney said Canada and its international partners have consistently called on Iran to end its nuclear program, including through United Nations sanctions in September.
“Canada’s position remains clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world’s worst human rights records, and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons,” Carney said on social media.
GOP senator opposes 'presidential' war
Bart Jansen
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said the Constitution grants Congress the power to initiate conflicts “to make war less likely” and said he would oppose Trump’s “preemptive war” in the Middle East.
James Madison, a major author of the Constitution and the fourth president, wrote that “the Executive Branch is the branch most prone to war, therefore, the Constitution, with studied care, delegated the war power to the legislature,” Paul noted on social media.
“As with all war, my first and purest instinct is wish Americans soldiers safety and success in their mission,” Paul added. “But my oath of office is to the Constitution, so with studied care, I must oppose another Presidential war.”
Iranian supreme leader has survived strikes 'as far as I know,' foreign minister says
Sarah D. Wire
Speaking to NBC News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei is still alive “as far as I know.” Araqchi said senior officials in the regime had survived including the president, head of the judiciary and the parliament speaker.
“All high ranking officials are alive,” he said. “So everybody is now in its position, and we are handling this situation, and everything is fine.”
Aragchi said the nation may have lost "one or two commanders, but that is not a big problem."
Trump 'failed' to explain Iran mission: Mark Kelly
Bart Jansen
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, a former Naval fighter pilot and astronaut, said the mission and end goal of the first Persian Gulf war were clear from his first mission 35 years ago as part of Operation Desert Storm. But Kelly said Trump “failed” to provide that “minimum level of leadership” by explaining his goals to the American public.
“We’ve seen this playbook before,” Kelly said on social media. “Weeks of inflated claims, selective facts, and talk of imminent threats that led the American people into a war that cost thousands of American lives and trillions of taxpayer dollars.”
Kelly called the U.S. military the most capable in the world.
“The question is never whether they can do the mission,” Kelly said. “It’s whether the mission makes sense and makes us safer – and what it’s going to cost.”
Iran ignored Trump's diplomatic option: Top House intelligence lawmaker
Bart Jansen
Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Arkansas, the head of the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump’s goals for negotiations with Iran were clear: to stop the country from developing a nuclear weapon.
"Iran absolutely cannot be allowed to maintain a nuclear weapon or capabilities. The safety and security of Americans and our allies are on the line,” Crawford said in a statement. “Furthermore, President Trump has given Iran plenty of opportunities to take the diplomatic route.”
Schumer calls for urgent briefing for Congress
Jeanine Santucci
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an urgent briefing from the Trump administration for lawmakers, including a classified meeting for senators and public testimony.
"The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat," Schumer said. "Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions, and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy."
Schumer was among a group of top congressional leaders known as the Gang of Eight to receive advance details from Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the U.S. military operation, a U.S. official told USA TODAY. Schumer said he "implored" Rubio to "be straight with Congress and the American people" about the goals of the strikes.
Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, but Americans do not support involvement in a war in the Middle East, Schumer argued.
Iranian defense minister, guard commander killed
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Iranian Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Mohammed Pakpour, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, were killed in Israeli attacks, three sources told Reuters.
In an address after the Saturday U.S. attack on Iran began, President Trump said the strikes were aimed at "eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime."
Top democrat: Trump strikes are 'not how a democracy goes to war'
Bart Jansen
Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, the top Democrat on the committee that decides how much to fund the Pentagon, called the military strike “a full-throated declaration of war that does not clearly serve the interests of or reflect the wishes of the American people.”
“President Trump’s military campaign against Iran and call for regime change are the beginning of a reckless new war of choice with no clear strategy and no clear endpoint,” Coons said in a statement. “This is not how a democracy goes to war.”
Congress divided over whether to vote on Trump's Iran strikes
Bart Jansen
Congress divided largely along party lines in its reaction to the military strikes on Iran, with Republicans supporting President Trump and Democrats calling it “a war of choice” that should have required approval by lawmakers under the Constitution.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said “Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Iran “posed a clear and unacceptable threat to U.S. servicemembers, citizens in the region, and many of our allies.”
But the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, asked how the attack would make America safer. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, warned that “conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate.”
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said he would join again with Rep. Ro Khanna of California to force a vote on the War Powers Act, which could restrict Trump’s use of the military if approved.
“I am opposed to this War,” Massie said on social media. “This is not ‘America First.’”
Americans advised to shelter in place
Eve Chen
U.S. citizens across the Middle East are being advised to shelter in place or exercise increased caution until further notice. American embassies and consulates have issued alerts in the following countries:
Americans had already been urged to leave Lebanon, before the current military operation.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem stopped short of a general shelter-in-place recommendation, but it urged embassy personnel and their families to do so, while advising U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The government of Israel has also closed its airspace.
Travelers who are already abroad or planning to go abroad can sign up for the State Department’s free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to get the latest security-related updates for their destination.
Democrat John Fetterman supports Trump strikes on Iran
Bart Jansen
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who frequently breaks with his party’s leadership, supported the president's military attack on Iran.
“President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region,” Fetterman, an outspoken supporter of Israel, said on social media.
Rubio warned top-ranking lawmakers about Iran strikes
Francesca Chambers
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned top congressional leaders from both political parties about the U.S. military operation in Iran before it happened, a U.S. official said.
Rubio laid out the situation for the so-called Gang of Eight during a briefing at the White House hours before President Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday. He then made calls to the lawmakers before the strikes to give them a heads up. He connected with seven; one was unreachable.
That grouping includes House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the chairs and other top members of congressional intelligence committees.
The Department of Defense notified members of the armed services committees early this morning after strikes had commenced, the official said.
Iran strikes caused 'mass civilian casualties,' senator says
Dan Morrison
Sen. Chris Van Hollen said President Trump's attack on Iran was had "already resulted in mass civilian casualties" and endangered American lives.
“Trump is lying to the American people as he launches an illegal, regime-change war against Iran," Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, he said in a statement. "This is endangering American lives and has already resulted in mass civilian casualties."
"This is not making us safer and only damages the U.S. and our interests," Van Hollen said. "The Senate must immediately vote on the War Powers Resolution to stop it.”
Iran said scores of people had been killed in an airstrike on a school building in southern Iran.
House Speaker says Rubio gave detailed briefing on possible strike
Francesca Chambers
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Trump administration provided a detailed briefing to top congressional leaders from both political parties, collectively known as the Gang of 8, ahead of the strikes and he has since received updates from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"The Gang of 8 was briefed in detail earlier this week that military action may become necessary to protect American troops and American citizens in Iran. I received updates from Secretary Rubio thereafter, and I will remain in close contact with the President and the Department of War as this operation proceeds," Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said in a post on X.
Rubio held a briefing at the White House just ahead of Trump's address to Congress on Feb. 24 for Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the top Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees.
Watch: Israel strikes targets in western Iran
The world reacts to US, Israeli strikes
Jeanine Santucci
After the United States and Israel launched strikes in Iran on Saturday, some world leaders backed the military action and others urged the United States to deescalate.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
“The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop," Macron said. "The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good faith in negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its regional destabilization activities.”
Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, and Britain does not want to see escalation to a wider regional conflict, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi of Oman, which had been mediating U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, said: “Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.”
Russia said the United States and Israel hade plunged the Middle East into an “abyss of uncontrolled escalation.”
In the early hours of the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the new round of conflict. "For 47 years, the Ayatollah regime has called for 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America.' It has spilled our blood, murdered many Americans, and massacred its own people," he said in a statement. "This murderous terrorist regime must not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity."
Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon
Dan Morrison
Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Feb. 26 that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has banned weapons of mass destruction, which "clearly means Tehran won't develop nuclear weapons," reiterating a fatwa issued in the early 2000s.
Tehran is in "no way seeking nuclear weapons," Pezeshkian told the state broadcaster on Feb. 18.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had been negotiating indirectly with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in talks mediated by the Persian Gulf emirate of Oman. On Saturday, Oman condemned the U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Araqchi said Feb. 24 that Iran wanted a deal − but reiterated that Tehran would not forgo its right to peaceful nuclear technology. "A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority," Araqchi said in a statement on X.
Supreme Leader Khamenei targeted
Kim Hjelmgaard
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian were both directly targeted in the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, a Middle Eastern official familiar with the matter told USA TODAY.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity. Reuters was the first to report the targeting of Iran's top leaders.
The official also said, without providing additional information, that several senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders were killed in the strikes.
The official did not discuss the outcome of the strikes on Khamenei or Pezeshkian. Iranian state media has said Pezeshkian is accounted for and safe. Iran has not commented on Khamenei.
Did Congress approve bombing Iran? House members to push for vote
Sarah D. Wire
President Trump did not ask Congress for permission to begin "major combat operations" in Iran.
Formal declarations of war take congressional approval. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 (also called the War Powers Act) restricts the U.S. President's ability to commit armed forces to combat without congressional approval. It requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying troops and mandates their removal within 60 to 90 days unless Congress declares war or authorizes an extension.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Ro Khanna (D-California) will continue their efforts to force a vote in the House next week on a resolution to block U.S. military action against Iran without Congressional authorization.
Khanna urged Congress to reconvene Monday to hold the vote on what is called a war powers resolution. The House is not scheduled to return until Tuesday.
"Every member of Congress must go on record today on how they will vote," he said on social media.
On social media, Massie called the strikes on Iran "acts of war unauthorized by Congress."
US consulate in Iraq targeted
Sarah D. Wire
U.S. forces intercepted several rockets and drones targeting the American consulate and a U.S. coalition base at the airport in Erbil in northern Iraq, Iraqi state media said, citing the Iraqi Kurdish regional counter-terrorism service.
The sprawling consulate, one of largest diplomatic facilities in the Middle East, opened in December 2025 in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
Who is Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei?
Sarah D. Wire
There's been no word of the whereabouts or safety of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks in on Feb. 28.
Khamenei, 86, is a cleric and politician who has led Iran since 1989. He previously served as the president from 1981 to 1989.
He was a close ally of Iran's first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the country's 1979 revolution that overthrew the government and founded Iran's Islamic Republic.
As Supreme Leader, Khamenei has final say on all of Iran's domestic and foreign policy. He appoints the heads of its justice department, security and intelligence agencies and state media. He also decides who can run for president and he has authority over Iran's nuclear program. He interprets the application of Iran's religious laws and codes.
Report: 40 killed in Israeli school strike
Sarah D. Wire
At least 40 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a girls' school in Minab in southern Iran, Reuters reported, citing state media.
Separately, state news agency IRNA reported one student was killed and two others injured in an airstrike on a school in Abyek, in northwest Iran.
The reports could not be immediately confirmed.
Oil prices likely to rise. Gas prices?
Kim Hjelmgaard
The strikes on Iran could usher in new volatility for global oil supply, which in turn could impact gas prices in the United States, according to economic analysts.
Despite years of economic sanctions on its oil industry, the Islamic Republic still has an oil output of about 3.3 million barrels a day, or 3% of global output, according to Bloomberg data. That makes Iran the fourth-largest oil producer in OPEC, the global club of leading oil-producing nations.
WTI crude oil futures, one of the main financial-markets oil contracts, are closed for the weekend. But they rose about 3% one day ahead of the strikes on Iran and economists at Capital Economics, a consultancy, wrote on Feb. 28 that they are expecting oil prices to push even higher because of the conflict in the Middle East.
Watch: Scenes from Tehran amid US and Israeli attack
Where in Iran are the US and Israel attacking?
Ukraine backs Iran regime change
Francesca Chambers
The Ukrainian government is backing regime change in Iran.
Iran "was given opportunities for diplomacy and finding solutions, but the regime ignored these efforts and instead only stalled for time in the hope of misleading the international community," Ukraine's foreign ministry said.
Iran is an essential supplier of Shahed attack drones to Russia. The drones have killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians.
Invoking Russia's ongoing invasion the Ukrainian foreign ministry said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime had a history of human rights violations and support for militant groups that have caused chaos in other countries.
"The reason for the current events is precisely the violence and arbitrariness of the Iranian regime, in particular the murders and repressions against peaceful protesters, which have become particularly large-scale in recent months," the foreign ministry said.
Iran vows to keep fighting
Dan Morrison
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, the military force that serves as the backbone of the country's Islamist clerical government, said the government would continue its retaliatory airstrikes until its enemies were "decisively defeated," state news agencies reported.
"All occupied territories and the criminal U.S. bases in the region have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles. This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated," Iran's Revolutionary Guards said.
State media said Iran's army chief, Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, was alive and in command − while making no mention of the whereabouts of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran took credit for strikes on targets in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, saying its operation “True Promise-4” had targeted “the criminal US army and the child-killing Zionist regime.” UAE officials said one person was killed in Abu Dhabi.
Watch: Attack on US Navy base caught on camera
Israel lifts some restrictions for public
Kim Hjelmgaard
Israel's Home Front Command − a government agency that protects its civilian population from the impact of conflict or natural disasters − lifted some restrictions for members of the public, saying in a statement that it was "now permitted to leave protected spaces in several areas across Israel."
It did not detail information about injuries or deaths but said search and rescue teams have been deployed in several locations across the country where reports of fallen projectiles were received.
Trump offers Iranian forces immunity, tells protesters: 'This is the moment for action'
Francesca Chambers
President Trump said advised Iranian armed forces and police to lay down their weapons "and have complete immunity, or in the alternative, face certain death" and told protesters in Iran, who've been brutalized by the government, that the "hour of your freedom" was at hand.
"When we are finished, take over your government, it will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations," Trump warned.
Trump told the Iranian people to seize control of their government while they can.
"No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want, so let's see how you respond," Trump told them. "This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass."
Iran attacks US bases and allies
Will Carless
Iran has apparently launched retaliatory attacks against several US military bases in the Middle East.
A U.S. official told NBC News the attacks had started. Media reports showed clouds of smoke apparently from an air strike in Bahrain, where official state media said that a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters.
"We condemn the attacks & reserves the right to respond in coordination w/ allies," Bahrain's ambassador to the U.S., Abdulla al-Khalifa, said in a post on X.
According to media reports, witnesses have also heard sirens and explosions in Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Jordan's government said it had downed two ballistic missiles targeting its territory.
Explosions reported in Bahrain, home to US Navy's 5th Fleet
Kim Hjelmgaard and Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Explosions were reported in Bahrain's capital, home to U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, according to Bahrain's state media news agency. It said, citing Bahrain's National Communication Center, that the "service center" of the Fifth Fleet was subjected to a missile attack.
It wasn't immediately clear what specific role the service center plays for the 5th Fleet, where the U.S. has its largest Middle East naval presence. A spokesperson for the fleet did not immediately respond to a clarification request. Earlier, the U.S. embassy in Bahrain urged U.S. nationals there to shelter in place.
The small island nation of Bahrain is located about 150 miles across the Persian Gulf from the Iranian coast, just north of Qatar.
Ships with the 5th Fleet were at sea on Feb. 24 and 25 in a possible defensive maneuver, according to an Associated Press analysis of satellite photos shot by Planet Labs PBC.
The fleet was also at sea in anticipation of Iran's June attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in retaliation for the U.S. bombing of its nuclear facilities, according to the report.
Iran cuts internet access
Kim Hjelmgaard
Amid the U.S. and Israel bombing campaign, Iranian authorities have moved to cut access to the outside world, according to Net Blocks, a watchdog that monitors international data and cellphone connectivity.
"Network data show Iran is now in the midst of a near-total internet blackout with national connectivity at 4% or ordinary levels," the organization said in a statement. The group said the levels of internet connection "matches measures used during last year's war with Israel." Iran also cut internet access amid large-scale demonstrations − and its brutal crackdown − in late December and January.
Missile interceptors streak across Israeli sky
Where is Iran's supreme leader?
Will Carless
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not in Iran and has been “transferred to a secure location,” an Iranian security source told Reuters.
Several media outlets reported Friday night that smoke from an apparent air strike had been seen in the Iranian Capital Tehran, close to Khamenei’s offices.
The fate of the Iranian leader remained uncertain early Saturday morning.
'OPERATION EPIC FURY': Pentagon's name for Iran attack
Kim Hjelmgaard
The Pentagon said on Saturday that U.S. strikes against Iran were named "OPERATION EPIC FURY." Israel called its part in the air assault "Roaring Lion."
Trump says U.S. will 'annihilate' Iran's navy and 'destroy' its missile program
Francesca Chambers
President Trump said his administration repeatedly sought to enter into an agreement with the regime that would avoided military action but Tehran refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
"They just wanted to practice evil," Trump said in the statement, delivered from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "And we can't take it anymore."
Trump said Iran was seeking to rebuild its nuclear program after the U.S. bombed its nuclear facilities last June and was developing long-range missiles that threaten American allies and U.S. troops overseas. He said the weapons "could soon reach the American homeland."
It was not immediately clear when the video that was posted to his social media account was taped.
In the statement, Trump outlined decades of antagonism from Iranian regime and its proxy forces, saying it has been "mass terror" against American forces in the region and international shippers.
Trump said the U.S. would "destroy" Iran's missiles, "annihilate" its navy and ensure its proxy groups are no longer able to attack American forces and destabilize the region. "And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon."
"This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States armed forces," Trump said.
Iran missiles launched toward Israel
Kim Hjelmgaard
Israel identified missiles launched from Iran toward its territory, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. It did not specify how many or the targets. Iran has not commented on the assertion.
Israel's military said its anti-missile systems were working to intercept the projectiles. Israeli authorities urged member of the the public to "enter a protected space": bomb shelters. Israel media reported that some explosions were detected across northern Israel, near its border with Lebanon.
'What is this war about?' National security experts raise concerns
Kim Hjelmgaard
The U.S. military buildup near Iran is the largest since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 against the regime of Saddam Hussein. That war, and its consequences, still looms large for many in the country because more than 4,400 Americans lost their lives.
More broadly, the conflict unleashed large-scale displacements, led to hundreds of thousands of deaths across the Middle East and ushered in deep regional instability. Some national security experts are already sounding the alarm about these new Iran strikes.
"By attacking Iran, President Trump is risking the lives of U.S. service members for an unnecessary war under the false notion that a country as weak and remote as Iran, which cannot strike the American homeland, posed an imminent threat to the United States," said Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities, a Washington think tank.
"What is this war about? The American people do not know," she said.
Americans told to seek shelter
Kim Hjelmgaard
The top U.S. diplomat in Israel, Ambassador Mike Huckabee, said in a social media post that all American citizens and their families in Israel should be prepared to immediately seek shelter.
Iran has said it will retaliate against the United States and Israeli bombing campaign, though it's currently unclear what form that might take. Israel at its closest point to Iran is about 650 miles away. Israelis are long used to going to bomb shelters in the middle of the night because of repeated wars with its near-neighbors.
Trump announces 'major combat operations' in Iran
Francesca Chambers
President Trump announced "major combat operations" in Iran that he said may result in American military casualties.
"A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations 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.
Trump confirmed U.S. involvement in the strikes on Iran in a video posted to social media at 2:30 am EDT.
"The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties, that often happens in war, but we're doing this not for now, we're doing this for the future, and it's a noble mission," Trump said.
Iran vows to respond to strikes
Kim Hjelmgaard
Several ministries and government buildings in Tehran were targeted, an Iranian official told Reuters. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. The Iranian official said, without elaborating, that his country will respond to the attacks.
A resident of Tehran told USA TODAY that he was hearing explosions in parts of Iran's capital. He requested his identity be withheld.
US Embassy Qatar orders shelter-in-place
Francesca Chambers
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar directed its employees to "shelter-in place" and recommended that Americans who are currently in the Gulf nation do the same.
Tehran warned prior to the overnight airstrike that U.S. bases in the region could become military targets in the event of an attack, with Iranian missiles unable to strike U.S. soil directly.
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest U.S. base in the Middle East and housed some 10,000 troops as of January, according to Reuters.
Israel's Iran demands
Kim Hjelmgaard
One of Israel's key demands is that it does not want Iran to be able to enrich any uranium that could be used to make a nuclear weapon, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said Israel also wants Iran to limit the range of its ballistic missile and halt all financing to its allies in the region such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Iran has long denied it seeks to build nuclear weapons. It says it needs uranium for its civilian energy needs.