10.36am Trump says US carrying out 'major combat operations' in Iran
US President Donald Trump said that the United States had begun "major combat operations" in Iran.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2026
"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," Trump said in a video shared on social media.
10.32am US strikes focused on military targets, CNN reports
US strikes on Iran are focused on military targets, CNN reported on Saturday, citing a US official.
10.20 am US strikes on Iran being carried out by air, sea, official says
US strikes against Iran are being carried out by air and sea, a US official told Reuters on Saturday.
10.11am Iraq shuts airspace as Israel launches strike on Iran
The Iraq transport ministry said on Saturday it closed national airspace after Israel launched what its defence minister said was a pre-emptive attack against Iran, the state news agency said.
9.59am Iran's supreme leader not in Tehran, transferred to secure location, official says
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location, an official told Reuters on Saturday.
9.36am Israel says it launched pre-emptive attack against Iran
Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran 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.
The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war in June, 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.
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.
Iran said it was prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions but ruled out linking the issue to missiles.
Tehran also said it would defend itself against any attack.
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