Iran Closes Hormuz, Missiles Hit Gulf Bases as Region Slides Toward Full-Scale War

Early on Saturday, February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iranian territory, hitting Tehran, nuclear facilities, and residences linked to senior leadership. US President Donald Trump announced the start of a large-scale operation and urged Iranians to overthrow the Islamic regime. Iran responded with missile attacks on Israel and US bases across the Middle East.

Strikes on Tehran, Nuclear Sites and Regional Targets

Reports of explosions emerged in Tehran and Isfahan, home to one of Iran's key nuclear centers. Strikes also hit Lorestan province and the cities of Tabriz, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.

Media outlets reported that one missile struck the presidential palace. However, the Iranian agency Mehr stated that President Masoud Pezeshkian remained "alive and unharmed.”

Click here to see more videos of multiple attacks across the Middle East

Targets reportedly included the intelligence headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, as well as private residences of Iranian officials. Simultaneously, strikes targeted facilities of Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel's Ministry of Defense confirmed the launch of the military operation. Defense Minister Israel Katz said planners had prepared it for months and selected the date weeks in advance. Israeli officials also acknowledged US participation.

"Dozens of American strikes are being carried out by assault aircraft based at installations across the Middle East, as well as from one or more aircraft carriers (…). The attack will be far more extensive than US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last June,” The New York Times reported.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington and Jerusalem plan to conduct intensive strikes for several days. President Donald Trump personally confirmed US involvement.

"We have begun a large-scale military operation in Iran. We will eliminate the threat posed by the brutal Iranian regime,” he said.

Trump stated that the objective is to protect the American people and completely remove the threat from Iran. He pledged to destroy Iranian missiles, their production facilities, and the country's naval forces. He urged Iranian soldiers and police to lay down their arms and called on civilians to seek shelter to minimize casualties, while insisting that only Iranians themselves can overthrow the Islamic regime.

"Your hour of freedom has arrived (…) When we finish, take control of your government. It will be yours to take. This will likely be your only chance for generations,” Trump declared.

Lion's Roar and Emergency Measures in Israel

Israeli authorities described the strikes as preemptive. According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, the Israel Defense Forces are eliminating threats emanating from the Iranian regime.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and said the operation aims to create conditions for Iranians to topple the regime themselves.

"The time has come for all the people of Iran — Persians, Kurds, Azerbaijanis, Baloch, and Ahvazis — to cast off the yoke of tyranny and build a free and peaceful Iran,” Netanyahu said.

The operation carries the name "Lion's Roar.”

Israel declared a state of emergency: authorities banned public gatherings and school activities, suspended most business operations, closed the country's airspace, and urged citizens to seek shelter.

Hormuz Closure and Regional Escalation

Following the strikes, Iran largely shut down internet access nationwide and reported disruptions to mobile communications. State television broadcast patriotic programming. According to Reuters, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei moved to a secure location.

Later in the day, Iran's armed forces launched retaliatory strikes. Missiles targeted Israeli territory and the largest US naval base in the Persian Gulf, located in Bahrain. Media outlets reported additional strikes on US bases in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan. Unconfirmed reports also cited explosions in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

"After this aggression, there are no red lines. Everything is possible, including scenarios previously not considered,” a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity.

Iranian authorities later decided to close the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries up to 20 percent of global oil supplies. Iran's Foreign Ministry described the actions of Israel and the United States as a declaration of war.

Reza Pahlavi, son of the last shah of Iran, supported the US and Israeli strikes and called them a "humanitarian intervention.”

"This is a humanitarian intervention. Its target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus, and its system of killings — but not the country and not the great Iranian people,” he said.

He urged Washington to act cautiously and minimize civilian casualties, stressing that Iranians themselves must play the decisive role. "It is the people of Iran who will finish this final battle. The time to return to the streets is near,” Pahlavi added.

Videos circulating online appear to show Iranians celebrating a missile strike on a residence linked to Ali Khamenei, though their authenticity remains unverified.

The press service of the Israel Defense Forces reported that Israel and the United States have already struck hundreds of military targets, calling it the largest air operation in the history of the Israeli Air Force. The attack reportedly destroyed a residence belonging to Ali Khamenei.

Iranian media reported that one missile hit a primary school in Minab district in the country's south. The agency Mehr stated that 40 people died in the attack.

In Bahrain, Iranian strikes triggered a massive fire at a US base that authorities have not yet extinguished, prompting evacuations from nearby areas. In the United Arab Emirates, at least one person died in Abu Dhabi following an attack. Explosions in Dubai led to evacuations from the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, and caused major traffic congestion on roads leaving the city.

Fragments of an Iranian missile fell near the Atlantis hotel in Dubai, which hosts Russian tourists. Another missile struck the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah, sparking a fire and sending several people to the hospital.

In response to the Iranian strikes, authorities in the United Arab Emirates warned Tehran of consequences, while residents in Bahrain observed large columns of military equipment moving through the area.