PresidentDonald Trumpsaid the United States and Israellaunched "major combat operations" against Iranon Feb. 28 after the largest build-up of American power in the Middle East since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Trump also called for Iraniansto overthrow their government.
Explosions were observed in Tehran and at least five cities across the country, and Iran's military started retaliating against Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces. There were also explosions and siren-alerts reported in several Middle East nations where the U.S. has military bases.
Here's what we know about this developing story.
The U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. President Trump confirmed the operation in a televised address to the nation.Pictured above, a plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. Two loud blasts were heard in Tehran on February 28 morning by AFP journalists, and two plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the Iranian capital.
Israel's defence ministry announced it had launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and people across the country received phone alerts about an "extremely serious" threat." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Smoke rises following an explosion after the U.S. and Israel reportedly launched an attack against Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026, in this screen grab taken from video." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist after disembarking Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 27, 2026. Hours later, Trump made live comments about the military strikes he launched against Iran." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Military strikes underway by US and Israel against Iran. See photos
The U.S. and Israellaunched military strikes against Iranon Feb. 28. President Trump confirmed the operation in a televised address to the nation.Pictured above, a plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. Two loud blasts were heard in Tehran on February 28 morning by AFP journalists, and two plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the Iranian capital.Israel's defence ministry announced it had launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and people across the country received phone alerts about an "extremely serious" threat.
US and Israel bomb Iran: How it started
The Pentagon has named the operation against Iran "Epic Fury." Israel's military codenamed it "Roaring Lion." Israel initially launched the operation and then was joined by the U.S. The explosions in Tehran were reported early in the morning Eastern Time on Feb. 28, which is mid-morning in Iran.
Within hours, Iran started sending missiles toward Israel and there were reports of attempted strikes against U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Some nations said missiles were intercepted.
The number of casualties from the attacks and reprisals was not immediately known. The United Arab Emirates' defense ministry reported one civilian there was killed by falling debris.
Maps and graphics:US, Israel launch first of 'major combat operations' against Iran
What does Trump want to achieve in Iran?
The White House has been ramping up the pressure on Iran for months. Trump has at times said he was displeased with the way Iran's authoritiesviolently cracked down on protestersin December last year. He also said he wants Iran to agree to a new deal on its nuclear program. Trump said on Feb. 27 that he was "not happy" with the way attempts to solve the issue diplomatically were processing.
Still, some national security experts have questioned Trump's strategic logic for attacking Iran. Israel's case may be more clear-cut: The country has long viewed Iran as an existential threat because of its repeated threats to annihilate Israel. Trump also claimed that as a result of an earlier attack on Iran, the U.S. had destroyed Iran's nuclear facilities.
"Trump seems interested, in no particular order, in demonstrating the prowess of the U.S. military, strengthening his negotiating position, showing he was serious when he vowed in a January Truth Social post to protect Iranian protesters, and differentiating his approach from President Barack Obama's," Nate Swanson, a former White House adviser on Iran, wrote in a Feb. 24 article forForeign Affairs magazine, referring to a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and other world powers. That agreement was negotiated by the Obama administration.
"This mishmash of objectives ... will make him less prepared if a strike does not yield the expected, swift capitulation," wrote Swanson.
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Iran's leadership: Where are they?
Some of the areas in Tehran targeted by the U.S. and Israel were places linked to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian state media said the president and Iran's foreign minister were accounted for and safe. It did not offer any information about the whereabouts of Khamenei.
'Midnight Hammer': An earlier attack on Iran?
In June 2025, Trump authorizedmilitary strikes against Iran's nuclear programas part of a war Israel, a close U.S. ally, fought with Iran over its support for the militant group Hamas in Gaza. It lasted for 12 days. The White House said at the time that the strikes completely eliminated Iran's nuclear program.
The operation was codenamed "Midnight Hammer."
It involved 125 America military aircraft and targeted three nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. "Obliteration is an accurate term," Trump said of the bombings. No U.S. personnel were injured in the operation, which struck Iran well after midnight on June 22, 2025, local time. Iran launched drone and missile attacks against Israel a few days later, then chose to de-escalate.
Iran attack: What happens now?
Iran analysts have expressed concern that the attack could spill over into a wider regional war.
"Let's be clear: This could have catastrophic consequences," said Trita Parsi, the co-founder and executive director of the the Quincy Institute, a Washington, DC-based think tank.
Parsi said that this would "not only put countless U.S. troops in the Middle East in the line of fire, but risk a massive multi-front expansion of the war and other uncontrollable chaos, from state failure and civil war to ethnic conflict that spreads through the region."
Whether that happens remains to be seen. The U.S. has said the operation could last several days.
Other Iran specialists have cautioned that if Trump is able to force Iran into a new deal over its nuclear program, it may not improve on the one negotiated by the Obama administration. That agreement limited Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities and was widely regarded to be working when Trump pulled the U.S. out of it during his first term. However, the JCPOA, as that deal was called, did not address Iran's ballistic missile program or its support for regional militant groups.
Trump said the U.S. would "destroy" Iran's missiles, "annihilate" its navy and ensure proxy groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas are no longer able to destabilize the region. "And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon," he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Why did the US attack Iran? What we know so far
