WASHINGTON – The United States launched major combat operations in Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026, targeting the country’s ballistic missile program and aiming to weaken the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Donald Trump announced. The strikes, coordinated with Israel, follow the failure of nuclear negotiations and represent a significant escalation of tensions in the region.
“A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran,” Trump said in a video statement delivered from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard terrible people.”
The Trump administration had been engaged in weeks of negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program even as simultaneously increasing its military presence in the Middle East. According to Trump, Tehran refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions, prompting the overnight airstrikes that resulted in smoke plumes rising over Iran. The development underscores growing regional instability and raises concerns about potential retaliation.
“They just wanted to practice evil,” Trump stated in a social media post. “And we can’t take it anymore.”
The U.S. Had previously bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, with Trump claiming at the time that all three sites had been obliterated. However, a U.S. Intelligence assessment later determined that only one location was completely destroyed.
Following the latest round of strikes, Trump asserted that Iran was developing long-range missiles capable of threatening U.S. Allies, American troops stationed abroad and potentially reaching the American homeland.
The rationale behind the attack has been described as evolving, with Trump offering a variety of explanations in the days leading up to and following the initial strikes. He has suggested the operation is aimed at re-obliterating Iran’s nuclear weapons program, securing a more favorable deal with Tehran, or even replacing the current regime with a democratic government.
According to reports, officials are also citing concerns that Iran may seek to retaliate on U.S. Soil.
The situation remains fluid, and the long-term consequences of the U.S. Attack on Iran are still uncertain. Israeli plans reportedly played a role in leading the U.S. Into the conflict, according to Trump administration officials. Lawmakers have expressed concerns about the lack of clarity surrounding the administration’s objectives and the potential for a prolonged conflict.
In remarks on Monday, Trump claimed the attack was to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program, stating, “We warned Iran not to develop any attempt to rebuild at a different location because they were unable to use the ones we so powerfully blew up.”
Reports indicate that hundreds of targets have been struck, including Iranian bombarders and naval vessels. Trump has also indicated the possibility of deploying troops to Iran.
The attack on Iran has prompted discussions about the extent to which Iran can withstand the ongoing military pressure, and how ordinary Iranians are perceiving the situation.
