US-Israel strikes on Iran trigger retaliation: Live Updates, reactions (VIDEO)
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, with President Donald Trump confirming that “major combat operations” are underway.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the US and Israel had struck military and civilian targets, “blatantly violating” the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
In a statement on Saturday morning Moscow condemned what it called a “premeditated and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent member state of the UN.”
The US-Israeli strike triggered wave of responses across the Middle East. Explosions have been reported in multiple countries in the Gulf, as well as Lebanon and he Houthi armed group based in Yemen has announced it will begin targeting shipping.
In a video posted on Truth Social, Trump vowed to decimate Iran’s military, eliminate its nuclear program, and bring about a change in its government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a video statement that a “joint operation” had been launched against what he described as the “existential threat” posed by Iran. He said the US-Israeli military action could “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that, in response to aggression by a “hostile and criminal enemy,” it has launched the first wave of extensive missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets.
Explosions have reportedly been heard in Israeli cities, and the Israeli military said it had detected ballistic missiles launched from Iran, describing them as the first wave of retaliation.
Large explosions have been heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and residents have reported seeing smoke rising from a district that houses the presidential palace and the Supreme National Security Council, according to local accounts.
The strikes came after indirect nuclear talks in Geneva between Tehran and Washington ended inconclusively on Friday and amid a massive US military build-up in the region.
28 February 2026
12:57 GMTOmani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, a key mediator in the US-Iran nuclear talks, has said that US-Israeli strikes against Iran have undermined peace negotiations. “Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this,” he stressed.
I am dismayed. Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined. 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.…
— Badr Albusaidi - بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) February 28, 2026The third round of the negotiations finished in Geneva only two days ago.
- 12:55 GMT
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s late US-backed shah who was toppled in 1979 and who hasn’t been on Iranian soil for decades, welcomed the US-Israeli strikes, calling it “a humanitarian intervention” and thanking Donald Trump for delivering on his promise for aid.
He went on to urge Iranians to prepare for new protests, saying “it is we, the people of Iran, who will finish the job in this final battle.”
- 12:54 GMT
An unverified clip from Qatar shows what looks like a downed Iranian missile falling on a residential area in Doha, with an explosion and fire ensuing.
🇶🇦🚀 Moment an intercepted missile falls in Doha, Qatar👍 US-Israel-Iran war | @geopolitics_prime pic.twitter.com/KlSpgzy6c0
— Malcolm X (@malcolmx653459) February 28, 2026 - 12:54 GMT
The Houthis in Yemen, who have had traditionally close ties with Iran, have vowed to resume strikes on Red Sea shipping routes and Israel, two sources with the movement have told the AP.
- 12:32 GMT
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Aragchi on Saturday, according to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.
Lavrov condemned the “unprovoked armed attack” by the US and Israel on Iran, and urged an immediate halt to the strikes. He stressed that Russia is ready, including in the UN Security Council, to facilitate the search for peaceful solutions based on international law, mutual respect, and a balance of interests.
- 12:32 GMT
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the “outbreak of war” in the Middle East “carries grave consequences for international peace and security” while urging for a UN Security Council meeting.
He insisted that Iran must “understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good faith in negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs.”
- 12:29 GMT
A UK government spokesperson has said Iran “must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon” while calling for a “negotiated solution.”
The spokesman stressed that while “we do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,” the UK “stand[s] ready to protect our interests.”
- 12:26 GMT
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has indicated that both sides are to blame for the conflict. Madrid, he said, denounces “unilateral military action by the United States and Israel,” saying that it “represents an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order.”
“We likewise reject the actions of the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guard. We cannot afford another prolonged and devastating war in the Middle East.”
- 12:21 GMT
Israel has banned public gatherings, shut schools and workplaces and moved hospital patients to underground facilities. The police have also asked people to forego non-essential travel to allow security and emergency vehicles to move freely.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared a state of emergency across the country, warning the public of Iranian missile and drone attacks.
- 12:21 GMT
Explosions continue to be heard periodically in Qatar’s capital as air defenses continue to intercept Iranian missiles, according to Al Jazeera.
This latest series of blasts comes after multiple missiles were fired towards Qatar and other Gulf states.
