The White House has increased pressure on Iran in recent months. Some analysts fear the attack could spill over into a broader regional war.
President Donald Trump said the United States and Israel launched a “massive combat operation” against Iran on February 28, following the largest US power buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. President Trump also called on the Iranian people to overthrow the government.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, explosions were observed in Tehran and at least five other cities across the country, prompting Iranian forces to retaliate against Israel. Explosions and siren warnings were also reported in several Middle Eastern countries where the United States has military bases.
Here’s what we know about this developing story.
Bombing of Iran by the US and Israel: The beginning
The Pentagon has dubbed the operation against Iran “Epic Fury.” The Israeli military codenamed it “Roaring Lion.” The operation was initially initiated by Israel, and the United States later joined in.The explosion in Tehran was reported in the early morning hours of February 28, Eastern Time, and in the morning in Iran.
Within hours, Iran began firing missiles at Israel, and there were also reports of attempted attacks on U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Some countries announced that the missiles had been intercepted.
The number of casualties from the attack and retaliation was not immediately known. The UAE Ministry of Defense reported that one civilian was killed by falling debris. Iranian state media reported that a missile hit a school in Minab, southern Iran, killing dozens of children. USA TODAY could not immediately confirm the report.
What does President Trump want to accomplish with Iran?
The White House has increased pressure on Iran in recent months. President Trump has at times said he is dissatisfied with the way Iranian authorities violently cracked down on protesters in December. He also said he hoped Iran would reach a new deal on its nuclear program. President Trump said on February 27 that he was “not satisfied” with the progress of attempts to resolve the issue diplomatically.
Still, some national security experts question the strategic logic of President Trump’s attack on Iran. The case of Israel may be clearer. The country has long viewed Iran as an existential threat due to its repeated threats to annihilate Israel. President Trump also claimed that as a result of previous attacks on Iran, the United States had destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Former White House adviser on Iran Nate Swanson wrote in a Feb. 24 article in Foreign Affairs magazine, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the rest of the world, that “President Trump, out of order, “They appear interested in demonstrating that they are serious, strengthening their negotiating position, and differentiating themselves from President Barack Obama’s approach when he vowed to protect Iranian protesters in his Truth social post in January.” power. The agreement was negotiated by the Obama administration.
“This jumble of objectives will weaken his readiness if the attack does not result in the rapid surrender expected,” Swanson wrote.
Iran’s Supreme Leader: “Where is he?”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian were both direct targets of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, according to Middle East officials familiar with the matter. The official spoke on condition of anonymity. Reuters was the first to report the news.
The official also said several Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps leaders were killed in the airstrike, without providing additional information. The official did not discuss the consequences of the attacks on Khamenei or Pezeshkian. Iranian state media said Mr Pezeshkian’s whereabouts were unknown and he was safe. Iran has not commented on Khamenei. Some of the areas in Tehran targeted by the United States and Israel were those associated with Khamenei and Pezeshkian. Iranian state media said Iran’s foreign minister was also safe.
“Midnight Hammer”: Previous attack on Iran?
In June 2025, President Trump authorized a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program as part of the war. Israel, a close ally of the United States, has fought with Iran over support for the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It lasted 12 days. The White House said at the time that the attack had completely eliminated Iran’s nuclear program.
The operation was codenamed “Midnight Hammer.”
The attack involved 125 US military aircraft and targeted three nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. President Trump said of the bombing, “The accurate word is annihilation.” No U.S. military 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, but has since chosen to de-escalate tensions.
Iran attack: what’s happening now?
Iranian analysts expressed concern that the attack could spill over into a broader regional war.
“Let’s be clear, this could have devastating consequences,” said Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive director of the Quincy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
Parsi said this would “not only put in the line of fire the millions of U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, but also risk a massive escalation of war on multiple fronts and other uncontrollable chaos, from state failure and civil war to ethnic conflicts across the region.”
Whether that will happen remains to be seen. The US said the operation could last several days.
Other Iran experts have warned that even if President Trump is able to get Iran to a new deal over its nuclear program, it may not be an improvement over the deal negotiated by the Obama administration. The deal limits Iran’s ability to enrich uranium and was widely seen as working when President Trump withdrew the United States from Iran during his first term. However, the agreement, called the JCPOA, did not address Iran’s ballistic missile program or support for regional armed groups.
President Trump said the United States would “destroy” Iran’s missiles, “annihilate” its navy and ensure that proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas can no longer destabilize the region. “And we will ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.”
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
