After joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes hit Iranian cities and strategic sites on February 28, 2026, Iran responded immediately and forcefully. Tehran’s leadership condemned the attacks as a violation of international law and called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched large-scale missile and drone counterattacks targeting Israeli territory and U.S. military bases throughout the Gulf region, including those in countries hosting American forces like Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. Sirens were reported in Israeli cities, and air defenses across several Gulf states engaged incoming projectiles as tensions spiked.
Iran proclaimed that “all American and Israeli assets in the Middle East” were now legitimate targets and warned there were no red lines in its response. This marked a serious escalation from previous diplomatic talks and dashed hopes that negotiations might avert a broader conflict.
