Iran ; explosions across Tehran following Israeli and US strikes, 28 February 2026

[imstilla.grandma]

Summary

• A leadership council made up of the president, the judiciary chief and Alireza Arafi, a jurist from the Guardian Council, will temporarily assume the duties of the supreme leader, state media reported.
• Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been killed in Saturday airstrikes, Iran International can confirm.
• Iran’s state media confirmed the deaths of four senior commanders of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces - Mohammad Pakpour, Ali Shamkhani, Abdolrahim Mousavi and Aziz Nasirzadeh.
• Iran launched attacks toward Israel and other Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.
• The Pentagon has named its mission to strike targets in Iran "Operation Epic Fury," while Israel dubbed its campaign "Lion’s Roar."

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202602288143

 

[otto]

View attachment 649224
Shortly before the United States and Israel were poised to launch an attack on Iran, the C.I.A. zeroed in on the location of perhaps the most important target: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader.

The C.I.A. had been tracking Ayatollah Khamenei for months, gaining more confidence about his locations and his patterns, according to people familiar with the operation. Then the agency learned that a meeting of top Iranian officials would take place on Saturday morning at a leadership compound in the heart of Tehran. Most critically, the C.I.A. learned that the supreme leader would be at the site.

The United States and Israel decided to adjust the timing of their attack, in part to take advantage of the new intelligence, according to officials with knowledge of the decisions.

The information provided a window of opportunity for the two countries to achieve a critical and early victory: the elimination of top Iranian officials and the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/28/world/iran-strikes-trump#iran-leadership-khamenei-shamkhani-pakpour-nasirzadeh

AI company Anthropic was used to capture Maduro. It is quite likely that the same AI system was used to track and target leaders in Iran.

"According to sources from The Wall Street Journal, the technology was used in the operation to kidnap Venezuelan President Maduro."​

Ruzie tussen het Pentagon en een AI-bedrijf: waarvoor mag je AI inzetten?

Anthropic wil niet dat met zijn AI-model massa-surveillances of autonome wapensystemen gemaakt worden, maar minister Hegseth wil juist geen beperkingen opgelegd krijgen.

nos.nl

Pentagon Used Anthropic’s Claude in Maduro Venezuela Raid. Anthropic’s artificial-intelligence tool Claude was used in the U.S. military’s operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, highlighting how AI models are gaining traction in the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the matter.​

https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-used-anthropics-claude-in-maduro-venezuela-raid-583aff17

More information:
https://time.com/7380854/exclusive-anthropic-drops-flagship-safety-pledge/

 

[bestill]

Sadly reported that we have lost 3 of our military and there are more seriously injured per CENTCOM

https://twitter.com/x/status/2028120499964805297

 

[Leilei]

Sadly reported that we have lost 3 of our military and there are more seriously injured per CENTCOM

https://twitter.com/x/status/2028120499964805297

I wonder where this happened at.
IMO.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” said Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a televised address on Sunday.

The US military reported no US casualties and minimal infrastructure damage, despite what it described as “hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks”.

Israel’s military stated that Iran launched “dozens” of missiles toward Israeli territory, with many intercepted successfully. Emergency service Magen David Adom confirmed that a woman in the Tel Aviv region died from injuries sustained during Iran’s missile offensive.

Photos: Iranian missile strike on Israel’s Beit Shemesh kills nine people

Explosions heard in Tel Aviv as Israeli rescue services report casualties in Beit Shemesh missile attack.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I think there is a very strong argument to assert the opposite.

To the chagrin of voters who were excited about Trump's promises of America first and no more wars, Trump created international instability and weakened the US.

It is awful to imagine life in Iran ATM, and very unlikely there are people on the ground thankful for the violence caused by the USA, by the no more wars president.

Trump just wants people to forget that there is an affordability crisis in the US, few job opportunities for Gen Z and younger, rising medical costs, and a secret police force called ICE killing citizens extrajudicially.

Oh, and Trumps name is all over the Epstein files.

This illegal military action is not a sign peace is coming. It is not being celebrated in Iran.

It is a war crime from a president who promised America First.

I am heartbroken that my money through my taxes was spent on this violence.

I wish for peace.

MOO

Dozens dead in Iran school blast blamed on US and Israel strikes

There is no confirmation by the US or Israel of the strike on the school located near elite military troops.

www.bbc.com

Thanks for this article. In international conflicts such as this, I better appreciate the international press more than the American.
BBC, The Guardian, Aljezerra are always more factual than others. in my humble opinion.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

So you genuinely want a country that has killed tens of thousands of innocent people (to include countless Americans over the years) to be able to build up its weapons stockpiles, fund its terror proxies, and continue work towards the bomb?

A country that is arming Russia and helping them kill innocent people in Ukraine.

Right now they’re showing who they are, intentionally attacking hotels and airports and other civilian areas.

This was the natural progression of October 7, when Hamas (funded by Iran) launched its attack.

Time to finish the regime.

I personally think your comment here is unfair. ...and so American.
NOBODY is saying some people love Iran and the atrocites that have been done.

So you genuinely want a country that has killed tens of thousands of innocent people (to include countless Americans over the years) to be able to build up its weapons stockpiles, fund its terror proxies, and continue work towards the bomb?


Some of us are old enough to remember, and even have slightly personal connections to the reform and Westernization in Iran in the 1970s. The Revolution of 1979 was devastating.

I think that many people are viewing impetuous actions that could destabalize much globally. I feel your statement just glories a quick win to a very long standing future of uncertainty.

I certainly honor your right to opinions, as I do others.
I just feel a deep need to be very neutral here as things unfold.
And of course, these are my own humble and personal opinions.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

President Masoud Pezeshkian; the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei; and a member of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi
Iranian authorities have announced a three-member interim leadership council to run the government after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Israeli-United States strikes.

Iran’s government pledged to avenge the killing on Saturday of Khamenei, who had been in power for nearly four decades. Tehran has since targeted Israeli and US assets located across Gulf countries in retaliatory strikes

Who are the council members temporarily in charge of Iran?

Until Khamenei's successor is picked, three-member leadership council, including Ayatollah Arafi, will lead Iran.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Skigh]

Thanks for this article. In international conflicts such as this, I better appreciate the international press more than the American.
BBC, The Guardian, Aljezerra are always more factual than others. in my humble opinion.

the BBC is now extremely biased . It is often the case of, it is not what they do report but what they leaves out. These days they do not even bother to hide their dislike of Israel and Trump.

 

[303gmf]

the BBC is now extremely biased . It is often the case of, it is not what they do report but what they leaves out. These days they do not even bother to hide their dislike of Israel and Trump.

Not that there is anything wrong with those beliefs!
Millions agree

 

[nhmemorymaker]

BBM - have you done a simple search of Iran celebrations? Because there are many videos out there.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2027841352700932358

Check out her X account, the people of Iran ARE celebrating.

https://x.com/AlinejadMasih

Very important statements here.
I am just so adament, that we MUST listen to international voices as much as or even more than American at this point.
WE have never been attacked, or suffered like Europeans and so many many others in this world.
We Americans alive today simply do not have the suffering and misery in our bones and souls as others......

but at the same time, they are worried, they're concerned that if this is not going to lead to regime change... if the American government, the Israeli government only target the military leaders, not the political leaders, then the people of Iran are going to be left alone."

 

[Skigh]

Not that there is anything wrong with those beliefs!
Millions agree

It is absolutely fine for individuals to have those or any other views.
A national broadcaster should remain strictly neutral especially one which used to be revered across the world.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Of course. But this is a regime that just killed at least 30,000 of its own people, and has oppressed those same people for their entire lives.

In the short term this obviously makes things worse though.

Do try to remember what happened in Iran in early 2000s....
I believe the same "regime change -- free Iranians " was the plan.
There is some identical language back then-- stop nuclear, help the Iranian people etc etc....
So where did that get us?

Iran–United States relations during the George W. Bush administration - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[otto]

This is that question that worries most people: what next? I assume we've all heard Trump on the news announcing that it is the responsibility of the Iranian people to change their political governance; that he created a window of opportunity and they have to act. It is not that simple.

"In the aftermath of the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint Israel-U.S. strike, the country's profound and deep divisions over his life and legacy were on full display. ... By Sunday morning, thousands of mourners had come out to public spaces, chanting Khamenei's name and wailing in grief.
...

His position as one of the most senior clerics for the worldwide community of Shia Muslims also gave him reach and influence far beyond Iran's borders. For some, Khamenei was revered as a courageous, charismatic figure who transformed their country into a regional power while refusing to be intimidated by the "imperialism" of the United States and Israel.
...

Countries with sizable Shia populations, in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, could see Khamenei's death as an attack on the entire Shiite community, leading to an expansion of the war ... his death doesn't mean the entire regime will fall.
...

Analysts say history has shown that the use of air power alone to try to effect regime change — rather than combining it with boots on the ground — rarely, if ever, brings the desired results. There is no alternative, democratic or otherwise, ready to take over; and the U.S. record at engineering regime change is very poor."
...

He fears the Israeli and American obsession with killing Khamenei is shortsighted. Observers fear that there is no American plan beyond killing Khamenei."​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/khamenei-death-regime-change-iran-9.7110285

 

[bestill]

It is absolutely fine for individuals to have those or any other views.
A national broadcaster should remain strictly neutral especially one which used to be revered across the world.

So true and so frustrating finding real news vs biased reporting from numerous outlets! I miss the days of Walter Cronkite and Peter Jennings doing the nightly news in America.

 

[otto]

Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada supports one component of the conflict between the US and Iran: destroying Iran's nuclear program.

"As U.S. President Donald Trump charges ahead with a major attack on Iran, Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada supports at least one component of the American mission: destroying Iran's nuclear program.

"Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from threatening international peace and security."

"Canada's position remains clear: The Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world's worst human rights records and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons."

After his speech, Carney said Canada is not participating militarily and that the federal government was "not party to the military buildup or planning."​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-carney-us-attack-trump-iran-nuclear-weapon-9.7109886

"Initially, Trump said Iran's nuclear program had been "obliterated" by earlier U.S. strikes, but he later indicated he believed the threat remained. He also spoke about the need to destroy Iran's immense arsenal of ballistic missiles — a key Israeli goal — but made very little mention of regime change."​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/khamenei-death-regime-change-iran-9.7110285

 

[Katrinepa]

Iran has targeted US forces in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Bahrain has confirmed that the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet has been targeted by a missile attack.

Qatar’s Defence Ministry is saying that an Iranian missile has been intercepted by the Patriot defence system.

A loud explosion has been reported from the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, Reuters news agency has reported.

Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE have closed their airspace.

Earlier, Iran’s IRGC has confirmed that it has launched missiles and drones towards Israel following the US-Israeli attacks.

Trump says Iran attacks to continue until ‘all objectives’ achieved

Iran declares 40 days of mourning and launches attacks after supreme leader's killing; Israel strikes Tehran.

www.aljazeera.com

Iran warned this would happen if they were attacked. There was a deal with Iran when Obama was President, and Trump got rid of that, then later claiming to want pretty much the same deal again.
Timeline of talks and threats leading up to the attack from Israel and USA....https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/28/us-israel-bomb-iran-a-timeline-of-talks-and-threats-leading-up-to-attacks

 

[Sundog]

Not that there is anything wrong with those beliefs!
Millions agree

And millions disagree.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2027921506483753446

“It's the Iranian people that have been telling me over and over and over again, ‘we want this,’” says CBS News Middle East reporter @courtneykealy, who has spent more than 15 years reporting across the region.


omg..... Oh how history repeats itself. This sounds so so so much like Cheney in Iraq in 2002 and all the way to 2008....


I've been in this world for a lot of years........ It is always hard for me to talk to folks who simply "forget the past".
The genealogist in me, just keeps all history remembered and linked to all its future tentacles.....
Honestly, it can be more painful to remember everything!!!

But it is the parallels that must make us think, think, think.
Does America simply have a language of War Talk that has been part of Us and US as long as forever?? And if oft repeated.
I think so.

5th Anniversary Remark: In March 2008, he reiterated that the 2003 action was to "liberate this country from tyranny" reinforcing the narrative that the intervention was a welcome liberation.

https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Cheney-Iraqi-People-Will-Welcome-U-S-7885363.php

 

[Sundog]

It is absolutely fine for individuals to have those or any other views.
A national broadcaster should remain strictly neutral especially one which used to be revered across the world.

I agree that they used to be revered across the world, but it's no longer the case.

EBM