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

[otto]

It sounds like the situation is escalating fast. Take a plane if you can, but airspace is closed in many places, so drive if you can. Trump said it could be ended in 5 days, but I don't think that took retaliation/response into consideration. Now it won't be ended for another 4-5 weeks, or longer. Ground troops are likely. Complete chaos in the region where people want peace.

Finally, 3 days after waging war, there is urgency in getting out of the region.

Imagine that Trump announced on Saturday that he has decided to start a war with Iran that will last at least a month, and will involve ground troops. Would anyone be celebrating on the streets that the Iranian leader had been killed? Think about the cost to the US for this war.

Does anyone believe that the US can start a war in the Middle East and there will be peace in a month? For decades we've heard that starting a Middle East war is guaranteed to cause global problem. Now we'll find out whether that is true.

"It was already assumed that American bases would be targeted, but it's no longer just about military targets. Civilian infrastructure is now also being targeted, such as embassies and certain hotels where Americans are known to be frequently accommodated.

So we're really seeing an escalation. Yesterday, for example, there were attacks here in Qatar on LNG facilities, where liquefied natural gas is stored, on oil refineries in Saudi Arabia, and on civilian targets in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

That's why the US has also called on all its embassy staff to leave the region. This indicates that things will continue here for quite some time.

If possible, people should take a plane, but airspace is still closed in many places. In Qatar, you could leave by driving to Saudi Arabia. You can also do that in the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain."​

VS roept Amerikanen op Midden-Oosten te verlaten, aanval op ambassade in Riyad

Ze krijgen het advies om met commerciële vluchten te vertrekken. Lukt dat niet, dan kunnen ze hulp krijgen van het ministerie.

nos.nl

 

[SouthAussie]

RSBM

ETA: We’re about to tank the world economy, including our own. Watch for oil and energy prices to rise rapidly as our leaders work to destroy those production and supply lines. Watch as chaos ensues in Iran because there are no opposition leaders or government structure to replace the old one. It’s hard to do regime change when there’s no “new” regime.

Australians are already being asked not to stockpile fuel.


The energy minister, Chris Bowen, says there is no immediate threat to Australia’s fuel supplies, and is warning households not to stockpile or panic-buy petrol.

There is no need to rush to the service station and fill up. I do understand people’s concerns, but it’s important that people know we do have a good stock of petrol in reserve. In Australia, there is no immediate threat to petrol supplies in Australia. There will be challenges in this difficult environment in the Middle East, the strait of Hormuz is a very important supply chain for the world.

So there are real challenges, but there is no need for panic buying, we just make the situation worse.

PM tables election review in question time – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[Simply Southern]

A ⁠magnitude-4.3 earthquake has ⁠struck the Gerash ⁠region in Iran, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake ⁠was at a ⁠depth of ⁠10km (6.21 ⁠miles), ⁠USGS said.

Israel Iran War Highlights: Iran Fires Fresh Missiles At Israel, Sirens Heard Across Jerusalem

US-Israel and Iran War Highlights: The West Asia conflict expanded to include Iran-backed militias on Monday with an attack by Hezbollah on Israel. Israel struck back against the group in Lebanon while the United States pounded targets in Iran.<br /><br /><b>Top Updates: </b><br /><br...

www.timesnownews.com

My favorite from your article …

Israel Iran War Live Updates: Israel Hacked Iran Traffic Cameras For Years To Pinpoint Khaemnei Location Prior To Strike​

A news report from the London based Financial Times has revealed a long term plan hatched by Israel's spy agencies that led to the targeted killing of Iran's erstwhile supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and members of the top echelon of Iran's military.

According the Financial Times which cited multiple sources, Israel spent years hacking Tehran's traffic cameras and gaining access to mobile phone networks to monitor the movements of Khamenei and his security detail. Nearly all traffic cameras in Tehran had been hacked for years, with footage encrypted and transmitted to servers. The hack allowed the Israeli and American forces to pinpoint Khamenei's location leading to his elimination in a targeted strike.

 

[otto]

The current leadership of the U.S. believes we gain something by having more control over the supply of oil in the world. It’s about their fear of China and their love of Russia. JMO, they’re very confused when it comes to long term strategy, but that’s what happens when corporations start running the U.S. government. JMO

ETA: We’re about to tank the world economy, including our own. Watch for oil and energy prices to rise rapidly as our leaders work to destroy those production and supply lines. Watch as chaos ensues in Iran because there are no opposition leaders or government structure to replace the old one. It’s hard to do regime change when there’s no “new” regime.

Since CUSMA is being torn up, and the US government has clarified that the US doesn't need anything from Canada, Canada is successfully establishing new markets for oil and LGN. That could reduce the opportunity for the US to rely on Canada for oil - making the Middle East more attractive.

"Canada's energy minister says the country is poised to become one of the world's biggest suppliers of liquefied natural gas, exporting as much as 100 million tonnes per year.

Tim Hodgson delivered that optimistic outlook to a parliamentary committee earlier this month, noting that countries such as Japan, South Korea, China and India all want Canadian gas."

March 1, 2026

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tim-hodgson-lng-exports-100-million-tonnes-9.7107519

 

[Amonet]

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

The world’s most popular flight tracker. Track planes in real-time on our flight tracker map and get up-to-date flight status & airport information.

www.flightradar24.com

A lot more USAF planes seem to be going over there now.

ETA I also see a Qatari air force plane showing up over Saudi. I don't know if there's been some relaxation of the transponders showing their positions that is just making it look like more activity?

ETA 2. Am I the only one a bit freaked out by looking at Flight Radar site and seeing the military planes and the commercial planes? I have been worried for days about how close the commercial planes are to this. Then stories about drones from Iran reaching all the way to Cyprus? It feels so risky.

 

[Serononin]

Putin needs to mind his business. Stabilize the region? Get out of Ukraine.

I'm sure we would all rather not find out what Putin's idea of "stabilising the region" looks like

 

[Friday Fan]

It sounds like the situation is escalating fast. Take a plane if you can, but airspace is closed in many places, so drive if you can. Trump said it could be ended in 5 days, but I don't think that took retaliation/response into consideration. Now it won't be ended for another 4-5 weeks, or longer. Ground troops are likely. Complete chaos in the region where people want peace.

Finally, 3 days after waging war, there is urgency in getting out of the region.

Imagine that Trump announced on Saturday that he has decided to start a war with Iran that will last at least a month, and will involve ground troops. Would anyone be celebrating on the streets that the Iranian leader had been killed? Think about the cost to the US for this war.

Does anyone believe that the US can start a war in the Middle East and there will be peace in a month? For decades we've heard that starting a Middle East war is guaranteed to cause global problem. Now we'll find out whether that is true.

"It was already assumed that American bases would be targeted, but it's no longer just about military targets. Civilian infrastructure is now also being targeted, such as embassies and certain hotels where Americans are known to be frequently accommodated.​

​

So we're really seeing an escalation. Yesterday, for example, there were attacks here in Qatar on LNG facilities, where liquefied natural gas is stored, on oil refineries in Saudi Arabia, and on civilian targets in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.​

​

That's why the US has also called on all its embassy staff to leave the region. This indicates that things will continue here for quite some time.​

​

If possible, people should take a plane, but airspace is still closed in many places. In Qatar, you could leave by driving to Saudi Arabia. You can also do that in the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain."​

VS roept Amerikanen op Midden-Oosten te verlaten, aanval op ambassade in Riyad

Ze krijgen het advies om met commerciële vluchten te vertrekken. Lukt dat niet, dan kunnen ze hulp krijgen van het ministerie.

nos.nl

A guy was doing a comedy sketch out of this. "You're telling me to leave! I can't leave the airports are all closed!"

We haven't heard from my sister today who lives and works in Doha. She does have a shelter to go to.

 

[SouthAussie]

Iran has conducted a mass funeral for 165 victims, including students, who were killed in an attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.

Thousands of people filled a public square .........

(There is an aerial photo in the link of the rows of graves being prepared, I won't post it here.)

Donald Trump vows response after US embassy in Riyadh hit— Live Updates

Israel claims killing Khamenei; Iran denies, latest developments in Iran as tensions escalate following a major combat attack by US,Israel.

arynews.tv

 

[Amonet]

Gas and oil prices soar and shares tumble as crucial shipping lane threatened

Iranian official threatens to "set fire" to any ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

www.bbc.co.uk

Natural gas and oil prices rising in the UK. Article says oil now up to $82 a barrel. Natural gas, known in the UK simply as "gas", has risen more than 30%. Chart on page of gas prices showing they spiked from less than 50 pence per therm in 2021 to over £2.00 when Russia invaded Ukraine, Prices had fallen back to less than 75 pence per therm in early 2026 before starting to increase, and have now spiked to £1.50 per therm.

ETA, at the end of the article it says that it's not just the oil itself that's increased in price but also the costs of hiring the tankers, with prices for supertankers to take oil from the middle east to China doubling over the past week. Insurance companies also apparently not comfortable with the risks associated with insuring traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

My reading on this is that it could cause knock-on effects to costs of other goods being shipped as well. But I think a lot will depend on how long the disruption lasts for.

 

[SouthAussie]

"Qatar’s FM spokesperson adds that there is no information on Mossad cells operating in the country.

This comes after US broadcaster Tucker Carlson claimed that Qatar and Saudi Arabia have arrested individuals linked to Mossad."

US bases and embassies attacked as Iran ratchets up Gulf strikes

Iran strikes energy infrastructure across the Gulf as Revolutionary Guard announces closure of Strait of Hormuz.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Serononin]

My favorite from your article …

Israel Iran War Live Updates: Israel Hacked Iran Traffic Cameras For Years To Pinpoint Khaemnei Location Prior To Strike​

A news report from the London based Financial Times has revealed a long term plan hatched by Israel's spy agencies that led to the targeted killing of Iran's erstwhile supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and members of the top echelon of Iran's military.

According the Financial Times which cited multiple sources, Israel spent years hacking Tehran's traffic cameras and gaining access to mobile phone networks to monitor the movements of Khamenei and his security detail. Nearly all traffic cameras in Tehran had been hacked for years, with footage encrypted and transmitted to servers. The hack allowed the Israeli and American forces to pinpoint Khamenei's location leading to his elimination in a targeted strike.

I don't know why it never occurred to me that intelligence agencies could or would hack traffic cameras. It seems totally obvious now it's pointed out

 

[nhmemorymaker]

"The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) is reporting that at least 85 civilians and 11 military personnel have been killed following the joint US-Israeli strike in Iran in the last 24 hours.

The Washington, DC-based group said the latest figures take the total civilian death toll to at least 742 since the US-Israeli attack began on February 28.

These include 176 children, it added.

HRANA said the US-Israeli attacks hit a range of locations and infrastructure on Monday, including several military bases, two residential areas, and Shahid Bahonar Pier in Bandar Abbas."

US bases and embassies attacked as Iran ratchets up Gulf strikes

Iran strikes energy infrastructure across the Gulf as Revolutionary Guard announces closure of Strait of Hormuz.

www.aljazeera.com

The Israeli army also intensifies air attacks on Lebanon and has launched a new ground incursion into the country’s south.

Aljazeera reporting is always top notch.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

This was written on Jan 5th. A few days ago, she came out with a FB video about how succession works in Iran.

She is very knowledgeable.

Why Iran Is at a Breaking Point

How repression and economic collapse are pushing a nation beyond fear, written by an Iranian woman

thisisnotamemo.substack.com

The human side of Iran.
We are supposed to look at Iran as just a huge block of desert land...with a bunch of nasty men leading it.

The human side.... how many civilian casualties will we see?

 

[Elley Mae]

After initially waiting 24 hours for legal consultations, Starmer granted Washington permission to use U.K. bases for what he described as a "specific and limited defensive purpose."

The move came as Iranian retaliation escalated across the region, including a drone strike that hit the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus late Sunday.

"The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles," Starmer said in a social media statement.

"The U.S. has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose. We have taken the decision to accept this request."

https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/uk-iran-israel/2026/03/02/id/1248071/

 

[Simply Southern]

What is wrong with Britain, can’t decide to send its destroyer to protect their base in Cyprus? I do believe the reluctance is leaving Britain vulnerable, certainly not showing strength in defending its own. MOO..

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/03/iran-us-war-latest-trump-retaliation-embassy-attack/

Britain is scrambling to send a warship to Cyprus after France announced a major deployment to the eastern Mediterranean.

The Royal Navy is expected to send HMS Duncan, a Type 45 destroyer, to the region after an RAF base was attacked by Iranian drones.

France’s nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and its strike group are heading to the area. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has also ordered anti-drone weapons and a frigate to the eastern Mediterranean.

There is growing international concern that Sir Keir Starmer has been too slow and too resistant to take action.

 

[Simply Southern]

"Qatar’s FM spokesperson adds that there is no information on Mossad cells operating in the country.

This comes after US broadcaster Tucker Carlson claimed that Qatar and Saudi Arabia have arrested individuals linked to Mossad."

US bases and embassies attacked as Iran ratchets up Gulf strikes

Iran strikes energy infrastructure across the Gulf as Revolutionary Guard announces closure of Strait of Hormuz.

www.aljazeera.com

Yea, like Mossad is going to announce their presence. Betting the CIA is also in Qatar. Moo

 

[Simply Southern]

I don't know why it never occurred to me that intelligence agencies could or would hack traffic cameras. It seems totally obvious now it's pointed out

In the US most states publiize traffic cams on major roadways. It’s live but not recorded, no rewind (so they say). Virginia 511

We watch the weather on traffic cams for live weather during snow, hurricanes.

Makes perfect sense.
Moo …

 

[Lebowski]

Maybe for the majority of Americans, but not to us in NYC. While 9/11 was not “combat” in the strictest sense, the human costs were ENTIRELY visible. I watched it with my own eyes. I saw the death of my friends. It took my daughter all day to get home and she brought some co-workers with her who couldn’t get home at all.

My students and colleagues were in hysteria all day because many had family who worked in the WTC. We most certainly ARE speaking of civilians.

I’d been to the WTC many times in the past, and since 9/11 I’ve been several times to the memorial.

I know Bin Laden was Saudi, not Iranian, but Iran has sponsored terror as well.

So I may not have witnessed the American Civil War, but what I did see that day WAS a war against America.

You watch people jumping from 100 stories up, you watch 220 stories of buildings collapse, you have dust and objects from the WTC land on your car and your terrace as I did, and you cannot say it is abstract for all of us.

My opinion because I lived through it.

yep, i believe you and am sorry for what you went through and i get all the 9/11 stuff. I'm talking about what's typical of americans, not a blanket rule. and, as I think you'd agree, your experience is not typical of Americans. maybe 2 or 3 percent of the country experienced 9/11 up close like that.

the rest of us just saw it on TV or *maybe* knew someone who died. and yet it shocked us all to the core. because war is terrible. and that had gotten invisible in our sanitized, bubble-wrapped existence. why wasn't it cool and exciting like in the movies?

 

[Ruminations]

I’ve been following this closely but have not heard any confirmation about hitting a possible nuclear threat in Iran. I would think this strategic attack would focus on that first. Has anyone seen that confirmation yet? IMHO Thanks in advance.

IMO, that objective is merely a pretext.

The point was to win on the betting markets and distract from national problems.

The leaders of US and IS have documented criminal histories and have reason to fear incarceration in their respective countries.

In the US in particular, many people who tolerate financial crimes and assaults on adult women draw the line on abuse of children. It's all coming out now.

So, wait for the stock market to close (and school in Iran to open), place your bets on insider information, then bomb like crazy.

There is no regime change without tremendous support on the ground. That is the military experience for decades.

MOO

 

[Ruminations]

Snipped by me for focus,

This much seems reasonable to me. It doesn't seem to have such political Trump-focused aims. It doesn't even mention regime change, though I think that is a reasonable part of the aims inasmuch as it's the choices of the current regime, their decisions to facilitate terrorism that have made their country a target.

I'm trying to sort of ignore the lousy messaging coming from the president and the politics of him and his administration and look at it purely from the perspective of perceiving what Hegseth has said here to be the main goals of the operation/war. And in this sense I would see all the years through different presidents and administrations as attempts to avoid this, but with the actions of Iran and their subsidiary terrorist groups over the past 2 years or so, I can see that it's reached a point where Iran can't be trusted to stop supporting terrorist groups, and I can agree that waiting until after they have working nukes is not the best option. Imagine an Iran that says you can't go after terrorist groups that we're supporting, because they're under our nuclear umbrella?

I don't know if better diplomacy could have changed this, I only see that it hasn't.

We've tried bombing. It doesn't work. I only see that bombing hasn't changed things.

MOO