Iran has struck back at US military bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates just minutes after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Tehran. Explosions have also hit northern Israel, with the country’s air defense systems working to intercept incoming Iranian missiles.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Fars News Agency confirmed the attacks, which targeted bases including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Qatar’s Defence Ministry said it successfully stopped several attacks on its territory after multiple alerts. One person was killed in Abu Dhabi after Iranian missiles were intercepted there, according to the UAE’s state news agency.
These strikes came right after the US and Israel began their joint military operation against Iran. Missiles hit University Street and the Jomhouri area in Tehran, with smoke rising across the city. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported blasts in Tehran’s northern Seyyed Khandan area, and other Iranian media confirmed attacks nationwide, including in the western Ilam province.
Iran’s response signals a wider regional conflict with no red lines
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the initial attacks hit military, defense, and civilian infrastructure sites across several cities. President Trump said the joint attacks were aimed at “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” adding, “Short time ago, US military began major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.” For more on how the offensive unfolded, read about Israel and the US hitting Iran by air and sea.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks were meant to remove an “existential threat.” He praised President Trump for his “historic leadership” and said the “joint action” by Israel and the US “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands.”
Iranian officials have said Tehran is preparing a “crushing” retaliation. State TV reported Iran is ready to “take revenge” on Israel and deliver a “strong response.” A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that “all American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target” and that “there are no red lines after this aggression.”
Muhanad Seloom, an assistant professor in Critical Security Studies, said Iran likely wants to “raise the cost” for countries in the region closely aligned with the US, hoping to pressure the US administration to stop the war through regional nations. Alongside the military strikes, Iran’s internet shutting down under pressure has also made it harder to get real-time information out of the country.
As the situation developed, sirens went off across Israel and a state of emergency was declared. The Israeli military issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel,” and Israel’s Airports Authority closed its airspace to all civilian flights.
An Israeli defense official confirmed that the attacks had been planned for months, with the launch date decided weeks ago, even while the US and Iran were still in negotiations. Mehran Kamrava, a professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, suggested Israel “appears to have launched an attack designed to derail the negotiations.” Cellphone communications have also been disrupted in parts of Tehran.
Published: Feb 28, 2026 06:15 am