US and Israel attack Iran as Tehran retaliates across Middle East

US President Donald Trump called for regime change in Tehran, telling Iranians to “take over your government.”

Updated 1:03 PM EST, Sat February 28, 2026

CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Eugenia Yosef, Tal Shalev, Brad Lendon, Jeremy Diamond, Kevin Liptak, Haley Britzky, Zachary Cohen, Kevin Liptak, Alayna Treene, Oren Liebermann, Mostafa Salem, Adam Pourahmadi, Riane Lumer, Eyad Kourdi, Tim Lister, Kaitlan Collins, Abbas Al Lawati, Samantha Waldenberg, Jeremy Diamond, Jomana Karadsheh, Catherine Nicholls, Jim Sciutto contributed reporting.

Here's the latest

• US and Israel strike: The US and Israel have attacked Iran, with President Donald Trump indicating the “massive and ongoing” military operation is aimed at overturning the government in Tehran. The attack included strikes on the Iranian supreme leader’s compound and killed several senior figures, according to an Israeli military official, though details remain limited.

• Massive retaliation: Iran launched an unprecedented wave of strikes at US military bases, Israel and targets in other countries across the Middle East, disrupting air travel and oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian drone struck a high-end, densely populated neighborhood in Dubai.

• Global reaction: The United Arab Emirates called the conflict a “historic moment” in the Middle East, saying world leaders had failed to ensure the region’s stability. The leaders of some US allies expressed concern, while some Arab nations condemned Iran’s retaliation.

162 Posts

2 min ago

FBI counterterrorism teams on elevated alert, official says

By Kristen Holmes

The FBI’s counterterrorism and counterintelligence teams are on elevated alert nationwide after the US strikes in Iran, a bureau official told CNN.

The increased security posture mirrored that of police departments, including in New York City, which stepped up patrols in case of violence on US soil after the attack. Such moves are common in the wake of global events like those on Saturday.

5 min ago

Tel Aviv residents have spent the day in and out of shelters

By Dana Karni and Catherine Nicholls

CNN Camera shows missiles being intercepted over Tel Aviv as sirens blare

04:29

Residents of Tel Aviv, Israel, have spent the day running in and out of shelters, as sirens warning of potential attacks have gone off more than a dozen times today, according to a CNN producer on the ground.

Earlier, Israel ordered the public to carry out essential activities only following its strikes on Iran, expecting retaliatory action from Tehran. Public gatherings, as well as going to work and school, were prohibited, with some exceptions made for specific sectors.

As missiles have been launched toward Israel throughout the day, residents have at times received alerts instructing them to seek shelter within 10 minutes. Typically, a few minutes after the alerts, sirens have sounded, warning residents that they have limited to time to barricade themselves in.

People run into a bomb shelter near Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday. 

Erik Marmor/Getty Images

At one point today, residents were told to stay in shelters for nearly an hour, after consecutive alerts were distributed warning of multiple missiles fired.

CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, who has been reporting live from Tel Aviv today, has at times been reporting on air from a bunker because of this danger. You can watch some of his reporting in the video at the top of this post.

8 min ago

US-Israeli attack is an "egregious act of aggression," Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson says

By Frederik Pleitgen and Claudia Otto

Iran views US and Israeli attacks as an “egregious act of aggression without any reason,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told CNN on Saturday.

Baghaei accused President Donald Trump’s administration of being “dragged” into a conflict in which “the only beneficiary” would be Israel.

“The American people should be reminded that we were again in the middle of the diplomatic process that was progressing,” he said.

The spokesperson also defended Iran’s retaliatory strikes throughout the region.

“This is in accordance with our inherent, legitimate right of self-defense. This is our responsibility, our duty as a state to defend our territory and our sovereignty against this unlawful act,” Baghaei said.

“Every country in the region recognizes the threat that is coming from Israel’s attack against Iran,” he added.

When asked if the conflict could widen throughout the region, Baghaei suggested that “anything is possible.”

Iran “didn’t welcome this war — it was imposed on us,” he said.

11 min ago

What we know so far about the US-Israeli attack on Iran and the ongoing retaliation

By Tori B. Powell

Tehran skies fill with smoke after Israel, US launch strikes on Iran

01:18

We’re bringing you breaking news out of the Middle East after Israel coordinated with the United States to strike Iran.

If you’re just joining us this Saturday afternoon, here’s what you should know:

• Strikes across Iran: Israel launched an operation Saturday morning according to the Prime Minister’s Office, across multiple cities in Iran. The strikes targeted ballistic missiles and missile launchers, which Israel has viewed as a serious threat, as well as senior Iranian figures, two Israeli sources familiar with the operation told CNN. It is unclear if any of the officials were hit. Israel is preparing for several days of strikes and “even more if needed,” an Israeli source tells CNN.
• US involvement: The strikes were coordinated with the United States and months of “close and joint planning” took place between the two countries, according to the Israel Defense Forces. A US official says the US strikes are currently focused on military targets, but declined to elaborate citing an ongoing operation. Another US official said the goal of the strikes is to address the Iranian military threat and protect US forces. The US military is also planning for several days of attacks, according to two sources.
• What Trump said: In a video, President Donald Trump described the military campaign as “massive and ongoing,” intended to prevent the country from putting US lives at risk. He said American lives may be lost and encouraged Iranians to seize control of their government when US military operations conclude. The president is continuing to monitor the strikes from his Mar-a-Lago resort, a White House official told CNN. He is not expected to deliver any more formal remarks today.
• Iran’s response: In response to the US and Israeli strikes, Iran appears to be striking US targets in several countries at once, with blasts heard from the beaches of Dubai to the streets of Doha. Iran’s army said it will deliver a “historic lesson” to Israel and the US.
• Across the region: There are reports of multiple explosions in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, all of which have US bases. Qatar and Jordan say military forces intercepted missiles targeting their countries. One person was killed by falling debris after air defenses intercepted missiles targeting sites in Abu Dhabi, state-run WAM news agency said, citing the UAE defense ministry.