Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Feb 28: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were reported targets of joint Israeli-US strikes on Tehran on Saturday, according to Israel’s public broadcaster, as cited by AFP.
Initial missile attacks reportedly targeted areas near Khamenei’s offices. Reuters confirmed that the 86-year-old leader was not in the capital at the time and had been moved to a secure location. Iranian state news agency reported that President Pezeshkian is safe and in good health.
The strikes followed a sharp escalation after Israel, assisted by the United States, launched preemptive attacks on Tehran. In response, Iran fired missiles toward Israel, prompting sirens across multiple cities. The Israeli military confirmed that its aerial defence systems were actively intercepting threats, and the Israel Air Force engaged targets where necessary.
Regional Ripple Effects
The strikes triggered emergency alerts across the Gulf. Bahrain sounded sirens following a missile threat targeting the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters. Explosions were reported in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, UAE, Doha Qatar"], and Riyadh Donald Trump described the operations as “major combat actions” aimed at defending Americans and neutralising imminent threats from Iran. Trump accused Iran of being the world’s “number one state sponsor of terror” and cited past attacks by Iranian proxies, including Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel, which killed over 1,000 people, including 46 Americans.
Iran’s Response
Iran condemned the strikes as “criminal military aggression” carried out despite ongoing peace talks. The foreign ministry stated that while Iran remained ready for diplomacy, it is now fully prepared to defend its homeland. Tehran called on the United Nations and the international community to condemn the attacks and take collective action, warning that the strikes pose an unprecedented threat to regional and global security.
The situation remains fluid, with missile alerts and military deployments ongoing across multiple countries in the Middle East.