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Iran says President Pezeshkian 'safe and sound'

Smoke rises over the city center after an explosion in Tehran, Iran on February 28, 2026. (AA Photo)
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Smoke rises over the city center after an explosion in Tehran, Iran on February 28, 2026. (AA Photo)
February 28, 2026 11:06 AM GMT+03:00

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was not injured in U.S. and Israeli attacks, Iranian media reported Saturday.

State media said Pezeshkian is “safe and sound” following strikes on areas of Tehran where the Presidential Office is located.

According to the semi-official Mehr News Agency, a source close to the presidency said Pezeshkian’s health condition is excellent and that he has no problems. Iran’s official IRNA news agency also reported that the president was unharmed, citing Mehr and ISNA.

The United States and Israel launched attacks Saturday morning on parts of the capital, Tehran, including districts housing key government institutions.

Trump announces major combat operations

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States has begun “major combat operations” in Iran, with air and sea strikes hitting targets across the country, including Tehran.

The action marks the most significant U.S. military operation against the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

Trump said Iran is attempting to rebuild its nuclear program and develop long-range missiles capable of threatening the United States.

In a video posted on Truth Social, Trump said, “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. It's menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.”

A U.S. official told Reuters that the focus of the American strikes is Iran’s military apparatus.

An infographic titled "Israel launches attacks on Iran" created in Ankara, Türkiye on February 28, 2026. (AA Graphics)
An infographic titled "Israel launches attacks on Iran" created in Ankara, Türkiye on February 28, 2026. (AA Graphics)

Explosions reported across Iran

Iranian media reported explosions in multiple cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.

ISNA news agency said initial Israeli strikes on Saturday killed and wounded numerous members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, including key operational staff, citing a source.

Mehr reported further explosions in the cities of Qom, Isfahan, Kermanshah and Lorestan, indicating the attacks extended beyond the capital.

Israeli media said senior Iranian officials were also targeted in strikes on Tehran.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Israel is preparing for an initial phase of four days of intense joint attacks on Iran, citing a security official.

Iran warns of consequences

Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliament National Security Committee, warned of repercussions in a post on U.S. social media platform X.

“We warned you! Now you have started down a path whose end is no longer in your control,” Azizi said.

U.S. military officials say Iran is believed to possess more than 2,000 missiles, primarily short- and medium-range ballistic missiles scattered across launch sites nationwide, in addition to nuclear facilities struck last June.

The New York Times reported that the current strikes are being launched from Middle East bases and aircraft carriers and are expected to be far more extensive than last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted three Iranian nuclear sites.

The attack follows a major U.S. military buildup in the region that included the deployment of two aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, several naval destroyers, more than 50 fighter jets, and over 300 military aircraft stationed across the Middle East.

The strikes mark the second U.S. attack on Iran in less than a year. In June, the United States bombed three nuclear sites, which Trump said were “completely and totally obliterated.”

February 28, 2026 11:09 AM GMT+03:00
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