Israel says it launched pre-emptive attack against Iran

Israel conducts a preventative missile attack on Iran, prompting air raid sirens and explosions reported in central Tehran.

 Israel said it launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran on Saturday (February 28, 2026), ​pushing West Asia into a renewed military confrontation ‌and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution ​to Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the ⁠West.

The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war in June, follows repeated U.S.-Israeli ‌warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic ‌missile programmes.

“The State of Israel launched ‌a ⁠pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to ⁠the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday (February 28, 2026), Iranian media reported.

The U.S. and Iran ​renewed negotiations in ‌February in a bid to resolve the decades-long dispute through diplomacy and avert the threat of a military confrontation that could destabilise the region.

Israel, however, ‌insisted that any U.S. deal with Iran ​must include the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, not just stopping the enrichment process, ⁠and lobbied Washington to include restrictions on Iran’s missile programme in the talks.