Live Updates: Iran retaliates after U.S.-Israel strikes; Trump calls for regime change

Federal law enforcement sources tell CBS News there are no specific credible threats to the homeland at this time. 

The FBI is concerned about sympathizers and supporters aligned with Iran who may act independently — or at the direction of Iran — to commit acts of terrorism in the U.S. or against American targets abroad. 

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is aware of individuals who have affiliation with the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah and are living in the United States, sources said. 

Authorities are monitoring for any threat indicators from those individuals, according to sources. 

Investigators are using tools ranging from electronic surveillance — which includes the internet — undercover operations and informants to monitor any potential threat of attack from terrorist groups Hezbollah, al Qaeda, and ISIS. They are also monitoring any potential threats posed by so-called lone wolves who could be inspired to act, either by being recruited or self-radicalized, according to sources. These lone wolves are known as homegrown violent extremists, or HVE. 

Law enforcement across the country has increased patrols at synagogues and U.S. government facilities. 

Haviv Retting Gur, the Middle East analyst for the Free Press based in Jerusalem, said that there is fear in Israel as Iran retaliates but the country sees the operation as a point of pride. 

"All these important leaders and advisors … were all in the room," Gur said. "And what that means is the Israelis know when the top-most secretive meetings happen, the most important leadership, the most sensitive leadership, and they know when the meeting is going to happen and where it's going to happen in real time."

Gur said the operation shows that Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies have highly-placed sources within the Iranian government, which will have a "psychological impact" on the regime. 

"I think the Iranians themselves, Iranian generals, people very high up in the IRGC, are not willing to keep this regime afloat," Gur said. 

Jordan's armed forces said they had successfully intercepted 13 ballistic missiles since Saturday morning amid U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. Damages were reported, but no casualties were reported.

"The armed forces engaged 49 drones and ballistic missiles targeting Jordanian territory today," a military source said in a statement.

The statement said "13 ballistic missiles were successfully intercepted by Jordanian air defence systems, while drones were shot down".

After the U.S.-Israel strikes, Iran retaliated with assaults on the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.

U.S. embassies or consulates in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Israel said staffers were told to shelter in place and recommended all Americans "do the same until further notice."

CBS/AFP

In CBS News polling completed just before news of the U.S. airstrikes on Iran, most Americans thought the U.S. should be at least pressuring or engaging the Iranian leadership in some form. 

And in the days before the strikes began, there was movement toward approval of a U.S. military action specifically to stop them from making nuclear weapons; that change came after President Trump's State of the Union address earlier this week, on Feb. 24. 

The effect of that was that the nation went into the start of the conflict split about it.

The public had voiced a collective uncertainty about how long a conflict with Iran would last. More thought it would last months or even years, rather than just days or weeks. Supporters tended to think it would be short. 

That sets some context as it now unfolds.

Read more here.

Aaron McLean, a national security and defense fellow at the Hudson Institute and podcast host, told the Free Press that he believes Iran's retaliatory response shows that the regime believes "they're playing for all the marbles this time." 

Iran has targeted sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates since the U.S. and Israel launched "Operation Epic Fury."

McLean said previous skirmishes between the U.S. and Iran "have tended to end in" actions that "were, on some level, symbolic." 

"This time you basically saw them pull the trigger with their ballistic missile capacity and their drones," McLean said.

"They are hitting to cause damage and they're hitting to cause harm," McLean continued. "They are certainly looking to cause casualties here."

Free Press contributor Jay Solomon said that negotiations between the United States and Iran were likely "basically stuck" ahead of today's strikes.  

"I don't think that diplomacy was really going to go anywhere," said Solomon, the former chief foreign affairs correspondent at the Wall Street Journal and the author of "The Iran Wars." 

He said that he believed Iran engaged in the negotiations to give itself time to consolidate power and stabilize their economy after mass protests in January. Solomon said that Iran's position on developing its nuclear program has "never really changed." 

"I don't think anyone seriously thought there would be some huge diplomatic breakthrough that would change the calculation much," Solomon said. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency, a United Nations nuclear watchdog, called for "restraint to avoid any nuclear safety risks to people" in the Middle East. 

The IAEA said on social media that it is "closely monitoring developments" in the Middle East. The watchdog said there has been no evidence of any radiological impact.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the agency, warned earlier this month of the need to find a diplomatic agreement between the U.S. and Iran. Grossi cited the risk presented by Iran's enriched nuclear material, which he said remained largely intact despite U.S. strikes on three major facilities in 2025.   

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke by phone on Saturday, the prime minister's office and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed.

Leavitt said that Mr. Trump spoke with Netanyahu and had monitored the situation in the Middle East overnight from Mar-a-Lago. 

The prime minister's office shared a photo of Netanyahu on the phone with Tim Bouverie's book "Allies At War," about how the Allied Powers defeated the Axis during World War II, prominently displayed on his desk.  

House Democrats will convene tomorrow evening for a virtual caucus call to discuss the strikes on Iran, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. 

Democrats have largely criticized the decision to strike Iran, and are calling on the Trump administration to brief Congress. 

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Iran has "every right" to defend itself against what he called "an act of aggression" by the United States. He said Iran had "learned lots of lessons" from its 12-day war with Israel last summer. 

Araghchi said in an interview Saturday that Iranian forces "may have lost one or two commanders, but that is not a big problem." 

He criticized the U.S. for attacking while negotiations were underway, and said the Iranians had recently "had a very good meeting" in Geneva with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. 

"I don't know why, while we were progressing in our talks and we had made good, you know, achievement and a deal was at our reach, why they decided to attack us?" Araghchi said. 

Araghchi also dismissed President Trump's calls for regime change, saying that would be impossible "while millions of people are supporting the so-called regime." He dismissed recent protests against the regime, which saw thousands of protesters in the streets before a government crackdown.

Mr. Trump said the Iranian government's crackdown killed at least 32,000 people. 

Saudi Arabia said Iran targeted its capital and its eastern region in an attack.

The government reported the attack in an announcement on its state-run Saudi Press Agency. It called the attack "blatant and cowardly" and said it was repelled.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are longstanding rivals, but they reached a Chinese-mediated detente in 2023.

Saudi Arabia condemned Iran's attacks earlier Saturday, saying they "cannot be justified under any pretext or in any form and came despite the Iranian authorities' knowledge that the Kingdom had affirmed it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran."

CBS/AP

A source with direct knowledge of FBI Director Kash Patel's directive tells CBS News that Patel directed his agency's counterterrorism and counterintelligence teams to be on elevated alert last night and will remain that way as this situation unfolds.

The governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom are urging Iran to end its nuclear program and to seek "a negotiated solution."

The three countries known as the "E3' said in a statement Saturday that they did not "participate in these strikes," but are in close contact with international partners and partners in the region.

They called for negotiations to resume and said Iran needs to curb violence and repression against its people.

 "Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future," the statement said.  

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the "military escalation in the Middle East" as an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting is set to convene today. 

"I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation," Guterres said. "Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table." 

Guterres also emphasized that members of the United Nations "must respect their obligations under international law," including the U.N. charter, which prohibits "the threat of the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations." 

The U.N. Security Council is set to convene at 4 p.m. Saturday at its New York City headquarters for an emergency session.

All U.S. Embassy employees and their family members are being directed to shelter in place, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

Around the country, sirens wailed and people received cellphone alerts as Iran launched retaliatory strikes, which the Israeli military says have been intercepted by their missile defense system. 

William Schecter, the father of this reporter and a retired surgeon who is visiting Israel, said he heard sirens in Jerusalem and got an alert on his phone at about 8 a.m.

"My cellphone sent me an alert saying: The Iran military is shooting missiles, be prepared to enter a shelter in a couple of minutes. And sure enough, two minutes later you hear loud booms," he said. 

The airspace above Israel is closed to all civilian flights. Commercial flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport have been canceled.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran have created an opportunity for the Iranian people to oust the "terrorist regime" in Tehran.

"It is only fair to give the Iranian people a chance to get rid of the terrorist regime, to get rid of it and guarantee the safety of all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran," Zelenskyy said Saturday in a statement on social media. "It is important that the United States is determined. And whenever America is determined, global criminals weaken."

Ukraine, which has been fighting off Russia's invasion since 2022, has repeatedly accused Iran of providing Russia with weapons for its offensive.

The Ukrainian leader said that "although Ukrainians have never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to be Putin's accomplice." He claimed Russia has used more than 57,000 Shahed-type strikes, which are Iranian drones, against Ukraine.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Saturday Canada was supporting the United States' actions "to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security." 

Carney said in a statement that the Canadian government is closely following developments in the region and urged all citizens in Iran to shelter in place. 

"Canada's position remains clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world's worst human rights records, and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons," Carney said. 

World leaders responded Saturday to the joint attacks launched by the U.S. and Israel on Iran. Read more here. 

A U.K. government official said Saturday that "Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon," amid U.S.-Israel strikes.

The official said in a statement to CBS News that the U.K. does not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict. The official added that as part of the United Kingdom's long-standing commitment to partners in the region, they recently bolstered their range of defensive capabilities.

"We stand ready to protect our interests," the U.K. official said.

The New York City Police Department announced it is enhancing boots on the ground presence at sensitive locations today. 

The department said it is "closely" monitoring events in Iran and the Middle East and coordinating with our federal and international partners." 

"As is our protocol and out of an abundance of caution, we will be enhancing patrols to sensitive locations throughout the city, including diplomatic, cultural, religious, and other relevant sites," the NYPD said. 

The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain said it would close Sunday after Iranian missiles targeted parts of the country's capital, Manama, including strikes targeting the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.

"In light of ongoing missile strikes against Bahrain on February 28, the US Embassy in Bahrain will be closed on Sunday, March 1, 2026," the embassy said in a statement on X. "We have cancelled all regular and emergency consular appointments for Sunday, March 1, 2026. We will communicate when the embassy returns to normal operations."

Earlier Saturday, Bahrain's state media and a CBS News source confirmed a missile attack had targeted the Fifth Fleet headquarters. 

Eyewitnesses told CBS News that at least three missiles targeted the fleet's headquarters, but there was no immediate confirmation of missiles impacting the base, or of any damage inflicted.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that the conflict sparked by the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran carried "grave consequences" for international peace and security.

"The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop," he wrote in a social media post. Macron said the Iranian regime must understand that there are no other options but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs. 

"This is absolutely essential to the security of all in the Middle East," Macron said, adding that the Iranian people must be able to build their future freely. 

Marcon said France stood ready to deploy resources to its closest Middle East partners as needed.

Video obtained by CBS News showed interceptor rockets being fired from an installation near a U.S. military base at northern Iraq's Erbil Airport on Saturday, as Iran launched ballistic missiles at American bases across the region.

Erbil International Airport is used as a base by the U.S. military and its partners in the international coalition fighting ISIS in the region. According to local security sources in Erbil, anti-air defenses intercepted incoming rockets and drones on Saturday targeting both the base and the newly built U.S. consulate in the city.

It was unclear if the base in Erbil faced incoming fire from Iran or from Iranian-backed proxy militias in Iraq.

Iranian officials and its state-run media claimed Saturday that a U.S. or Israeli strike hit a girls elementary school in the country's far south, killing dozens of students. The school week begins on Saturday in Iran.

"The destroyed building is a primary school for girls in the south of Iran. It was bombed in broad daylight, when packed with young pupils," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post, sharing an image he said was of the aftermath of the alleged strike. "Dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone. These crimes against the Iranian People will not go unanswered."

Iranian state news agency IRNA cited a spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Education as saying at least 53 students were killed in the strike on the girls elementary school in the city of Minab, in Iran's Hormozgan province.

The semi-official Fars news agency, affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, posted a video on social media showing people screaming amid debris around a heavily damaged building said to be the school.

CBS News has not yet been able to verify the reports or the video posted by Fars. A representative at the U.S. military's Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East, told CBS News on Saturday that it had no statement to share regarding the alleged strike on the school. CBS News was also seeking comment from the Israeli military.

The Associated Press said the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported strike on the school in Minab.  

In a statement posted on social media, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei accused the U.S. and Israel of "an egregious, unwarranted act of aggression against Iran by indiscriminately targeting Iranian cities," calling the alleged attack on the Minab school "a blatant crime" and urging the world and the United Nations Security Council to "stand up to this grave injustice."

Russia's Foreign Ministry called the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran an "unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent U.N. member state." 

In its statement on Saturday, the ministry demanded an immediate halt to the bombings, accusing the U.S. and Israel of "hiding behind" concerns about Iran's nuclear program while actually pursuing regime change. 

The Russian foreign ministry said the country had stood ready to help broker a "peaceful resolution," accusing the U.S. and Israel of plunging the Middle East into "an abyss of uncontrolled escalation."

CBS/AP

The foreign minister of Oman, who was brokering the indirect negotiations between the Trump administration and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program up until late this week, chided the U.S. on Saturday for going on the attack amid the diplomacy.

"I am dismayed," Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a social media post. "Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined. Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war."

On Friday, just hours before the strikes, Albusaidi old CBS News that negotiators had made "substantial progress" toward a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, telling "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan that a "peace deal is within our reach." 

He said Iran had agreed that it will "never, ever have … nuclear material that will create a bomb," which he called a "big achievement."

The Bahrain Ministry of the Interior said Saturday that residents of a neighborhood that houses the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters would be evacuated following a targeted missile attack by Iran.

"The Ministry of Interior has begun evacuating citizens and residents in the Juffair area," the ministry said in a social media post. "We urge your cooperation with the relevant authorities."

Earlier Saturday, Bahrain's state media and a CBS News source confirmed the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters was targeted by a missile attack. 

Eyewitnesses told CBS News that the fleet's headquarters was targeted by at least three missiles, but there was no immediate confirmation of missiles impacting the base, or of any damage inflicted.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, which is associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said the Bahrain base was targeted by Iranian attacks.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday vowed that Lebanon would not be drawn into a regional conflict. 

In a social media post, Salam urged the Lebanese people "to exercise wisdom and patriotism."

"We will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity," he said.

The Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah is based in Lebanon. In 2024, Israel and Hezbollah were engaged in violent conflict that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to at least some members of the U.S. Congress' "Gang of Eight" to alert them before the strikes on Iran got underway, CBS News confirmed.

A source familiar with the matter told CBS News that Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was one of lawmakers briefed ahead of the action. It was not clear whether Rubio was able to get in touch with all eight.

The Gang of Eight consists of the top four leaders in the House and Senate, along with top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate intelligence committees. 

The European Union called for "maximum restraint" on Saturday as the joint U.S-Israeli military attack on Iran sparked retaliatory strikes targeting American bases in the Middle East.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the developments "greatly concerning," as the 27-nation EU moved to withdraw non-essential personnel from the region.

"We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to safeguarding regional security and stability," she said in a joint statement with European Council President Antonio Costa. "Ensuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance."

"We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law," the EU statement said.

The EU's Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea remained "on high alert" and stood ready to help keep the maritime corridor open, the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said, adding that she had spoken to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and "other ministers in the region."

"Our consular network is fully engaged in facilitating departures for EU citizens. Non-essential EU personnel are being withdrawn from the region," Kallas said on social media. "The latest developments across the Middle East are perilous. Iran's regime has killed thousands. Its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, along with support for terror groups, pose a serious threat to global security."

A militant pro-Iran group based in Iraq warned Saturday that it would start attacking U.S. bases in the Middle East in retaliation for an airstrike that it said hit one of its own bases earlier in the day, amid U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, which is separate from the major Iranian proxy group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, said it would "soon begin attacking American bases in response to their aggression," in a statement shared on social media.

The Iraqi group said two of its fighters were killed Saturday in airstrikes that hit one of its bases in southern Iraq.

The Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, or Kata'ib Hezbollah, is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., as is the larger pro-Iranian Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

Iran's foreign ministry condemned the military strikes launched Saturday by the U.S. and Israel, calling them a "gross violation of Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty."

In a statement posted on X, the ministry claimed the strikes had targeted defense infrastructure and civilian sites across the country and said they were carried out "while Iran and the United States were in the midst of a diplomatic process."

"Now is the time to defend the homeland and confront the enemy's military aggression. Just as we were ready for negotiations, we have been more prepared than ever for defense," the statement said. "The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond to the aggressors with authority."

"History testifies that Iranians have never surrendered to foreign aggression and hegemony; this time too, the response of the Iranian nation will be decisive and determining and will make the aggressors regret their criminal act," the statement said.

An Israel military official told journalists Saturday that it was working with the U.S. to carry out dozens of strikes across Iran. The official said that the choice was made to act now after intelligence indicated an acceleration of Iran's ballistic missile program.

The official also said Iran's government was operating, as well as acting to conceal and fortify, its nuclear program to continue to advance it, and that the objective of the offensive was to significantly reduce the capabilities of the Iranian's regime. 

In an interview with French network TF1 posted online 10 days ago, Rafael Grossi, the director general of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, said most of Iran's enriched uranium remained intact after the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities in June 2025, but he said there was no indication Iran was working to develop a nuclear weapons capacity. 

"No," he told TF1 when asked if the IAEA saw evidence of Iran trying to work toward a weapon, adding: "On the contrary, I see, today, a willingness on both sides to reach an agreement."

"Most of the material that Iran had accumulated up until June of last year, despite the [U.S.] bombings and the attacks, is still there, in large quantities, where it was at the time of the strikes," Grossi told the French network. "Some of it may be less accessible, but the material is still there. From a non-proliferation standpoint, the material remains. That is why there is so much interest — I would say urgency — in reaching an agreement that would prevent new military action in the region."

Grossi was directly involved in the latest rounds of indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations in Geneva, Switzerland, last week. 

The Israeli military official said Saturday that there were a variety of initial targets in the opening strikes, from practical ones that would create more freedom of operation to "essential personnel," though the official declined to comment on who may have been targeted when asked by journalists.

An Israeli military official told reporters that Saturday's joint strikes with the U.S. followed weeks of extensive planning and coordination between the two countries at a level that had never been seen before. 

The official would not put a timetable on the estimated length of the operation, saying only that it would take as long as necessary to cripple the Iranian regime's capabilities.

The latest assessments of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal ranged from the high hundreds to low thousands, the official said. 

The official said, to their knowledge, Iran's counterattack on Israel had not resulted in any significant hits thus far.

Israel is prepared for any scenario to play out in response to the attack on Iran, including retaliation from Iran's proxies in Iraq and Syria, along with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, the official added.

In the past year, Iran is estimated to have spent between $700 million and $900 million on its proxies, mainly Hezbollah, the official said, adding that both Israel and the U.S. determined the cost of inaction was too heavy as the threat posed by Iran and its allied groups could have increased. 

A person was killed by shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack on Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, The Associated Press reported, citing the country's state media.

The fatality reported by the UAE's state-run WAM news agency was the first attributed to Iranian missile launches carried out in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic.

The Washington Post reports that in a brief phone interview overnight, President Trump said he wants Iran to be a "safe nation."

"All I want is freedom for the people," he told the paper. "I want a safe nation, and that's what we're going to have."

A source involved in the Israeli strikes on Iran told CBS News that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and its President Masoud Pezeshkian, were among the targets of the first round of strikes.

According to The Associated Press, the first strikes of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack appeared to target Khamenei's home in downtown Tehran. It wasn't immediately clear if he was there at the time, but Iranian media reports claimed both the president and Khamenei were safe.

By Michal Ben-Gal

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated Saturday that he believed the U.S. strikes on Iran were necessary to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

"We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security," Albanese wrote in a lengthy social media post.

He also said calls for Iranian leaders to uphold human rights had "gone unheeded," adding that "a regime that relies on the repression and murder of its own people to retain power is without legitimacy."

Albanese has been a key ally of President Trump. The two leaders signed a critical minerals deal last October. 

Israel, Iran and Iraq have closed their airspaces to civilian traffic, AFP reports, as airlines canceled flights in the region.

Part of Syria's airspace, along the country's southern border with Israel, was also closed for 12 hours, the French news agency reported, citing Syria's Civil Aviation Authority.

Air France told AFP that it canceled its Saturday flights to and from Beirut, Lebanon, as well as flights to and from Tel Aviv, "due to the security situation at the destination."

Lufthansa also said it was suspending flights to and from cities across the region, the outlet reported.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania expressed his support early Saturday for the U.S. strikes on Iran. 

"President Trump has been willing to do what's right and necessary to produce real peace in the region," Fetterman said in a social media post. "God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel."

Last summer, Fetterman joined his Republican colleagues to vote against a measure that would have blocked Mr. Trump from using military force against Iran. He was the only Democrat to do so. 

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a statement Saturday condemning the U.S. and Israeli military assault, calling it "a gross violation of Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty."

It accused the U.S. and Israel of violating the United Nations charter with "clear armed aggression" and vowed to defend itself.

"The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will use all their might and resources to confront this criminal aggression and repel the enemy's evil," the foreign ministry said.

"Now is the time to defend the homeland and confront the enemy's military aggression. Just as we were ready for negotiations, we are more ready than ever for defense."

The Israeli military posted a notice online Saturday in the Farsi language warning Iranians to stay away from military installations in their country as joint U.S. and Israeli strikes continued.

The message from the Israel Defense Forces warned "all individuals located inside or near military industrial factories and military infrastructure" that they were "in proximity to weapons and facilities that are dangerous."

The IDF cautioned Iranians to evacuate such areas immediately, "until a new announcement" was issued.

"Your presence in these locations puts your life at risk," the notice read. 

A major U.S. military base in Bahrain has been targeted in a missile attack, a local source confirmed to CBS News. Bahrain's state media said the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters was the target of a missile attack.

U.S. bases were also targeted in Jordan, sources told CBS News. There were no immediate reports of missiles hitting the U.S. bases.

Explosions were heard in Kuwait, according to numerous media reports, where the U.S. also has a significant military presence, as well in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, where there is a base housing U.S. military personnel, according to the AFP news agency.

Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera reported explosions in Qatar's capital, Doha, also, and the country's defense ministry said missiles had been intercepted.

Iranian state media claimed "all" U.S. bases in the Middle East were being targeted in response to the ongoing U.S. and Israeli attacks on the country.

Iran's Fars news agency reported that the U.S.'s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain had been targeted.

Commercial flights to and from Tel Aviv were being canceled or diverted after Israel closed its airspace amid the conflict.

United Airlines said flights that were en route to Tel Aviv early Saturday would return to their points of departure or divert to other locations, while flights later in the day were canceled. Passengers would get travel waivers to change their plans without cost, the airline said.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally and long-time advocate for action against Iran, praised the operation against Iran, writing on X: "The end of the largest state sponsor of terrorism is upon us."

"This operation is necessary and long justified," Graham said.

U.S. embassies in the Middle East issued shelter-in-place alerts to American citizens in at least five countries, citing regional security concerns as the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

"The U.S. Embassy in Jordan is implementing a shelter-in-place for all personnel. We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice," the embassy in Amman said, echoing similar alerts issued in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

The warning from the embassy in Bahrain, in particular, cited the threat of missile or drone attacks.

Reza Pahlavi, the long-exiled son of Iran's last monarch, shared a message addressed to the Iranian people on social media Saturday, as the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on the country.

"The aid that the President of the United States promised to the brave people of Iran has now arrived. This is a humanitarian intervention; and its target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus, and its machinery of slaughter—not the country and great nation of Iran," Pahlavi said. "But, even with the arrival of this aid, the final victory will still be forged by our hands. It is we, the people of Iran, who will finish the job in this final battle. The time to return to the streets is near."

Some protesters who participated in recent widescale demonstrations against the regime had expressed support for Pahlavi, but it's unclear how much influence he actually has inside the country, and President Trump has previously thrown cold water on the idea of Pahlavi leading Iran.

His father was Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown after decades of rule by the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which brought the current regime to power.

"Now that the Islamic Republic is collapsing, my message to the country's military, police, and security forces is clear: You have sworn an oath to protect Iran and the Iranian people—not the Islamic Republic and its leaders. Your duty is to defend the people, not a regime that has taken our homeland hostage through repression and crime. Join the people and help bring about a stable and secure transition. Otherwise, you will go down with Khamenei's sinking ship and his regime," Pahlavi said after the U.S. announced its attack on Iran.

He asked Mr. Trump to "exercise the utmost caution" to protect the lives of civilians.

U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona who is an Iraq War veteran and considered a possible contender for the next U.S. presidential election, suggested Mr. Trump's move to attack Iran was illegal. 

"I lost friends in Iraq to an illegal war. Young working-class kids should not pay the ultimate price for regime change and a war that hasn't been explained or justified to the American people," Gallego said in a social media post early on Saturday. "We can support the democracy movement and the Iranian people without sending our troops to die."

The U.S. military appeared to have dubbed the military strikes on Iran "Operation Epic Fury," according to a post on X from the Defense Department.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to his country's operation — which was launched in conjunction with the U.S. strikes — "The Roar of the Lion."

A second volley of missiles was launched at Israel by Iran, the Israeli military said.

The Israel Defense Forces said on social media that "an additional barrage of missiles was launched toward Israel."

Israel's missile defense system was "identifying and intercepting the threats," the IDF said. 

Emergency alert sirens blared intermittently across the country on Saturday, and a state of emergency was announced by Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz.

The internet appeared to have been shut down in Iran on Saturday amid U.S. and Israeli strikes, the NetBlocks organization said.

"Network data show #Iran is now in the midst of a near-total internet blackout with national connectivity at 4% or ordinary levels. The incident comes amid US and Israeli combat operations and matches measures used during last year's war with Israel."

Iranian authorities blocked virtually all web traffic and most telephone communications for weeks earlier this year, during their crackdown to quash massive street protests.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation launched by Israel and the U.S. was intended "to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran."

"This murderous terrorist regime must not be armed with nuclear weapons that would allow it to threaten all of humanity," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "Our joint action will create the conditions for the courageous Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands."

Netanyahu called on the Iranian people "to throw off the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peaceful Iran."

He said the military action — an operation he said was called "The Roar of the Lion" — would require "endurance and fortitude," but he did not specify how long it was expected to last.

By Michal Ben-Gal

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday that alerts were activated in several parts of the country after missiles launched from Iran were detected. 

The IDF said in a post on X that the Israeli Air Force was working to intercept the threat and urged residents to follow instructions.

Iranian news outlets said Saturday that, in addition to strikes targeting Tehran, near the homes and offices of leaders, there were also attacks on locations across the country, including in Isfahan, where there is a major nuclear facility, the holy city of Qom, and in Karaj, Kermanshah, Lorestan, and Tabriz.

After announcing "massive" U.S. military strikes on Iran, Mr. Trump issued a warning to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is under the direct command of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as the rest of the Iranian armed forces and police, telling them to "lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or in the alternative, face certain death."

He encouraged Iranian civilians to seek shelter, warning of intense bombings, but also urged them to overthrow the Islamic Republic regime that has ruled over the country since 1979.

"The hour of your freedom is at hand," he said. "When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations."

Read more here.

The president said the U.S. operations in Iran could result in the loss of American lives.

"The Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we're doing this not for now. We're doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission," Mr. Trump said in his video statement shared on social media.

The U.S. embassies in Qatar and Bahrain told their staff to shelter in place on Saturday.

"We recommend all Americans do the same until further notice," both embassies said in online statements, encouraging people to shelter in secure locations and "keep a low profile" amid the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Located across the Persian Gulf from Iran, Qatar and Bahrain are both U.S. allies that host major contingents of American forces. Iran retaliated against last June's U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites by launching a missile attack on the U.S.'s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also urged American citizens in the country: "Stay near shelters & take immediate action at the sound of alerts or sirens." Embassy employees and their families were directed to shelter in place.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued a state of emergency across Israel on Saturday, warning people to "obey the instructions of the Home Front Command."

Katz said "a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future."

By Michal Ben-Gal

In an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said the U.S. is "undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests."

The president said the U.S. will "destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground," "annihilate their Navy" and "ensure that the region's terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region."

He said the U.S. had "sought, repeatedly, to make a deal" to curb Iran's nuclear program, but alleged that Iran has "rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions."

"This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States armed forces," Mr. Trump said.

See the full statement here.

President Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. has begun launching "major combat operations in Iran" early Saturday morning.

President Trump's threats to Iran early this year were focused on the regime's brutal quashing of massive street protests in January. But on Jan. 28, Mr. Trump threatened Iran in a Truth Social post with an attack "far worse" than the strikes he ordered against the country's nuclear sites in June if it didn't agree to a deal to curb its nuclear program. 

It was the first time he had linked the major U.S. Navy deployment in the Persian Gulf region to the long-stalled nuclear negotiations. 

"A massive Armada is heading to Iran," he said in his Jan. 28 post. "It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. … Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!"

In the weeks that followed, Mr. Trump suggested on multiple occasions that he would order strikes on Iran if no agreement was reached on its nuclear enrichment.

The president pressed advisers for options that would deliver a punishing strike substantial enough to compel Iranian leaders to return to negotiations under more favorable terms, CBS News reported on Feb. 23. But military planners cautioned that such an outcome could not be guaranteed, and limited strikes could open the door to a wider confrontation. 

Mr. Trump alleged during his State of the Union address that Iranian officials were once again "pursuing their sinister ambitions" after the U.S. struck nuclear sites last year. He said he'd like to resolve his disagreements through diplomacy, but "one thing is certain: I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon."

In the lead-up to the U.S.'s strikes on Iran, the two countries engaged in multiple rounds of talks aimed at securing a nuclear deal.

Negotiators from the two sides held indirect talks in Oman in early February, followed by two rounds of negotiations in Switzerland later in the month. Iranian officials described the talks in generally positive terms, and Mr. Trump has said that Iran wants a deal. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who has helped mediate the talks, told CBS News after the third round of negotiations that a deal was "within our reach" and they just "need a little bit more time."

But Mr. Trump told reporters shortly after the third round that he was "not happy" with the pace of progress, saying Iran was "not willing to give us what we have to have."

The president said he wanted Iran to agree to "no enrichment." But Iran has ruled out totally abandoning its uranium enrichment program, which it claims is for peaceful purposes.

Albusaidi cast the negotiations in more optimistic terms, saying Iran had agreed that it will "never, ever have … nuclear material that will create a bomb," and that its existing stockpiles of enriched uranium would be "blended to the lowest level possible." He said Iran also agreed to grant inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency "full access" to nuclear sites.

"There would be zero accumulation, zero stockpiling, and full verification," he said.

The scope of any potential deal is also a question. The U.S.-Iran talks largely focused on the nuclear program, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for any deal with Iran to also include restrictions on ballistic missiles and funding of proxies in the region.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in late February that it was up to the president whether to pursue a nuclear-only deal with Iran, but he said that Iran's "insistence on not discussing ballistic missiles is a big, big problem."

Mr. Trump told Netanyahu in December that he would support Israeli strikes on Iran's ballistic missile program if a deal could not be reached, CBS News previously reported.

As Mr. Trump put pressure on the Iranian regime, the U.S. sent a large contingent of naval vessels toward the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers and their escort ships.

As of Feb. 26, at least 12 ships were in the area overseen by U.S. Central Command, which covers the Middle East, according to a Navy official. That includes the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, seven destroyers and three littoral combat ships.  

A second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and two destroyers were in the Eastern Mediterranean, and three more destroyers were in the Mediterranean, but their location was less clear. The Ford was previously in the Caribbean region, part of a broader military buildup near Venezuela.

Dozens of Air Force and Navy aircraft were also spotted flying east from the U.S. toward Europe and the Middle East in February, including refueling, transport and surveillance planes, according to public flight tracking data.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned in early February that any U.S. strikes would spark a "regional war" in the Middle East, according to the Tasnim news agency.

"The Americans must be aware that if they wage a war this time, it will be a regional war," the supreme leader said, claiming the U.S. was looking to take control of Iran's mineral wealth.

Later in February, as another U.S. aircraft carrier and its escort ships neared the region, the supreme leader issued an even more pointed warning, posting an AI-generated image of an American ship at the bottom of the ocean.

"A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it," Khamenei said in a speech in Tehran.

Iran's nuclear program has vexed presidents from both parties for decades.

As of mid-June 2025, shortly before the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran had enriched some 972 pounds of uranium up to 60% purity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. That's a significant increase from the 605.8 pounds reported in February 2025.

That material is just a short step away from weapons-grade 90%-enriched uranium. One U.S. intelligence summary from June found that Iran could potentially make a nuclear weapon within three to eight months.

What's not clear, however, is whether Iran has made the decision to build a nuclear weapon. Iran is believed to have halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, and the U.S. intelligence community assessed last spring that the country was not building a weapon at the time.

It's also unclear how extensively the nuclear program was impacted by last June's airstrikes. 

Mr. Trump has long said the operation "obliterated" the three sites that were struck, setting back the program by "basically decades." IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said in mid-February that Iran's nuclear material was "still there, in large quantities" despite the U.S. strikes, though "some of it may be less accessible."

Iran is not currently enriching uranium, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Feb. 25, though he alleged that "they're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can."

Iran, the U.S. and several other global powers struck a deal in 2015 to cap Iran's uranium stockpiles and enrichment capacity for a set period of time in exchange for sanctions relief. Mr. Trump withdrew from that Obama-era deal during his first term, and efforts by the Biden administration to revive it were unsuccessful.

Iran, for its part, has long insisted that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful — though its stockpile includes uranium enriched far beyond the level needed for most non-military uses.

Read more here.

Mr. Trump had been briefed on a wide range of military and covert options for action against Iran, well beyond conventional airstrikes, CBS News reported in mid-January.

Air power and long-range missiles remain central to any potential military operation, but Pentagon planners also presented Mr. Trump with cyber operation options and psychological campaigns, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity.

The officials said cyber and psychological operations can occur simultaneously with traditional military force, or they could be deployed as stand-alone options. 

Here's a look at some of the options:

• The Islamic Republic's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps would likely be among the top targets in U.S. military strikes, according to Alex Vatanka, Iran director of the Middle East Institute.
• Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei could also find himself in the sights of the U.S. military, experts told CBS News.
• Beyond direct strikes, the White House also weighed cyberattack options, U.S. officials said in January — a strategy that experts believe could hamper communications and trigger fear among regime loyalists. Officials told CBS News that psychological campaigns could disrupt Iranian command structures and state-run media.

Read more here.

This isn't the first time that Mr. Trump has ordered strikes on Iran.

The U.S. previously carried out airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear facilities in June, hitting targets in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan with B-2 bombers and submarine-launched missiles. 

Iran responded by launching missiles at the U.S.'s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the biggest American base in the Middle East — two days later. No Americans or Qataris were harmed in Iran's counterattack, and Mr. Trump said the Iranian government had offered "early notice" about the strikes.

The June strikes took place amid a nearly two-week conflict between Israel and Iran, with airstrikes killing dozens in Israel and hundreds in Iran, according to both countries' governments. Mr. Trump announced a ceasefire between the two countries in late June.

Separately, during Mr. Trump's first term, Mr. Trump ordered the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who led the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' paramilitary Quds force and served as one of the most powerful figures within the Iranian regime. Iran responded with a series of missile strikes on a U.S. base in Iraq, wounding more than 100 American service members.

In late December and early January, Iran faced weeks of nationwide protests over the dire state of the country's economy, drawing a crackdown from the country's government.

Protests were recorded in hundreds of cities across all 31 of the country's provinces, and on dozens of university campuses, according to monitoring groups opposed to the regime — marking the country's largest wave of protests since 2022.

The demonstrations began in the capital of Tehran, as shopkeepers went on strike over Iran's devalued currency and double-digit inflation. After that, the protests broadened, and protesters expressed wider discontent with the country's hardline regime.

After initially trying to strike a conciliatory tone, Iran's security forces cracked down amid an internet blackout. At least 12,000 people were killed, two sources told CBS News on Jan. 13. One man in Iran described to CBS News an incident in the city of Yazd, in which he said government forces started shooting at a crowd of about 1,500 people from the front and the back.

On multiple occasions, Mr. Trump threatened to take action against Iran if it killed protesters. He did not specify what action he might take against Iran, though he and his administration have pointedly not ruled out military force. It's also not clear what might trigger action, given that large numbers of protesters have been reported dead.

He told reporters on Jan. 14 that he'd heard on "good authority" that the "killing in Iran is stopping" and no executions were planned.