#Israel PM Benjamin #Netanyahu echoed that sweeping goal. “Our joint operation will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands,” he said.

In a video posted on social media, #Trump claimed #Iran has continued to develop its #nuclear program & plans to develop missiles to reach the #US.

#RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

The first strikes of the attack appeared to target the compound home to Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali #Khamenei in downtown Tehran. It wasn’t immediately clear if he was there at the time. Smoke could be seen rising from the Iranian capital.

#US #Iran #war #Trump #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

#Iran responded as it had been threatening to do for months — first launching a wave of missiles & drones targeting #Israel. It followed with strikes targeting #US #military installations in #Bahrain, #Kuwait & #Qatar. The #UAE & #Iraq shut down their airspace.

#war #Trump #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

#Trump indicated the #US was striking for reasons far beyond the #nuclear program, listing grievances stretching back to the beginning of the Islamic Republic following a revolution in 1979 that turned #Iran from one of America’s closest allies in the #MiddleEast into a fierce foe.

Read Trump’s address in full∶
https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-trump-address-f662a4f3378535d81197be699fb35a3e

#war #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics

#Iran on Saturday said the #US - #Israel airstrikes in southern Iran killed students at a #girls’ #school, the first confirmed fatalities in the operation.

The death toll at the girls’ school has risen to at least 40 people killed, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

At least 45 others had been wounded in the attack in Minab in Iran’s Hormozgan province.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard [#IRGC] has a base in the city.

#war #Trump #WarCrimes #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics

#Israel said the attack against #Iran was a “broad, coordinated, & joint operation against the regime” that had been planned for months between the Israeli & #US #military.

PM #Netanyahu said in a recorded message released Saturday morning that Israel plans the current operation to be “much more powerful” than the bruising 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June.

#war #Trump #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

Two officials with different #Iran backed #militias in #Iraq told The Associated Press that a meeting took place two months ago between Iranian officials & allied Iraqi militias to make plans for a response in case Iran was attacked, including distributing tasks among the Iraqi armed groups.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

#US #war #Trump #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

One of the officials said it was decided that the response would target #US forces & interests in Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region & in neighboring #Jordan.

US troops have vacated bases where they were previously stationed in #Iraq in areas under the control of the central government in Baghdad as a result of an agreement to end the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, but they remain in the Kurdish region.

#Iran #war #Trump #law

One of the most prominent Iraqi #militias, #KataibHezbollah, on Thursday issued a public statement urging its fighters to “be prepared to engage in a #war of attrition that may be prolonged & exceed the expectations of the #US administration.” It also issued a warning to the #Kurdish regional government in #Iraq “against collaborating with hostile foreign forces” that “could threaten its security & future.”

#Iran #war #Trump #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics

Iranian state media said the #US - #Israel attacks targeted a growing list of cities & sites across #Iran.

Plumes of smoke could be seen above #Tehran due to direct strikes, with reports of explosions in or near the major cities of #Isfahan, #Shiraz & #Tabriz.

Blasts were also reported in several western towns as well as around #PersianGulf port cities that are critical to Iran’s major #oil #trade, including #Asaluyeh.

#war #Trump #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics

#RedCross calls for respect for #RulesOfWar

“The #military escalation in the #MiddleEast is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for #civilians,” #ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said.

Spoljaric said civilian infrastructure, such as #schools, #homes & #hospitals, must be spared from attacks.

#US #Iran #Israel #war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

“In international armed conflicts, International #HumanitarianLaw, in particular all 4 #GenevaConventions, apply,” Spoljaric said. “Medical personnel & first responders must be allowed to carry out their work safely.”

#US #Iran #Israel #war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

Within hours of the joint #US & #Israel strike on #Iran, Ali Vaez, who directs the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, warned that the #war could likely escalate.

Vaez on social media stressed that Iran had been preparing for the conflict & that wider war could break out across the #MiddleEast.

#Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics

In addition to the risk of wider #war & the human toll [which #Republicans don’t seem to care about], attacks on #Iran will increase #energy #prices.

He also stressed that the war could lead to higher energy costs, which would undercut one of Trump’s domestic [false] political messages that #gasoline prices have been lower since his return to power.

#US #Israel #Trump #oil #inflation #CostOfLiving #affordability #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

“#Iran sits along the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s #oil supply passes,” Vaez posted. “Even limited disruption could spike #energy #prices, fuel #inflation, & rattle global markets.”

#US #Israel #war #Trump #warmonger #CostOfLiving #affordability #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

Get ready for #SupplyChain disruptions

#Iran backed #Houthis in #Yemen have decided to resume attacks on #ShippingRoutes & on #Israel in support of Iran.…

One official said the rebels’ first attack could come as soon as “tonight.”

The rebels had ceased attacks on the #shipping route as part of a deal with the #Trump admin that also halted #US strikes against the Houthis. They also stopped their attacks against Israel after an October “ceasefire” that halted major fighting in #Gaza.

#war

Wider conflict escalation already underway

The #UAE, #Qatar, #Kuwait, #Jordan [list incomplete] have all repelled or have attempted to repel attacks already today.

#US #Iran #Israel #war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast
https://apnews.com/live/live-updates-israel-iran-february-28-2026#0000019c-a40a-d710-adde-fd3f2a080000

#Iran has retaliated to countrywide strike by #US & Israeli jets. Iran has targeted US bases scattered across the #MiddleEast, including nearby #Gulf monarchies & have vowed to continue attacks, as Geneva-based #nuclear talks failed to result in a deal.

#war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics

#HakeemJeffries decries #Iran strikes without approval from #Congress

The #US #House #Democratic leader says that “Iran is a bad actor & must be aggressively confronted for its human rights violations, nuclear ambitions, support of terrorism & the threat it poses to our allies like Israel & Jordan in the region.”

But Jeffries said that outside “exigent circumstances,” #Trump “must seek authorization for the preemptive use of #military #force that constitutes an act of #war.”

#law #WarPowers

#Trump “failed to seek Congressional authorization prior to striking #Iran,” #HakeemJeffries said. He also said that the latest round of strikes “has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions.”

“We pray for the safety of the men & women of the #US #military as they have been put into harm’s way in a dangerous theater of #war,” Jeffries said.

#law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

The #UN Security Council [#UNSC] has scheduled an emergency meeting on the #US & #Israel attacks on #Iran.

Israel’s UN Mission says the meeting will take place at 4PM EST (2100 GMT) at the request of #Bahrain & #France.

Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, says Israel “is strong, united & determined to defend its citizens against any existential threat.” Danon also said that “Israel will never allow an Iranian nuclear state.”

#war #Trump #Netanyahu #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #law #geopolitics

#UN Secretary-General #AntónioGuterres, meanwhile, condemned the strikes on #Iran & the Islamic Republic’s retaliation.

“The use of force by the #UnitedStates & #Israel against Iran, & the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace & #security,” Guterres said in a statement. He also called for an immediate ceasefire & for all parties to return to the negotiating table.

#war #Trump #Netanyahu #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #geopolitics #MiddleEast

#SaudiArabia says #Iran targeted its capital, Riyadh, & its eastern region in an attack.

Saudi Arabia made the announcement on its state-run Saudi Press Agency. It called the attack “blatant & cowardly” & said it was repelled. Saudi Arabia had reached a Chinese-mediated detente with Iran in 2023.

#US #Israel #war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

Footage shows blast as #Bahrain National Security Agency is struck by an Iranian missile

#US #Iran #Israel #war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

Drone targets #Kuwait main #airport

Kuwait’s civil aviation authority says a drone has targeted the capital’s main #InternationalAirport & wounded several employees & caused material damage.

Abdullah Rajhi, spox of the civil aviation authority, says the damage is being assessed & repair work is ongoing.

He says that emergency measures are being taken, adding that the situation is under control.

#US #Iran #Israel #war #Trump #Netanyahu #WarCrimes #RulesOfWar #law #geopolitics #MiddleEast

British PM #KeirStarmer says that while the #UK didn’t participate in the attack on #Iran, its planes provided air defense for its people & allies in the region.

“We’ve stepped up protections from British bases & personnel to their highest level,” #Starmer said.

He didn’t comment on the attacks by the #US & #Israel, but condemned Iran’s response that included strikes on many #MiddleEast #allies.

#war #Trump #Netanyahu #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #geopolitics #MiddleEast

The Iranian leadership is “utterly abhorrent,” has killed its own people & destabilized the region & should never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, #Starmer said.

He urged de-escalation & a return to negotiations to achieve peace & protect civilians.

“#Iran can end this now,” he said. “They should refrain from further strikes, give up their weapons program & cease the appalling violence & repression against the Iranian people.”

#US #Israel #war #law #geopolitics #MiddleEast

It’s unclear what #legal justification the #Trump admin will present for the attacks on #Iran, but experts are already skeptical given the #Constitution’s unambiguous statement that only #Congress can declare #war & the absence of a #law akin to the Iraq War-era Authorization for Use of Military Force.

#US #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-attack-02-28-26-hnk-intl?post-id=cmm6h8klr00003b6v225qfoal

“As has so often been the case with unilateral presidential uses of force in recent years, there’s no serious argument that either #Congress by #statute or the #Constitution directly authorizes the president to do what he’s done,” said Steve Vladeck, CNN #SCOTUS analyst & professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

#US #Iran #Israel #war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

For its #Iran strikes last summer, the White House said #Trump relied on Article II of the US #Constitution, which says he has power to direct #US #military forces in engagements necessary to advance American national interests abroad.

#war #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

“The Justice Department has come up with an increasingly dubious series of arguments in attempts to defend such strikes, but virtually all of those arguments have depended on assertions that the strikes were limited & unlikely to lead to a broader conflict,” Vladeck said. “Even if that were a legal argument, rather than a policy one, it’s hard to take that remotely seriously here.”

#US #Iran #war #Trump #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

#Israel has started another wave of strikes targeting “missile launchers & aerial defense systems in central #Iran,” the Israeli #military said.

#US #war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

#Shahed #drone seen hitting heavily populated part of #Dubai

An Iranian #ShahedDrone struck near the #FairmontHotel in Dubai, causing a large explosion & fire, according to numerous geolocated videos & eyewitnesses.
One witness told CNN she saw the drone strike while walking on the West Palm Beach near the hotel. Initially, she thought the drone was “a bird falling out of the sky,” then saw the drone bank left sharply before detonating.

#US #Iran #Israel #war #Trump #WarCrimes #law #MiddleEast

Video shared with CNN shows the moment of impact. The drone, its wings clearly outlined against the sky, dropped at a steep angle between several high rise buildings before bursting into flame when it reached the ground.

#UAE #Dubai #US #Iran #Israel #war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

The #FairmontHotel is located in Dubai’s high-end #PalmJumeirah, a thickly-settled manmade island off the city beach, known for its luxury apartments, hotels & restaurants.
The landfall of an Iranian drone in the middle of one of the wealthiest, most populated cities in the #UAE is virtually unprecedented. The strikes also come during #Ramadan, & CNN staff on the ground in #Dubai heard blasts in between calls to prayer from mosques in the city.

#US #Iran #Israel #war #WarCrimes #law #MiddleEast

I bet you #Trump is gonna be pissed about the #Dubai #FairmontHotel more than even the #US #military sites, because he could not care less if the “suckers & losers” or if poor people in slums get bombed, but a luxury hotel in a wealthy area — forget about it — he’s gonna lose his shit.

#Iran #war #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast

Iran’s Red Crescent says #Israel - #US airstrikes across #Iran have killed 201 people & injured 747, according to comments on Iranian state TV.

The spokesperson for the #RedCrescent said the strikes have hit 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces. The spokesperson said relief operations are ongoing, & that 220 teams were deployed to different sites to respond to the strikes.

#war #Trump #Netanyahu #warmonger #WarCrimes #RegimeChange #RulesOfWar #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast