Photograph: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty ImagesThe United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation. “The state of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove ⁠threats to the State of Israel,” the country’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said. Blasts have been heard across multiple cities, including the capital Tehran and Isfahan in central Iran. Iran said it was prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions but ruled out linking the issue to missiles. In June, ‌the US joined ⁠an Israeli military campaign against Iranian nuclear installations, in the most direct US military action ever against the Islamic Republic.

Source: The Irish Times February 28, 2026 07:06 UTC