The United States and Israel have launched coordinated strikes on Iran, sharply escalating tensions in the Middle East just days after indirect US–Iran nuclear negotiations in Geneva ended without a final agreement and amid signs from the Omani mediator that further talks were planned.

Iran responded within hours with missile and air attacks across the region, including strikes or attempted strikes reported in Israel and the Gulf, as several countries moved to close airspace and place security forces on heightened alert. Early reports of casualties and damage were still emerging on Saturday afternoon, and could not be independently verified.

Israeli officials said the operation targeted Iranian military and nuclear-related infrastructure, including sites in and around Tehran. Iranian media reported explosions in the capital, where images showed smoke rising above built-up areas. The full scale of the strikes and the extent of damage remained unclear.

In Washington, President Donald Trump said the United States had begun a “major combat operation” in Iran aimed at “eliminating threats from the Iranian regime”.

“This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces,” he said, in remarks reported by media outlets including Al Jazeera.

Tehran condemned the attacks as unlawful and vowed a forceful response. Iranian strikes were reported targeting or affecting multiple regional states hosting US forces or facilities linked to US partners, including Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, as well as Israel. The Guardian, citing Iranian statements, reported officials promising “no leniency” and framing the US-Israeli action as aggression in violation of the UN Charter.

Regional governments issued public safety instructions and aviation alerts as airspace restrictions spread. Israel said its airspace was closed and emergency measures imposed.

The escalation comes two days after indirect US–Iran talks in Geneva, mediated by Oman, concluded without a breakthrough but with the mediator signalling momentum. Oman had said after a round of discussions on 26 February that “significant progress” had been made and that further talks were expected the following week in Vienna.

On 27 February, Oman’s foreign minister said Iran had agreed in principle to degrade its current stockpiles of nuclear material to “the lowest level possible”, described as effectively to unrefined levels. Trump, speaking the same day, said he preferred diplomacy but warned “all options” remained available if talks failed.

Saturday’s strikes mark the most severe escalation since the 12-day Israel–Iran war in June 2025, when Israel launched major air strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites and Iran answered with large-scale missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities. The United States entered that conflict on 22 June 2025, striking nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, with Trump saying the attacks degraded Tehran’s programme. Iran said at the time that its nuclear effort was set back but not destroyed.

A US-brokered ceasefire took effect on 24 June 2025. Iran’s health ministry said at least 610 people were killed in that war, while Israel said 28 were killed on its side, according to figures reported by Al Jazeera. Rights monitors published higher Iranian fatality estimates, underscoring the difficulty of verifying casualty totals during the fighting.

In the months after the ceasefire, Iran hardened aspects of its nuclear posture and faced renewed international pressure. On 2 July 2025, President Masoud Pezeshkian signed legislation halting cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, barring inspectors from accessing nuclear facilities unless specifically authorised by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said Tehran would not abandon uranium enrichment, even after “serious and severe” damage during the 2025 conflict.

Diplomacy remained intermittent. In August 2025, Iran agreed to resume nuclear discussions with the UK, France and Germany, but the three European powers later triggered a mechanism reinstating UN sanctions on Iran for the first time in a decade, according to an Al Jazeera timeline of events.

Iran’s internal pressures also increased, with protests reported in late 2025 over prices and the rial’s fall. In January 2026, an internet shutdown lasted for more than two weeks after antigovernment protests spread beyond major cities, according to Al Jazeera’s account. Trump, speaking on 13 January, urged Iranians to “keep protesting”, claimed “help is on the way” and suggested the US could be preparing for military intervention, as Washington bolstered its military presence in the region.

Indirect US–Iran nuclear negotiations resumed in Geneva on 6 February 2026, again with Omani mediation, and continued through subsequent rounds on 17 and 22 February. Oman described the talks as a “positive push” while acknowledging significant differences remained.

Saturday’s strikes appeared to overturn the expectations created by that track, and could further complicate efforts to restore monitoring or limits on Iran’s nuclear activities. No immediate confirmation was available on whether Iran would continue engaging in the Geneva framework or attend the proposed Vienna meeting.

In London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired an emergency Cobra meeting as the confrontation widened and Gulf states reported incoming fire. UK officials said Britain did not take part in the strikes. British media reported that the UK had moved to bolster defensive posture in the region, including deploying RAF Typhoon aircraft to Qatar and strengthening air defences in Cyprus, amid concerns about the security of bases and shipping routes.

The UK also updated travel guidance and advised British nationals in parts of the Gulf to shelter in place, according to reporting by The Guardian. The same reports said the government had denied a US request to use RAF bases, though details and timing of any request were not publicly confirmed by Washington.

Across Europe, leaders renewed calls for restraint and a return to negotiations. Russia condemned the strikes as a “preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression”, according to remarks reported by the Associated Press, and indicated support for an emergency UN Security Council session. AP also reported that Araghchi had requested a council meeting via Russia.

In Israel, officials said the operation sought to hit military and nuclear-linked targets to reduce what they described as an Iranian threat. Iran has long denied seeking a nuclear weapon, while maintaining it has a right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

As of Saturday, key details remained uncertain, including the full list of targets, the damage to nuclear-related facilities, and the number of casualties in Iran and in countries struck during Iran’s retaliation. In previous exchanges, both sides have suffered disruptions to air travel, communications and energy infrastructure, and analysts have warned that strikes involving Gulf states risk rapid escalation given the presence of US forces and critical oil and gas facilities.

Diplomatic and military officials in the region were expected to continue urgent consultations through the weekend, with the UN Security Council likely to face pressure to convene amid fears that the fighting could expand beyond Iran and Israel into a broader regional conflict.