On a Friday at the close of February 2026, the United States, joined by Israeli forces, opened a large military campaign called Operation Epic Fury against Iranian missile sites, naval bases and command centers, with at least one blast falling near the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. It came after a deadline set by President Trump, who had given Tehran ten days to settle a nuclear agreement, and it arrived at a moment when Iran was already confronting nationwide protests. The sequence is an old human story in new clothing: a nation insisting on its right to enrich uranium, a r
US and Israel Strike Iran in Operation Epic Fury; Tehran Retaliates Against US Bases
Hospitals in Israel moved patients and surgeries underground, and sirens sounded across Israel as Iranian missiles and drones were launched; the source reports no confirmed casualty totals.
"The hour for your freedom is at hand."
Mark
Let's start with the basics. What actually happened?
Mimi
The US, with Israel, struck Iranian military sites under the name Operation Epic Fury. Missile facilities, naval bases, and at least one site near Khamenei's office in Tehran. It came after Trump gave Iran 10 days to finalize a nuclear deal.
Mark
And Iran's response?
Mimi
The Revolutionary Guard reportedly hit four US bases: in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain. Missiles and drones also went toward Israel, which says it intercepted them.
Luke
Careful with that. The base strikes are reported by local media. The source doesn't confirm damage or say who verified it.
Mark
What about the dates?
Luke
They don't line up cleanly. The piece says the operation launched Friday, February 27, then describes strikes on Saturday. I wouldn't state one hour or day with confidence.
Mimi
The human side shows up in small details: Israeli hospitals moving patients and surgeries underground, sirens across Israel, US embassies telling citizens to shelter in place.
Mark
Trump also spoke to Iranians directly. Why does that matter?
Mimi
He told them to take over their government once the US was finished. That suggests the aim reaches beyond the nuclear question, and it came while Iran faced nationwide protests.
Luke
Suggests is the word. The source says Trump saw an opportunity. It doesn't tell us any plan beyond his statements.
Mark
Any casualty figures?
Luke
None confirmed. Trump warned of possible American deaths, but nothing here says how many people were hurt or killed on any side.
Le Pouls
- Explosions near Khamenei's office in Tehran signaled that a long-feared confrontation had moved from warning to action.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards answered within hours, aiming missiles and drones at US bases in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, and at Israel.
- Sirens wailed across Israel, its airspace shut, while hospitals moved patients and surgeries underground.
- US embassies from Jerusalem to Amman told Americans to shelter in place, and no casualty counts have yet been confirmed.
- Trump's call for Iranians to seize their government hangs over the next phase, and whether retaliation widens remains the open question.
On a Friday at the close of February 2026, the United States, joined by Israeli forces, opened a large military campaign called Operation Epic Fury against Iranian missile sites, naval bases and command centers, with at least one blast falling near the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. It came after a deadline set by President Trump, who had given Tehran ten days to settle a nuclear agreement, and it arrived at a moment when Iran was already confronting nationwide protests. The sequence is an old human story in new clothing: a nation insisting on its right to enrich uranium, a rival demanding its surrender of the weapons it fears, and a region now bracing for the answer, which no one can yet read.
The first explosion in Tehran landed near the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It marked the opening of Operation Epic Fury, a large-scale American military campaign carried out with Israeli support against Iranian military sites.
The strikes followed a warning from President Donald Trump that Tehran had ten days to finalize a nuclear deal and meet US demands, or that "bad things" would follow. The targets were missile facilities and depots, naval bases, command centers and sites tied to missile production and military planning. US officials said the aim was to protect American citizens and allies, and Trump said the operation would destroy Iran's missile inventory, its missile industry and its navy, warning that American lives might be lost.
In a video posted to Truth Social, Trump spoke directly to Iranians: "The hour for your freedom is at hand. When we're finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take."
Iran responded quickly. The Revolutionary Guards targeted four US bases, according to local media: Al Udeid in Qatar, Al Salem in Kuwait, Al Dhafra in the UAE and the Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain. Iran also launched missiles and drones at Israel, which said its defenses intercepted them.
The effects reached far beyond the battlefield. Embassies in several countries told Americans to shelter in place, Israel closed its airspace as sirens sounded, and hospitals moved patients and surgeries underground. Iran closed its own airspace and cut mobile services.
No confirmed casualty totals have been reported. What comes next depends on whether Iran's retaliation spreads beyond these bases and Israel, and whether Trump's call to Iranians reshapes the conflict.
The first explosion reported in Tehran landed near the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It marked the opening of Operation Epic Fury, the name given to a large-scale US military operation, carried out with Israeli support, against Iranian military sites.
The source is inconsistent on timing. It describes the operation as launched on Friday, February 27, and also describes coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Saturday. Either way, the strikes followed a warning from President Donald Trump that Tehran had 10 days to finalize a nuclear deal and comply with US demands. Trump had also said that "bad things" would happen if Iran did not.
The targets, as described, were missile facilities and depots, naval bases, command centers, and sites associated with missile production and military planning. At least one strike fell near Khamenei's office in Tehran. US officials said the mission was meant to defend American citizens and allies by hitting threats from Iran's missile programs and military infrastructure. Trump said it was necessary because Iran refused to renounce nuclear weapons. He said the US would destroy Iran's missile inventory, its missile industry and its navy, and he warned that the operation might cost American lives.
In a video on Truth Social, Trump addressed Iranians directly. "The hour for your freedom is at hand," he said. "When we're finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take." Large explosions had been reported in Tehran before the statement.
Iran answered quickly. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted four US bases, according to local media reports: Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain. Iran also launched missile and drone attacks on Israel. The Israeli military said its defense systems intercepted the Iranian attacks. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were meant to remove threats.
The effects spread across the region. US embassies in Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan told Americans to shelter in place. The embassy in Bahrain urged citizens to review security plans in case of an attack and to stay alert for additional future attacks. Sirens sounded across Israel, which temporarily closed its airspace, and hospitals activated emergency protocols, moving patients and surgeries into underground facilities. In Iran, authorities closed airspace, cut mobile services and warned pilots.
The strikes came as Iran was facing internal dissent from nationwide protests, and the source says Trump saw that as an opportunity. His stated aim was to constrain Iran's nuclear program. Iran has maintained its right to enrich uranium and has refused to discuss other issues, including its missile program and its support for armed groups.
The source reports no confirmed casualty totals. What to watch next is whether Iran's retaliation widens beyond the four bases and Israel, and whether Trump's call for Iranians to take over their government shapes the next phase of the conflict.
Citations marquantes
The hour for your freedom is at hand. When we're finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.— President Donald Trump, on Truth Social
Review security plans in the event of an attack and stay alert for additional future attacks.— US Embassy in Bahrain
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War & Conflict