Photos: US and Israel strike Iran as explosions rock Tehran

US and Israel launch strikes on Iran as Trump warns of major combat operations

Last updated:
Lekshmy Pavithran, Assistant Online Editor
This combination of video grabs created on February 28, 2026 and taken from UGC images posted on social media on the same day and verified by AFPTV teams in Paris, shows show the moment of a strike on a US base in Bahrain.
This combination of video grabs created on February 28, 2026 and taken from UGC images posted on social media on the same day and verified by AFPTV teams in Paris, shows show the moment of a strike on a US base in Bahrain.
AFP

The United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, with the first reported strike near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian media reported strikes across the country, and smoke was seen rising from Tehran.

In a video posted on social media, President Donald Trump said the US had begun “major combat operations in Iran”, citing concerns that Iran had continued to develop its nuclear program and missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Photos captured on Saturday show smoke rising over the skyline of Tehran and residents seeking shelter following coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel. The visuals depict plumes of smoke over the capital and show reactions in surrounding areas as the attack unfolded. The offensive comes amid an ongoing escalation in regional tensions, with official statements describing the action as a response to perceived threats from Iran’s military and nuclear programmes.

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People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
AP
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An incoming projectile explodes over the water as Israel issues a nationwide alert following its strikes on Iran, in Haifa Bay, northern Israel, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
AP
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People run to take shelter after sirens sounded in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2026, following the announcement that Israel had launched a “preemptive strike” on Iran.
AFP
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Hospital staff move patients in a parking lot at Sourasky Medical Center for safety after sirens sounded in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2026, following the announcement that Israel had launched a “preemptive strike” on Iran.
AFP
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A person takes shelter as sirens sounded in Jerusalem on February 28, 2026, following the announcement that Israel had launched a “preemptive strike” on Iran.
AFP
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Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
AP Photo
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This video grab taken from UGC images posted on social media on February 28, 2026, and verified by AFPTV teams in Paris, shows a man walking as a plume of smoke rises following a repoted explosion in Tehran.
AFP
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A man carries two children as he runs to take shelter after sirens sounded in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2026, following the announcement that Israel had launched a “preemptive strike” on Iran.
AFP
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Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel

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