A plume of smoke rises over Tehran after a reported explosion on February 28, 2026, after Israel said it carried out a “preemptive strike” on Iran as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and phone alerts warned of an “extremely serious” threat. (Photo by Mahsa / Middle East Images via AFP) The United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes against targets in Iranian cities on Saturday, triggering explosions and columns of smoke in the capital Tehran. The attacks came after US President Donald Trump expressed frustration at Iran’s stance in negotiations over its nuclear and missile programmes. Trump said Washington’s goal was “eliminating imminent threats” from Iran, and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the action as a “preventive strike”. “The United States’ military began ma...