First strikes hit Tehran — Khamenei compound targeted

At 04:32 UTC on February 28, 2026, US and Israeli forces launched the opening strikes of a coordinated campaign against Iran. US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, operating from Diego Garcia, delivered the first munitions against leadership compounds in Tehran. Simultaneously, IDF F-35I Adir jets struck Khamenei's residential compound in Saadatabad, northwest Tehran. Multiple secondary explosions were observed by satellite. US Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles from the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group targeted Iranian S-300 and SA-65 air defense batteries in western Iran to suppress retaliatory capability. Pentagon officials confirmed the operation had been in planning for several months. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a public statement within minutes of the strikes commencing: "The IDF is striking the head of the snake." Trump posted a video to Truth Social stating that the US had launched operations alongside Israel to destroy Iran's nuclear program and missile capability. Iranian state television was disrupted but resumed broadcast within 30 minutes. Initial reports from Tehran residents described a sequence of heavy explosions followed by sustained anti-aircraft fire visible across the city.