On Saturday, February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on Iran marking a significant escalation in Middle East tensions.
Explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and Iran's airspace was closed as residents fled urban areas amid widespread panic.
Schools and universities were shut down, and long lines formed at gas stations as fear spread across the nation.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at several US military bases in the Gulf, including facilities in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, in response to the attacks.
IMAGE: Smoke billows from the Azadi Square area following the pre-emptive strike from Israel and the United States, in Tehran, February 28, 2026, here and below. Photograph: WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters/ANI Video Grab
Photograph: WANA via Reuters/ANI Video Grab
Photograph: WANA via Reuters/ANI Video Grab
Photograph: WANA via Reuters/ANI Video Grab
Photograph: WANA via Reuters/ANI Video Grab
IMAGE: Vehicles burn in Tehran, in this screengrab obtained from social media video released on February 28, 2026. Photograph: Social Media/via /Reuters
IMAGE: Flames rise in an area in Tehran, in this screengrab obtained from social media video released on February 28, 2026. Photograph: Social Media/via-Reuters
IMAGE: People gather near burnt vehicles in Tehran in this screengrab obtained from social media video released on February 28, 2026. Photograph: Social Media/via/Reuters
Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via /Reuters
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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