Israel Takes the Lead in War, Trump Declares War, Iran Responds with Missiles

At around 10 a.m. local time on February 28, Xinhua reporters in Tehran, the capital of Iran, heard three massive explosions in succession and saw thick smoke rising over multiple areas of the city. About two hours later, Xinhua reporters heard a series of explosions again in Tehran.

On that day, Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated that Israel had launched a "preemptive" strike against Iran. Trump released a video statement on social media saying that the U.S. was conducting large-scale military operations in Iran to "flatten" Iran's missile industry.

According to reports, several missiles struck multiple central areas of Tehran. Explosions were also heard in Isfahan, Qom, and Kermanshah.

According to CNN, at the time of the attack on Iran, Trump was spending the weekend at his private residence, Mar-a-Lago.

In the video released on social media, Trump stated that Iran was developing long-range missiles that threaten the U.S. This attack aims to destroy Iran's missile industry, eliminate the Iranian navy, and ensure that Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons.

Iran's Counterattack

Iranian television reported that Iran was targeting U.S. military bases in the Middle East. According to Al Arabiya, the U.S. Fifth Fleet service center in Bahrain was hit by a missile attack on that day.

According to the Iranian Nour News Agency, Iran launched dozens of missiles at Israel. The Israel Defense Forces stated that Iran launched two waves of missiles at Israel, and the air defense systems were intercepting them. Additionally, Israeli media reported that air raid sirens were sounded in multiple areas in northern and central Israel.

According to the Iranian Tasnim News Agency, Ibrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said: "We (Iran) warned you (Israel), now that you have opened this path, the outcome is no longer in your control."

According to Al Jazeera, a senior Iranian official stated that Iran's counterattack has no red lines, and anything is possible, including scenarios that have never been considered before. The official said: "We are not surprised by the U.S.-Israeli aggression. We will respond comprehensively, and there will be no time limit." (Reporters: Shadati, Sun Tianlang, Xu Jianmei, Huang Qiang, Chen Lin; Video: Zhang Miao, Dan Ran)