{"id":4936,"date":"2026-02-28T15:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/us-and-israel-launch-airstrikes-against-iranian-targets-as-part-of-a-massive-military-operation-called-epic-fury\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T15:49:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:49:50","slug":"us-and-israel-launch-airstrikes-against-iranian-targets-as-part-of-a-massive-military-operation-called-epic-fury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/us-and-israel-launch-airstrikes-against-iranian-targets-as-part-of-a-massive-military-operation-called-epic-fury\/","title":{"rendered":"US and Israel launch airstrikes against Iranian targets as part of a massive military operation called &#8220;Epic Fury&#8221;."},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div id=\"ai-voice-player-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ai-voice-player-container\" data-theme=\"light\">\n<p>        <!-- Summary Section (Initially Hidden) --><\/p>\n<p>        <!-- Translate Section --><\/p>\n<div id=\"ai-voice-translate-section\" class=\"feature-section\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"feature-content\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                    <select id=\"ai-voice-translate-select\">&#13;<option value=\"en\">English (Original)<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"es\">Spanish &#8211; Espa\u00f1ol<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"fr\">French &#8211; Fran\u00e7ais<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"de\">German &#8211; Deutsch<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"ar\">Arabic &#8211; \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"zh-CN\">Chinese &#8211; \u4e2d\u6587<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"ja\">Japanese &#8211; \u65e5\u672c\u8a9e<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"ru\">Russian &#8211; \u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"pt\">Portuguese &#8211; Portugu\u00eas<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"it\">Italian &#8211; Italiano<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"ko\">Korean &#8211; \ud55c\uad6d\uc5b4<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"nl\">Dutch &#8211; Nederlands<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"tr\">Turkish &#8211; T\u00fcrk\u00e7e<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"pl\">Polish &#8211; Polski<\/option>&#13;<option value=\"hi\">Hindi &#8211; \u0939\u093f\u0928\u094d\u0926\u0940<\/option>&#13;<br \/>\n                    <\/select>&#13;\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Read Along Section --><\/p>\n<p>        <!-- Ask AI Section --><\/p>\n<div id=\"ai-voice-askai-section\" class=\"feature-section\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"feature-content\">\n<div id=\"ai-voice-chat-messages\" class=\"chat-messages\">\n<div class=\"chat-message ai-message\">\n<p>\ud83e\udd16<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            Hi! I&#8217;m here to help you understand this article. Ask me anything about the content!&#13;\n                        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                    <input type=\"text\" id=\"ai-voice-chat-input\" class=\"chat-input\" placeholder=\"Ask about the article...\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n                    <button id=\"ai-voice-chat-send\" class=\"send-btn\">Send<\/button>&#13;\n                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><\/figure>\n<p>The United States and Israel have launched a pre-emptive air campaign against Iran striking targets across the country in what the US President said was a \u201cmassive and ongoing operation\u201d.<br \/>President Donald Trump said the bombing attacks were aimed at destroying Iran\u2019s military and nuclear capabilities, thwarting Tehran\u2019s support to proxies and the destruction of its theocratic government.<br \/>The operation called \u201cEpic Fury\u201d is expected to last several days with multiple military, nuclear and political institutions being targeted.<br \/>The attacks spurred a furious Iranian retaliation, with multiple barrages striking Israel, Bahrain, Dubai, Qatar and Jordan.<br \/>The attacks began with Israeli strikes Saturday morning, a workday in Iran, on Tehran, the capital, with residents speaking of attacks near the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\u2019s compound, the presidential palace, Iran\u2019s National Security Council, the ministries of defence and intelligence, the Atomic Energy Organization and a military complex.<br \/>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a vociferous and longtime advocate for attacking Iran said the campaign would continue \u201cas long as needed.\u201d<br \/>The British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also revealed that the Royal Air Force were involved in the military campaign when he revealed that British planes \u201care in the sky today\u201d in the Middle East as part of defensive operations.<br \/>He said the flights were ordered to \u201cprotect our people, our interests and our values\u201d, the Prime Minister said in a televised statement.<br \/>Sir Keir ordered Iran to \u201cend this now\u201d and \u201crefrain from further strikes\u201d.<br \/>The chief of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards, Mohammed Pakpour, and its defence minister, Amir Nasirzadeh, were killed in the strikes, three sources told Reuters.<br \/>In retaliation against the \u201cmassive and ongoing\u201d military campaign, Tehran has fired waves of missiles towards Israel, targeted US bases in Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, and struck the US Navy 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.<br \/>In a recorded message from his Mar-a-Lago home, President Trump called on the Iranian people to rise up and force regime change.<br \/>Britons are among thousands of tourists caught up in the crisis, as Iranian missiles are intercepted in the sky above Dubai.<br \/>In an eight-minute recorded video message on Truth Social, President Trump outlined a maximalist strategy that would see much of what he called \u201cthis very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests.\u201d<br \/>\u201cWe are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. We are going to annihilate their navy. We are going to ensure that the region\u2019s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilise the region or the world, and attack our forces,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.\u201d<br \/>He urged Iranians to take over their government, telling them that \u201cthe hour of your freedom is at hand.\u201d<br \/>\u201cWhen we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,\u201d he said.<br \/>\u201cThis will be probably your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America\u2019s help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight.\u201d<br \/>President Trump also said U.S. military forces \u201cmay have casualties.\u201d<br \/>Iran issued a series of statements, with the Iranian Foreign Ministry saying \u201cIranians have never surrendered to aggression\u201d and that Iran\u2019s response \u201cwill be decisive, and aggressors will regret their hostile actions.\u201d<br \/>Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was leading Iran\u2019s delegation in negotiations, said the war on Iran was \u201cwholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate.\u201d<br \/>\u201cTrump has turned \u2018America First\u2019 into \u2018Israel First\u2019\u2014 which always means \u2018America Last\u2019,\u201d he wrote on X.<br \/>\u201cOur powerful armed forces are prepared for this day and will teach the aggressors the lesson they deserve.\u201d<br \/>An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council has been called for later on Saturday in New York.<br \/>It will be convened at 21:00 UK time (16:00 ET). The meeting was requested by Bahrain, Colombia, China, Russia and France.<br \/>It comes after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned \u201ctoday\u2019s military action in the Middle East\u201d.<br \/>In a statement, he had said that the actions undermine international peace and security and called for an \u201cimmediate cessation of hostilities\u201d.<br \/>In central London, crowds and cycle motorcades gathered in celebration at the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the early afternoon.<br \/>Revving engines and chants of \u201cLong live Iran, long live Israel\u201d were bellowed out by buoyant Iranians carrying images of Reza Pahlavi (the son of the last Iranian shah, who is exiled in the US and is an opponent of the current Iranian regime).<br \/>The former crown prince\u2019s cousin, Davoud Pahlavi, just turned up much to the excitement of the crowd. It appears to be a mainly Pahlavi supporting crowd here.<br \/>Some drank homemade Aragh Sagi, an Iranian moonshine distilled from black or white grapes from Shiraz. Others worried about their loved ones, whom they haven\u2019t been able to contact since yesterday evening.<\/p>\n<p>Major airlines have diverted or cancelled flights to the Middle East, citing safety, and have apologised to customers.<br \/>Wizz Air has suspended flights until 7 March in Israel, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Amman in Jordan, and in Saudi Arabia until Tuesday.<br \/>British Airways has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until Wednesday, while Saturday\u2019s service to Amman is grounded.<br \/>Kuwait\u2019s aviation authority said it was halting all flights to Iran until further notice, according to state media.<br \/>Emirates has temporarily suspended its operations to and from Dubai. Lufthansa, Air India, Virgin Atlantic and Turkish Airlines have also announced cancellations.<br \/>Some countries in the region \u2013 including Iraq and Jordan \u2013 have also closed their airspace. The UAE said it has \u201cpartially and temporarily\u201d closed its airspace as a precaution, state media reported.<br \/>Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office travel guidance for Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Oman, is now advising travellers to \u201cremain vigilant, follow local authority advice and take shelter if advised\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; &#13;English (Original)&#13;Spanish &#8211; Espa\u00f1ol&#13;French &#8211; Fran\u00e7ais&#13;German &#8211; Deutsch&#13;Arabic &#8211; \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629&#13;Chinese &#8211; \u4e2d\u6587&#13;Japanese &#8211; \u65e5\u672c\u8a9e&#13;Russian &#8211; \u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439&#13;Portuguese &#8211; Portugu\u00eas&#13;Italian &#8211; Italiano&#13;Korean &#8211; \ud55c\uad6d\uc5b4&#13;Dutch &#8211; Nederlands&#13;Turkish &#8211; T\u00fcrk\u00e7e&#13;Polish &#8211; Polski&#13;Hindi &#8211; \u0939\u093f\u0928\u094d\u0926\u0940&#13; &#13; \ud83e\udd16 &#13; Hi! I&#8217;m here to help you understand this article. Ask me anything about the content!&#13; &#13; &#13; Send&#13; The United States<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4936","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iran"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4936"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4938,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4936\/revisions\/4938"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/national\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}