The United States and Israel on Saturday launched what they described as a “pre-emptive” joint strike against Iranian targets, with President Trump announcing the start of “major combat operations”.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran confirmed it has launched a “first wave” of missile and drone attacks against Israel in response to the strikes on its territory.
Iranian state media reports that President Masud Pezeshkian is “safe and sound,” while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly been moved to a secure, undisclosed location.
Iran, Israel, and Iraq have all officially closed their airspaces to civilian traffic. Gulf nations, including Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, followed suit after reports of regional explosions.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has issued an urgent travel advisory for its citizens in Iran and expressed deep concern over the regional instability.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has stated that the country’s airspace remains “fully open, safe, and operational for all civil aviation”.
“Due to airspace closures in parts of the Middle East, PAA has safely managed affected flights,” it said.
It said that a total of 27 affected flights, which included diversions, returns, technical landings and reroutes, were handled.
“All operations were handled efficiently by air traffic control and airport teams with no safety incidents or delays reported,” it said.
“PAA remains committed to the highest standards of aviation safety and security in close coordination with national and international partners,” it said.
“Passengers should contact their airlines directly for the latest flight status and additional information,” it added.
“Almost all officials are safe and sound and alive. We may have lost one or two commanders. But that is not a big problem,” says Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi in an interview with NBC News, according to IRNA.
The minister said that “we may have lost a few commanders, but that’s not such a big problem”, according to NBC News reporter Matt Bradley on X.
Iranian state news agency IRNA now reports that the Israeli strike on a girls’ school in Hormozgan province has left at least 57 students dead and 60 others wounded.
Minab’s provincial governor, Mohammad Radmehr, said that 53 students are still under the rubble and rescue and aid operations were underway.
Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, has called for an emergency UNSC meeting on the situation after the Israeli and US strikes on Iran, TASSreports.
“Without any doubt, the situation requires holding an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The global community should prevent a scenario that could risk the outbreak of a third world war,” the senior Russian legislator was quoted as saying.
He called the attack deliberate aggression and escalation fraught with extremely negative consequences for the broader region.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salam to express Pakistan’s “strong condemnation of the dangerous regional escalation following the Israeli attack on Iran and subsequent attacks in the Gulf region”.
“Pakistan stands in full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and our brotherly Gulf countries in this perilous time. We remain ready to play a constructive role for peace and pray that the blessings of Ramazan bring calm and stability to our region,” he said.
President Emmanuel Macron will hold a meeting of the French defence and national security council to discuss the situation in Iran and in the Middle East at 5pm GMT (10pm PKT), Macron’s office has said, Reuters reports.
In view of the prevailing security situation in the region, Pakistan’s embassy in Iraq has advised all Pakistani nationals residing in or visiting Iraq to remain vigilant and exercise utmost caution, APP reported.
In a press release, the embassy asked its citizens to closely monitor developments through reliable sources and avoid all non-essential travel until the situation stabilises.
“Pakistani nationals planning to travel are strongly advised to regularly check updates issued by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority and their respective airlines before proceeding to the airport,” the embassy said.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has “military escalation in the Middle East”.
In a post on X, he said, “The use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security.”
He further said, “I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation. Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table.”
Protesters gather with Iranian national flags during a demonstration in support of the government and against US and Israeli strikes outside a mosque in Tehran on February 28, 2026. — AFP
Protesters gather with Iranian national flags during a demonstration in support of the government and against US and Israeli strikes outside a mosque in Tehran on February 28, 2026. — AFP
A woman holds an illustration depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as others wave Iranian national flags during a demonstration in support of the government and against US and Israeli strikes outside a mosque in Tehran on February 28, 2026.
Protesters gather with Iranian national flags during a demonstration in support of the government and against US and Israeli strikes outside a mosque in Tehran on February 28, 2026. — AFP
The Israeli military said it had completed what it described as a “broad strike” targeting Iran’s defence systems, including one in the country’s western region, according to AFP.
“A short while ago, the IDF (military), guided by IDF intelligence, completed a broad strike against strategic defence systems belonging to the Iranian regime,” the military said.
“One of the strikes was directed toward an advanced SA-65 aerial defence system located in the Kermanshah area in western Iran.”
After confirming that Iran hit Riyadh and its eastern region with strikes, Saudi Arabia warns that it reserves the right to defend itself, including by retaliating, AFP reports.
Saudi Arabia “expressed its strongest condemnation of the blatant and cowardly Iranian attacks targeting the Riyadh and Eastern Province regions, which were repelled”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“In light of this unjustified aggression, the Kingdom affirms that it will take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory, citizens and residents, including with the option of responding to the aggression.”
Israel’s military chief has said that the country’s ongoing campaign of strikes on Iran was on a “completely different scale” to a previous 12-day war fought between the foes in June last year.
“We are embarking on an operation that is taking place at a completely different scale — more complex and more complicated,” Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir was quoted as saying in a military statement.
“I know that the preparation was short but intensive and incredibly thorough,” he added.
Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visits the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem’s Old City on March 5, 2025. — Reuters/File
India called for diplomacy to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, which has responded with missile attacks, AFP reports.
“We urge all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritise the safety of civilians,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from a visit to Israel.
“Dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued… Sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected,” it added.
The UAE economy ministry said it held strategic reserves of staple goods that were plentiful and “safe”, and urged citizens and residents to avoid stockpiling, state news agency WAM reported, according to AFP.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud spoke to the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
According to the report, he affirmed Saudi Arabia’s “full solidarity with their brotherly nations following the blatant Iranian attacks that targeted their countries”.
He also declared the kingdom’s “unwavering support and readiness to place all its resources at their disposal to counter these aggressions, which undermine regional security and stability”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, addressing US strikes in Iran, said it is important that Washington acts decisively, but also that hostilities do not escalate into a wider war.
“Whenever there is American resolve, global criminals weaken,” he wrote on social media.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has said that the security situation in the country is “stable and under continuous monitoring around the clock, within an integrated security system based on high readiness, precise surveillance, and immediate evaluation of all emerging developments”.
In a statement, the ministry said, “The level of preparedness has been elevated, preventive measures strengthened, and deployments reinforced at vital sites, in full coordination with the relevant authorities, to ensure swift response and the maintenance of public security and the safety of citizens and residents.”
The ministry reassured everyone that the “situation is reassuring and stable, and that state institutions are operating in complete harmony and with high readiness”.
According to the statement, the ministry urged everyone to adhere to the instructions and procedures issued by the ministry, to exercise accuracy in circulating information and rely on official sources.
China warned against any further escalation in the Middle East, calling for an “immediate halt” to violence, AFP reports.
“China calls for an immediate halt to military actions, urges avoiding further escalation of tensions, and encourages the resumption of dialogue and negotiations to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said.
“Iran’s national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected,” it added.
The Saudi foreign ministry has said that “blatant and cowardly Iranian attacks that targeted the Riyadh region and the Eastern region” were repelled.
It condemned the attacks, saying they “cannot be justified under any pretext or in any way, and which came despite the knowledge of the Iranian authorities that the Kingdom has affirmed that it will not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran”.
Turkiye has warned that the escalating confrontation between the US-Israel and Iran poses risks to the region’s future and to global stability, the foreign ministry, according to Reuters.
Ankara said it was deeply concerned by all acts that violate international law and endanger civilians. It condemned provocations that could further fuel violence.
It also called on all sides to halt attacks immediately. It reiterated that regional disputes must be resolved through peaceful means and said it stands ready to provide support for mediation efforts.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an urgent meeting of the UNSC, saying the outbreak of a war between the US, Israel and Iran has “serious consequences” for international peace and security, Reuters reports.
Macron spoke separately with leaders of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and the president of the autonomous region of Kurdistan, his office said.
France was ready to deploy the necessary resources to protect its closest partners at their request, Macron said on X.
“The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its actions to destabilise the region,” Macron said.
“This is absolutely essential for the security of everyone in the Middle East,” he added.
“The Iranian people must also be able to build their future freely. The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime discredit it and necessitate that the people be given a voice. The sooner the better,” he said.
