Explosions rock Tehran, Isfahan and other Iran cities after Israel's 'pre-emptive strike'
- Last updated: February 28, 2026 | 11:24 ..
Explosions were heard in Tehran as Israel launched a daylight 'pre-emptive' attack on Iran's capital on Saturday, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city's downtown. Blasts were also heard in Isfahan and other cities.
The apparent strike on Tehran happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei had been in his offices at the time. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown. But the attack comes as the United States has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear programme.
The US Embassy in Qatar implemented shelter-in-place for all personnel, recommending that all of its citizens do the same until further notice.
Israel closes its airspace to civilian flights after the strike; US Embassy in Qatar implements shelter-in-place for all personnel, recommending that all of its citizens do the same until further notice
Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights after the strike.
"Following the security developments, the Minister of Transportation has ordered the Director of the Israel Civil Aviation Authority to close the airspace of the State of Israel to civilian flights," the minister, Miri Regev, announced.
Mobile phone lines have been cut in parts of eastern and western Tehran. Internet connectivity has weakened in some areas, says Iranian media.
Cryptocurrencies dipped in weekend trading after Israel said it had attacked Iran and explosions were heard in Tehran.
Bitcoin fell 2% to just below $64,000 and ether slid about 3% to $1,862.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the attack as being done "to remove threats.” He did not immediately elaborate.
In Tehran, witnesses heard the blast. Iranian state television later reported on the explosion, without offering a cause.
Sirens sounded across Israel at the same time. The Israeli military said that it had issued a "proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel.”
More explosions struck Iran’s capital after Israel said it was attacking the country. Authorities have offered no casualty information from the strikes.
Meanwhile, Iran shut down its airspace after Israel launched an attack targeting the country.
The warning to pilots came out as explosions rang out across Tehran, the Iranian capital.
The US military declined to immediately comment on the attack.
Agencies