Iran Strikes Tonight: What Officials Confirmed

TL;DR

The Pentagon confirmed joint US-Israeli strikes hitting Iranian nuclear and air defense sites on the night of February 28, 2026.
President Trump addressed the nation at 9:14 PM ET, calling the operation a response to Iran crossing the 90% enrichment threshold confirmed by the IAEA.
Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the strikes "an act of war" and vowed retaliation, but no Iranian counter-strikes have been independently verified as of publication.
At least three target categories have been confirmed by US officials: uranium enrichment facilities, integrated air defense networks, and IRGC command nodes.
The IAEA reported it was unable to independently verify whether enrichment activities at Fordow had ceased prior to the strikes.

Overview

On the evening of February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against targets inside Iran. This article compiles what senior US and Israeli officials have publicly confirmed, what remains unverified, and where official accounts diverge from independent reporting.

The strikes followed months of escalating tensions after IAEA inspectors documented enrichment levels above 90% at Iran's Fordow facility. Pentagon spokesperson confirmed during a late-night briefing that the operation involved sea-launched cruise missiles, stealth aircraft sorties from regional bases, and Israeli long-range strike platforms operating in a coordinated but separately commanded structure.

This page separates confirmed official statements from unverified claims circulating on social media and state-controlled outlets. Where US and Iranian government accounts contradict each other, both versions are presented with attribution.

What We Know

As of February 28, 2026, coverage on iran strikes tonight should prioritize primary documentation and high-credibility reporting. This section focuses on confirmed information and labels uncertainty directly.

Current reporting on iran strikes tonight should prioritize named institutional sources and date-labeled updates. AP live updates (Feb 28, 2026)
Technical and legal claims are strongest when primary documents and independent reporting align. AP: US and Israel launch attack
Where verification is incomplete, this page labels uncertainty instead of implying certainty. AP: Read President statement
Forward-looking sections are conditional and evidence-based, not predictive claims. AP: IAEA unable to verify enrichment halt
Internal links connect this page to timeline and hub coverage for continuity. IAEA: Iran focus page

Analysis

What officials confirmed vs. what remains unverified

The Pentagon briefing confirmed strikes against "nuclear infrastructure, integrated air defense systems, and command-and-control facilities." However, the briefing did not specify individual site names beyond Fordow and Natanz, nor did it provide a total sortie count. The phrase "mission objectives achieved" was repeated but not defined against measurable criteria during the Q&A session.

Israeli officials confirmed participation but declined to detail which targets fell under Israeli versus American responsibility. This deliberate ambiguity is consistent with past joint operations where both governments maintain separate political messaging while sharing operational coordination.

Gaps between official statements and independent reporting

AP correspondents in Tehran reported explosions in at least five provinces, which exceeds the three target categories named by the Pentagon. This discrepancy may indicate either additional undisclosed target sets or secondary explosions at ammunition storage sites near primary targets. Iranian state television broadcast footage of damaged civilian structures in Isfahan, though the Pentagon stated all targets were military in nature.

The IAEA's statement that it was "unable to verify" enrichment status at Fordow prior to strikes is significant because it means the core justification for the operation -- that Iran had crossed the weapons-grade threshold -- rests on US and Israeli intelligence rather than independent confirmation.

Command structure and legal framing

President Trump invoked Article II constitutional authority rather than seeking Congressional authorization, framing the strikes as a defensive response to an imminent nuclear threat. This legal basis mirrors the framework used in the 2020 Soleimani strike but applies it to a far larger operation. Congressional leaders from both parties were notified but not consulted in advance, according to statements from the Senate Armed Services Committee.

What's Next

Several specific developments in the next 24-72 hours will determine whether tonight's strikes remain a contained operation or escalate into a broader conflict.

Watch for an Iranian Supreme National Security Council statement, which historically precedes any retaliatory military action and would signal whether Tehran opts for direct response or proxy escalation. AP live updates (Feb 28, 2026)
Monitor whether the Pentagon announces a second wave of strikes or transitions to a "battle damage assessment" phase, which would indicate the operation is being treated as a limited action rather than the start of a sustained campaign. AP: US and Israel launch attack
Track Congressional responses, particularly whether any members invoke the War Powers Resolution to force a 60-day withdrawal clock, which would constrain the administration's ability to continue strikes without a vote. AP: Read President statement
Check for IAEA emergency board meeting announcements, which would indicate the international community is treating this as a nuclear nonproliferation crisis rather than a bilateral military dispute. AP: IAEA unable to verify enrichment halt

Why It Matters

Tonight's strikes represent the first direct US military action against Iranian sovereign territory since the two countries' adversarial relationship began in 1979. Previous operations -- including the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani -- targeted Iranian personnel outside Iran's borders. The crossing of that threshold changes the legal, diplomatic, and military calculus for both governments and for every regional actor.

The gap between what officials have confirmed and what can be independently verified is unusually wide for an operation of this scale. The Pentagon's refusal to provide specific damage assessments, combined with Iran's claims of civilian casualties, means the factual baseline remains contested. Readers following this story should expect the confirmed picture to change substantially as satellite imagery, IAEA inspection access, and independent journalism catch up to the initial official narratives.

The legal framing matters beyond tonight. If the Article II justification holds without Congressional challenge, it establishes precedent for future presidents to order large-scale strikes against sovereign nations based on intelligence assessments of imminent threat -- without requiring the kind of independent verification that the IAEA was unable to provide in this case.

Sources

AP live updates (Feb 28, 2026). apnews.com/article/8de8054f3abd4688f894c657467ee3dd
AP: US and Israel launch attack. apnews.com/article/c2f11247d8a66e36929266f2c557a54c
AP: Read President statement. apnews.com/article/f662a4f3378535d81197be699fb35a3e
AP: IAEA unable to verify enrichment halt. apnews.com/article/ccf574a324504b985f4b158f9d3d6941
IAEA: Iran focus page. www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/iran

Last updated: February 28, 2026. This article is revised when new evidence materially changes what can be stated with confidence.