US, Israel planned strikes on Iran for months despite ongoing talks? What we know
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, smoke seen in Tehran after Israeli and US strikes. Photograph: (AFP)
The US and Israel reportedly planned Iran strikes for months, with the launch date fixed weeks ago. As “major combat operations” begin, Iran retaliates — but key details behind the timing remain unclear.
Israel had reportedly been planning strikes on Iran for months in coordination with the US. The revelation comes as Tel Aviv and Washington announced military operations against Tehran on Saturday (Feb 28). US President Donald Trump said that American forces have started “major combat operations” in Iran, confirming the US involvement. In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israel and US military bases in the region.
Reuters reported, citing an Israeli defence official, that the launch date of strikes on Iran had been decided weeks ago by Washington and Tel Aviv.
Interestingly, two weeks earlier, US media reported that American forces were ready to strike Iran by “next weekend”. The recent strikes were also launched on a weekend, although a week later than ealier speculated date.
Israeli media reported that about 30 targets across Iran have been struck so far, including the Iranian President’s residence and an intelligence headquarters. The Israeli air force said that it was striking several Iranian military strikes.
The Israeli military later said that it had identified barrages of missiles launched towards Israel from Iran. Explosions were also heard across US military bases in the region, including Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that a wave of missiles and drone attacks had been launched at Israel.
“The first wave of widespread missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the occupied territories has begun,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said.
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Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader, are unknown after Israel, allegedly in a joint move with the United States, carried out a targeted preemptive strike near his headquarters in Tehran. It remains uncertain whether Khamenei was at his headquarters during the strike or if he sustained injuries from it. Citing an Iranian official, Reuters reported that the supreme leader was moved to a secure location.
Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Houthis, Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
