The Times of Israel is liveblogging Saturday’s events as they unfold.
32min ago 2:54 PST
Israeli strikes this morning in Iran targeted Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, an Israeli official says.
Other top regime and military commanders were also targeted, according to the official.
The results of the strikes are currently unclear, the official says.
Earlier, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Pezeshkian was “in full health.”
A few minutes ago, quoting unnamed Israeli sources, Israel’s Channel 12 said Israel assesses that the strikes on Iran thus far have achieved “very high success” in the goal of eliminating the Iranian leadership.
The report said the assessment related to senior commanders, and to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. It further said that “it is not clear that [Iran’s Supreme leader Ali] Khamenei did not undergo a dramatic event.”
Ben Gurion Airport said set to stay closed until Monday at least
Israel’s Channel 12 says Ben Gurion Airport will remain closed until Monday at least.
Israeli carrier Israir says all of its flights to and from Israel, as well as domestic flights, are canceled through Monday morning. Passengers booked on flights scheduled to depart between February 28 and March 3, 2026, will be entitled to a cash refund. Passengers who made their reservation through a travel agent will need to contact the agent.
Anti-government protest groups cancel tonight’s demonstrations
Anti-government protest groups announce they are canceling weekly demonstrations planned to take place tonight, as Israel and the US exchange blows with Iran.
“We support the fighters and all security forces in protecting the State of Israel,” protest group Hofshi Be’Artzenu (Free in our Land) says, calling on all Israelis to obey IDF Home Front Command directives.
Sirens sound as Iranian ballistic missile barrage targets central and southern Israel
Fresh sirens sound across central and southern Israel amid a new Iranian ballistic missile barrage.
The IDF says air defense systems are working to shoot down the projectiles.
Lufthansa cancels all flights to and from Israel and across Middle East through March 7
The Lufthansa group of carriers suspends all flight services to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport through March 7, citing the “current situation in the Middle East.”
The German group, whose carriers also include SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, says it cancels flights across the Middle East, including Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, and Tehran through March 7.
Affected passengers can rebook to a later travel date free of charge or, alternatively, receive a full refund of the ticket price, Lufthansa says.
“The Lufthansa group is continuously monitoring and assessing the security situation in the Middle East and is in close contact with the authorities,” the group says.
New Iran missile launch detected; sirens set to sound in south
The IDF says it has detected a new launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.
Sirens are expected to sound in southern Israel in the coming minutes.
Israelis who get an alert are instructed to enter bomb shelters.
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Saturday’s events as they unfold.
Report: Khamenei’s palace completely destroyed in strikes
Channel 12, quoting unnamed Israeli sources, says the palace of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has been completely destroyed. It says it is not clear whether Khamenei was present. It also says all of Iran’s key leaders were targeted in the strikes so far today.
Iranian missile said to hit home in Jordanian capital Amman
An Iranian missile has fallen on a home in Jordan’s capital Amman, state media reports.
Footage published by Arabic media shows flames and smoke rising from the wreckage.
Some 35 ballistic missiles launched at Israel since morning
Since this morning, some 35 ballistic missiles have been launched from Iran at Israel, according to preliminary military assessments.
Some of the missiles were intercepted by air defenses, and others struck open areas.
There have also been reports of missile and interceptor fragments landing across Israel, with one person lightly hurt, according to medics.
Report: Khamenei’s palace completely destroyed in strikes
Channel 12, quoting unnamed Israeli sources, says the palace of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has been completely destroyed. It says it is not clear whether Khamenei was present. It also says all of Iran’s key leaders were targeted in the strikes so far today.
World warns against Mideast war as US, Israel strike Iran
Countries in the Middle East and around the world voice fear of a regional conflagration after the United States and Israel launch long-feared strikes on Iran.
Russia calls on its citizens to leave Iran, with former president Dmitry Medvedev saying that talks with the United States had just been a “cover.”
The European Union warns the situation in the region is “perilous” and calls for civilians to be protected in any conflict.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, on X, urges “all parties to exercise restraint,” stressing it is “critical” to “ensure nuclear safety” after the US indicated Iran’s nuclear sites were in its crosshairs.
The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas announces the withdrawal of the bloc’s non-essential personnel from the region.
The UK government fears the strikes could blow up into a broader Middle East conflict, and urges its citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to find shelter.
“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,” a government spokesperson says, adding that the UK’s “immediate priority” is the safety of its citizens in the region.
Jordan’s military says its air force is at work to protect the kingdom and its people while the strikes are ongoing. A military official says that two ballistic missiles targeting the kingdom’s territory “were successfully intercepted by Jordanian air defence systems”.
Ukraine argues that the Iranian government’s “violence against its own people and other countries” triggered the US and Israeli attacks.
“The reason for the current events is precisely the violence and arbitrariness of the Iranian regime, in particular the murders and repressions against peaceful protesters, which have become particularly large-scale in recent months,” the foreign ministry says in a statement.
France, which has several military bases in the Middle East, notably in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, said, “Obviously our priority in these sort of cases is the protection of our nationals, the protection of our forces in the region and the monitoring of the situation in real time, which we are doing,” Alice Rufo, a deputy defence minister, tells France 2 television.
The African Union calls “for restraint, urgent de-escalation and sustained dialogue” after the strikes, warning that conflict could risk harming people on the continent.
“Further escalation risks worsening global instability, with serious implications for energy markets, food security, and economic resilience — particularly in Africa, where conflict and economic pressures remain acute,” says the pan-African body’s head, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-february-28-2026/
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