Trump declares “major combat operations” underway against Iran

by Peoples Dispatch 

The strikes, launched jointly by the US and Israel, come amid ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the US, mediated by Oman. Iran has begun its “overwhelming” retaliatory action against Israeli targets.

The United States and Israel launched multiple airstrikes against the Iranian capital, Tehran, on the morning of Saturday, February 28. Initial reports indicate that several high-level locations were the targets of the first round of strikes, including the presidential palace and the residence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

In a video released shortly following the strikes, Donald Trump declared: “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world.” Trump also warned that there may be US casualties.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed the strikes were launched to “preemptively remove threats to the state of Israel.” Meanwhile, a state of national emergency has been declared in Israel in preparation for Iranian retaliation.

Iran Launches Drone Attack Against Israel Over Consulate Bombing

By Jessica Corbett

"Netanyahu will use it as the pretext for another provocation, because he's bent on starting this war," one writer predicted.

Iran on Saturday launched several drones and missiles toward Israel in retaliation for the nation's deadly bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month.

According to CNN, this statement from Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps was read on Iranian state-owned Press TV: "In response to the Zionist regime's crime in attacking the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, the IRGC's air force hit certain targets in the territories of the Zionist regime with dozens of drones and missiles."

'We Cannot Let the Warmongers Win': US Progressives Reject Calls for Attack on Iran

By Jake Johnson

Progressives in the U.S. Congress on Sunday urged the Biden administration to resist calls for an attack on Iran following the country's retaliation against Israel for the deadly bombing of Tehran's consulate in Syria earlier this month.