Tara Oakes

Hi, I'm Tara Oakes in Liverpool.

It's Saturday, February 28th.

Today, the United States and Israel launch strikes on Iran.

We look at the situation on the ground and at President Trump's aims and the risks he faces from a drawn-out campaign.

This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the frontlines in 10 minutes, seven days a week.

The United States and Israel have launched what President Trump is describing as a major combat operation in Iran, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that Trump says will end a security threat to the US and offer Iranians a chance to topple their rulers.

Smoke plumes rise over Tehran's skyline after explosions were heard in the capital as part of what the US has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

And in Tel Aviv, people rush to shelters as Iran launches retaliatory attacks against Israel.

In a video shared on Truth Social, President Trump cites decades of grievances with Iran, from a 1979 embassy hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held for 444 days, to attacks blamed on Tehran ever since.

Trump says the strikes are aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and annihilating its navy, coming after a failure to get a breakthrough in talks this week.

Trump has warned that American lives may be lost in this military action and urged Iranians to stay sheltered.

The Pentagon says the operation will last multiple days.

Iran is vowing crushing retaliation, with Iran's Revolutionary Guard saying all US bases, resources, and interests in the region are considered legitimate targets for the Iranian army.

It says it struck Israeli and US bases with Iranian missiles, and its operation would continue until its enemy was, quote, decisively defeated.

The strikes came as Iranians were starting their working week.

Our Middle East editor Edmund Blair describes the panic.

A source has told Reuters that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location.

An Iranian source close to the establishment says several senior commanders in Iran's Revolutionary Guards and political officials have been killed.

Reuters could not independently confirm the report.

Here's Edmund on the response from Iran's government.