Trump News for Saturday, February 28, 2026

How have US politicians reacted to the attack on Iran?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Republicans largely rally behind Trump's strikes on Iran, while Democrats fail to offer singular message of opposition.

Pentagon chief blocks officers from Ivy League schools and top universities

Jason Ma, Fortune

"We will no longer invest in institutions that fail to sharpen our leaders' warfighting capabilities or that undermine the very values they are sworn to defend."

US Ambassador to UN: Trump has ‘met the moment’ by striking Iran

Al Jazeera English

The US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz says striking Iran was necessary to protect American allies.

Watch: How US-Israel strikes on Iran unfolded

BBC News

Iran launched retaliatory attacks in the Middle East after US-Israel strikes across the country.

Trump: Khamenei dead after US strikes Iran

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes.

X Is Drowning in Disinformation Following US and Israel’s Attack on Iran

David Gilbert, Wired

WIRED has reviewed hundreds of posts on X that promote misleading claims about the locations and scale of the attack.

What countries has Trump attacked since returning to office?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The US president, who had said he would avoid needless foreign wars, has embraced military power with few limits.

Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year iron rule

Jackie Northam, NPR

Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's second supreme leader, has been killed. He had held power since 1989, guiding Iran through difficult times — and overseeing the violent suppression of dissent.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, is dead, Trump says

Patricio Chile, Abcnews.com

President Trump confirmed the supreme leader's death in a social media post.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry defends retaliatory strikes, slams US betrayal

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says Iran's attacks on US targets across the region are legitimate defensive actions.

Trump says Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed during strikes on Iran

Chris Panella,Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert, Business Insider

Ayatollah Khamenei led Iran for nearly four decades before he was killed in a joint campaign by the US and Israel on Saturday.

Donald Trump Dances At Fundraiser Just Before Iran Airstrikes

TMZ Staff, TMZ

President Donald Trump authorized a major attack on Iran Saturday, reportedly leaving hundreds dead and even more injured ... but first, he had to dance. In videos going viral online, Trump is seen dancing during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago to "God…

WATCH: At least 201 people had been killed across Iran: Iranian Red Crescent Society

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Michael Singh, the managing director and senior fellow at the Washington Institute, joins to examine the U.S. military strikes in the Middle East.

Trump’s war with Iran, briefly explained

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The US is at war with Iran. Hi readers, by now I’m sur…

Market analysts react to US-Israel strikes on Iran

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

Feb 28 (Reuters) - The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, targeting its leadership and plunging the Middle East into a new...

Sam Altman Is Marketing OpenAI as America’s Wartime AI Company Whether He Intends to or Not

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

At the outbreak of a new war, Altman is closer than ever to the Pentagon.

Iran, US, Israel officials give civilians clashing directives as bombs drop

Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera English

Iranians receive mixed messages amid ongoing attacks, internet shutdown and limited mobile connectivity.

Polymarket Bravely Defends Betting On World War 3 As A Valuable Public Service

Zack Kotzer, Kotaku

Controversial gambling platform acknowledges tragedy, but someone must win big

US strikes Iran: What you need to know

Vox Staff, Vox

Early Saturday, the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran, marking the start of what appears to be a far-reaching and open-ended war. President Donald Trump said the operation was meant to eliminate an “imminent threat,” destroy Iran’s missile a…

Satellite images show an Iranian warship burning pierside after US and Israeli strikes

jepstein@businessinsider.com (Jake Epstein,Chris Panella), Business Insider

New satellite imagery captures initial damage from the US and Israel's attack on Iran, including a burning warship and drone activity at air bases.

Trump says new call for regime change in Iran justified by 'imminent threats' to US

Tom Dunlavey, Abcnews.com

In announcing the U.S. military strike on Iran, President Donald Trump went significantly beyond his previous justification of destroying the country's nuclear program.

Trump's Iran decision sparks backlash from Tucker Carlson, some MAGA supporters

Bill Hutchinson, Abcnews.com

The Trump administration's decision to go to war with Iran has triggered an angry backlash from some of his top MAGA supporters.

Techno‑Feudal Elite Are Attempting to Build a Twenty‑First‑Century Fascist State

xraymike79, Collapseofindustrialcivilization.com

Introduction: Fascism at the End of Industrial Civilization This essay argues that the United States is drifting toward a distinctly twenty‑first‑century form of fascism driven not by mass parties …

A new US military task force just used its cheap Shahed lookalike drones for the first time to strike Iran

Jake Epstein, Business Insider

The drone's development comes as the Pentagon pushes to procure and field inexpensive drones to keep pace with adversaries.

Dispatch from Tel Aviv: Living to the rhythm of the sirens

Insider Inc., Business Insider

Normally, the Home Command app warns 10 to 15 minutes before a missile from Iran could hit. But this morning, that advance warning did not come.

WATCH: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says president, supreme leader 'safe and sound'

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Esmail Baghaei joins ABC News following US and Israeli strikes on Iran early Saturday morning

Jack White Reacts to Trump’s Iran Attack: ‘Behold the Leader of the ‘Board of Peace”

Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone

"Don jr. and barron won't have to fight or die, just other people's children, so...invade and bomb away!" rocker writes in response to Operation Epic Fury

Nine months after 12-day war, US, Israel seek to topple Iran’s leaders

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US, Israel launch attacks on Iran in a move that risks destabilising the Middle East.

The Fallout From the Epstein Files

The Editors, The Atlantic

Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein investigation, and more.

The whole thing was a scam

Gary Marcus, Substack.com

The fix was in, and Dario never had a chance.

WATCH: Missiles land in Dubai

ABC News, Abcnews.com

ABC News’ Lama Hasan reports from the region on the Iranian response to U.S. attacks, with the UAE saying a civilian was killed by falling debris.

MAGA Reacts to Trump’s Strikes on Iran: ‘Absolutely Disgusting and Evil’

Peter Wade, Rolling Stone

“We voted for America First and ZERO wars,” former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X, calling the administration “a bunch of sick fucking liars”

What does “America First” even mean anymore?

Joshua Keating, Vox

With the decision to once again launch major airstrikes on Iran, in conjunction with Israel, and call for the overthrow of the Iranian government, President Donald Trump’s foreign policy has come full circle. The US has once again launched the sort of regime …

Satellite photos capture devastation at the Iranian supreme leader's residence after US and Israeli strikes

Matthew Loh, Business Insider

At least six buildings were heavily damaged by the strike, with several collapsed, an analysis of fresh and older satellite images shows.

WATCH: What strikes on Iran mean for the Middle East

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Former U.S. ambassador to NATO retired Lt. Gen. Doug Lute discusses the possible fallout from the joint U.S.-Israel attack.

OpenAI Says Hell Yea To To Helping Government With ‘Fully Autonomous Weapons’ As Trump Bombs More Countries

Zack Kotzer, Kotaku

Whatever spooked Claude’s creators out of the Pentagon is a-okay by OpenAI

Trump’s case for the Iran war makes no sense

Zack Beauchamp, Vox

Early Saturday, the United States launched an open-ended war on Iran. And nobody really knows why. For the past several weeks, the United States has been amassing forces in the area — with an estimated 40 to 50 percent of its entire deployable air fleet in th…

The fantasy of an easy victory in the war on Iran

Jasim Al-Azzawi, Al Jazeera English

The US and Israel declared regime change as their ultimate goal. That, however, would be difficult to achieve.

Kaine: Trump ‘too mentally incapacitated’ to understand he set stage for Iran nuclear development

Yahoo Entertainment

Global News Podcast: US and Israel carry out joint attacks on Iran

BBC News

President Trump confirms a 'major operation' underway as Tehran targets US military bases

Here are the weapons America used to strike Iran — and shield against retaliation

Jake Epstein, Business Insider

From Tomahawk cruise missiles to Patriot air defense batteries, the US has used a range of weapons in its latest Middle East fight.

Why is the U.S. attacking Iran? Six things to know

NPR Staff, NPR

The U.S. and Israel launched military strikes in Iran, targeting Khamenei and the Iranian president. "Operation Epic Fury" will be "massive and ongoing," President Trump said Saturday morning.

Dario Amodei on Anthropic's Pentagon spat: 'Disagreeing with the government is the most American thing in the world'

Cheryl Teh, Business Insider

"We have stood up for the values of this country," the Anthropic CEO said, discussing the AI lab's refusal to accept the Pentagon's terms for Claude.

WestJet drops Raleigh-Durham, cuts 16 US routes amid travel decline

Edward Russell, The Points Guy

WestJet will end 16 U.S. routes this year as it adjusts to shifting Canadian travel patterns.

World reacts to US, Israel attack on Iran, Tehran retaliation

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

EU urges 'maximum restraint'; mediator Oman warns US 'not to get sucked in' further into conflict.

Iran has been firing missiles into at least half a dozen countries. Here's how the fight has been playing out.

Sinéad Baker, Business Insider

Iran appears to have launched strikes into at least six countries. It said it was targeting US military bases in the region.

Four Conditions Make Cash Transfers Save Lives

Aaron Richterman, Harsha Thirumurthy, The Atlantic

The success of other countries shows how cash-transfer programs can work in the United States.

What to do if you're an American in the Middle East right now

Kashmira Gander, Business Insider

Americans are being told to shelter in place in Middle Eastern countries including Iran, Qatar, and the UAE after the US and Israel struck Iranian cities including the capital, Tehran.

Timeline: Anthropic, OpenAI, and U.S. Government

Vercel.app

Timeline of recent events involving Anthropic, OpenAI, and the U.S. Department of War.

Israel strikes two schools in Iran, killing more than 50 people

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

State media says Israeli attack on girls' school in the city of Minab in the south of the country kills dozens.

What $1 Million of Anti-Racist Leadership Training Buys You

Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic

The president of Wesleyan University objected to a recent Atlantic article—but didn’t criticize it on the merits.

Panic, fury, and some hope, in Iran as US launches strikes

Jane Arraf, NPR

In Tehran, panicked residents rushed home to shelter and terrified children poured out of classrooms as U.S. air strikes hit the capitol.

Why did the US strike Iran?

Joshua Keating, Vox

President Donald Trump announced early Saturday morning that the US and Israel had launched an attack on Iran, saying the goal was to eliminate an “imminent threat” from Iran, “raze their missile industry to the ground” and “annihilate their navy” and for Ira…

Trump’s Presidency Is Now in Iran’s Hands

Nancy A. Youssef, Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic

The U.S. has launched combat operations despite little public support and widespread fears among allies.

North Carolina Democrats latest to chart future of the party in congressional primary

Colin Campbell, NPR

In a safe Democratic seat in North Carolina, a match-up between a two-term Congresswoman and a progressive local official show how Democrats are charting the future of their party in the age of Trump.

Trump and Khamenei’s War of Choice

Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic

The U.S.-Iran conflict grew from a high-stakes exchange of miscalculations between two men.

'Serious moment': Reactions pour in from Congress after Trump strikes Iran

Tom Liddy, Abcnews.com

In the wake of the "massive" strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel Saturday, members of Congress have begun weighing in on the situation.

Airspace closed, airlines halt flights as US, Israel attack, Iran responds

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

At least eight countries, including Iran, Israel, Jordan and Qatar, shutter airspace as global air travel severely hit.

US, Israel bomb Iran: A timeline of talks and threats leading up to attacks

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Military operations by the US and Israel in Iran mark the most intense escalation since the June 2025 conflict.

Trump’s Enormous Gamble on Regime Change in Iran

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

A few paths to success, many to failure

The War on Poaching Has Gone Full Tech Dystopia—and It May Not Be Working

Tulani Ngwenya, Benon Oluka, and Sam Schramski, Gizmodo.com

Surveillance technology intended to protect endangered species is weaponized against locals, with repercussions that range from harassment to physical violence.

Why Israel Wants to Wean Itself Off U.S. Military Aid

Missy Ryan, The Atlantic

What the prospect of ending financial support says about America’s shifting ties with Israel

What Can the Texas Primary Tell Us About Democrats?

Adam Harris, The Atlantic

Our reporter Elaine Godfrey on getting kicked out of a Jasmine Crockett rally

Strikes on Iran have disrupted one of the world's busiest flight corridors

Pete Syme, Business Insider

Following US and Israeli strikes, Iran and neighbor nations closed airspace, impacting airlines like Qatar Airways and Emirates.

"Cancel ChatGPT" movement goes mainstream after OpenAI closes deal with U.S. Department of War — as Anthropic refuses to surveil American citizens

jez@windowscentral.com (Jez Corden) , Jez Corden, Windows Central

After Anthropic refused flat out to agree to apply Claude AI to autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of American citizens, OpenAI jumps right into bed with the United States Department of War.

US and Israel Launch Strikes Against Iran

Matt Burgess, Wired

US president Donald Trump said a “major combat operation” against Iran had begun as he called for the country’s government to be overthrown.

US forces are locked in air-defense battles, fending off attacks on American bases amid the fighting with Iran, official says

Jake Epstein, Business Insider

A US official told Business Insider that land, air, and naval forces are participating in the air defense operations.

Read Trump's full speech announcing strikes on Iran. He warned 'American heroes may be lost.'

Tristan Anthony, Business Insider

Trump announced the start of US combat operations in Iran, citing its nuclear threat and vowing to destroy missiles and military targets.

Netanyahu says US and Israel attacked Iran to remove ‘existential threat’

Al Jazeera English

Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu says the joint US‑Israel strikes on Iran aim to remove an ‘existential threat.'

US and Israel attack Iran: What we know so far

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The US and Israel bomb multiple Iranian cities, including capital Tehran. Iran hits back, launching missiles at Israel.

Trump warns of potential US casualties in 'massive ongoing operation' in Iran

Jon Haworth, Jack Moore, Abcnews.com

Donald Trump said the U.S. military has begun "major combat operations" in Iran and calling on the Iranian people to rise up and seize the opportunity for regime change.

OpenAI strikes deal with Pentagon to use tech in ‘classified network’

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

Sam Altman claims his technology will not be used by the US for 'domestic mass surveillance' or 'autonomous weapons'.

Who is Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and why is he a possible target?

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Trump, who has previously said Khamanei should be 'very worried', is urging Iranians to overthrow their government.

What we know about the joint US-Israel attack on Iran

BBC News

Donald Trump has described "major combat operations", with explosions heard across Iran.

Trump says “major combat operations” in Iran have begun

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump says American forces have begun “major combat operations” in Iran alongside Israel.

Trump talks of ‘annihilation’, ‘elimination’ as US, Israel attack Iran

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US president makes a number of claims and predictions without any concrete evidence to confirm their veracity

Watch: Smoke rises in Tehran as explosions heard across country

BBC News

The BBC's Jon Donnison in Jerusalem reports as Trump says "major combat operations" have begun.

US and Israel strike Iran, officials confirm

Jake Epstein, Business Insider

The US and Israel struck Iran, officials confirmed. The US had built up a large military footprint in and around the Middle East in recent weeks.

Trump announces 'major combat operations' in Iran

Daniel Estrin, NPR

Israel and the U.S. have launched strikes against Iran, with explosions reported in Tehran and air raid sirens sounding across Israel.

Pentagon Designates Anthropic Supply Chain Risk Over AI Military Dispute

info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News), Internet

Anthropic on Friday hit back after U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the Pentagon to designate the artificial intelligence (AI) upstart as a "supply chain risk." "This action follows months of negotiations that reached an impasse over two except…

WATCH: FAA restricts airspace over El Paso after U.S. military shoots down border drone

ABC News, Abcnews.com

The U.S. military shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone it mistakenly believed was a danger using a high-powered laser.

Peace ‘within reach’ as Iran agrees no nuclear material stockpile: Oman FM

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Oman's Foreign Minister says most recent indirect talks between US, Iran 'really advanced, substantially'.

Trump Settles With Isaac Hayes’ Estate Over Use Of Music During The Campaign

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

One of the unfortunate knock on effects of being generally insufferable is that many people don’t want to be associated with you in any way. And when you’re both insufferable and happen to be the most divisive American political figure in modern history, all …

Flight logs and hot tub photo among key moments from Bill Clinton's deposition

BBC News

The former US president, who is featured in photographs within the Epstein files, denies having any knowledge of the convicted sex offender's crimes.

President Donald Trump floats 'friendly takeover' of Cuba

Meredith Deliso, Abcnews.com

The comment came after being asked about a deadly confrontation between a U.S.-registered speedboat and Cuban border troops off the coast of Cuba on Wednesday.

Trump Pitches Everyone’s Most-Hated Senator for SCOTUS

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump floated the idea of nominating Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to the Supreme Court on Thursday during a visit to the state. The president was...

Trump administration charges 30 more people for Minnesota church protest

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The expanded indictment targets protesters who rallied at Cities Church in St Paul against Trump's immigration surge.

People Whose Family Or Friends Regret Voting For Trump, Tell Us What Finally Changed Their Mind

Victoria Vouloumanos, Buzzfeed

They believed in him — until they didn't. If you've watched someone in your life become disillusioned with Trump, we want to hear what finally shifted.View Entire Post ›

Trump, Iran and geopolitical mind games

Al Jazeera English

Incoherent messaging and inconsistent policy positions - Trump’s chaotic Iran gambit.