A child stands next to a missile that fell near the international airport of Qamishli in Syria. Photo Reuters / Orhan Qereman.
Main events of the day
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported that an American submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship, which sank off the coast of Sri Lanka. Rescue services saved 32 sailors; however, preliminary reports indicate that 80 people died.
- Turkish military shot down a ballistic missile launched from Iranian territory heading towards Turkey, which drew condemnation from NATO towards Iran.
- A Maltese-flagged container ship sustained significant damage in the Strait of Hormuz from a projectile, and the crew was forced to abandon the vessel. Traffic in the strait decreased by 90%.
- The funeral of Ali Khamenei, which was scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed indefinitely due to the unpreparedness of necessary facilities, Iranian state media report.
- Israel reported new strikes on security force facilities in Tehran and continued attacks on Lebanon, urging residents of southern Beirut to leave their homes.
- "Hezbollah" intensified its involvement in the conflict, supporting Iran, which deepens its isolation in Lebanon and risks expanding hostilities in the north.
- According to the human rights organization Human Rights Activist News Agency, at least 1,097 civilians have died in Iran since the war began.
- An independent UN investigation sharply criticized the actions of Israel and the USA, noting that they violate the UN Charter, particularly condemning attacks on a school as "shocking" from a human rights perspective.
- Spain denied reports that it succumbed to pressure from Washington and agreed to provide its military bases for operations against Iran. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that the government's position remains unchanged.
- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius ruled out the possibility of Germany participating in the conflict with Iran and expressed concern over the lack of an exit strategy.
- Passengers in the Persian Gulf countries are experiencing difficulties and uncertainty in returning home due to disruptions in air traffic.
- Power outages occurred in all provinces of Iraq due to a sharp drop in capacity at the key Rumaila power plant.
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On the morning of February 28, Israel and the USA struck Iran. Donald Trump stated his goal of destroying the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic.In response, Iran began launching attacks on Israel and other countries in the Middle East where American military bases are located. The strikes targeted Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai (UAE), as well as Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
As a result of the U.S.-Israeli operation, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed, after which his wife, Mansoureh Khodjasteh, died from her injuries.
Trump stated that the operation in Iran would last about four weeks. Iran, for its part, declared jihad against the USA and Israel, emphasizing that negotiations would not take place.
The conflict in the Middle East is impacting the global situation, including Kyrgyzstan. In the UAE, thousands of tourists are stranded due to the conflicts, and the phone numbers of embassies and consulates for Kyrgyz citizens abroad can be found here.
