Israel Launches Pre-emptive Strikes on Tehran Amid National State of Emergency

2026-02-28 global

Tel Aviv, Saturday, 28 February 2026.
Defense Minister Katz confirmed pre-emptive strikes on Tehran Saturday, declaring a national emergency to neutralize imminent threats following a 2025 conflict that previously cost the economy $12 billion.

Operational Details and Targets

On the morning of Saturday, February 28, 2026, the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East shifted sharply as Israel initiated what Defense Minister Israel Katz termed a “pre-emptive attack” against Iran [1]. Reports from Iranian media confirmed that three explosions were heard in downtown Tehran, with the Fars News Agency identifying the “Republic area” of the capital as a specific impact zone for incoming missiles [1]. Further intelligence indicates that the strikes specifically targeted the Intelligence Directorate of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), alongside other strategic sites in central Tehran [4]. This military action was launched in response to what Israeli defense officials described as an expectation of an imminent attack involving drones and ballistic missiles from Iran [3][6].

Civil Defense and Strategic Rationale

Simultaneous with the offensive operations, Defense Minister Katz declared a “special and permanent state of emergency” across Israel [1]. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a “proactive alert,” activating sirens nationwide to prepare the public for the possibility of retaliatory fire [2][4]. Citizens have been instructed to remain in close proximity to protected spaces and to strictly obey directives from the Home Front Command [6]. While no missiles had been launched toward Israel at the time of the initial reports, the government’s posture suggests a high probability of escalation [4]. Katz emphasized that the strikes were conducted “to remove threats,” signaling a doctrine of neutralizing capabilities before they can be deployed [2].

Economic Precedents and Regional Tensions

The urgency of this pre-emptive strike is contextualized by the severe economic and human toll of the previous conflict in June 2025. Israeli leadership appears determined to avoid a repetition of that 12-day war, which cost the Israeli economy an estimated $12 billion [5]. During that engagement, Iran launched over 550 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 drones, resulting in the penetration of air defenses by at least 31 missiles and the deaths of 28 Israeli civilians [5]. The current escalation also follows significant political signaling; on February 23, 2026, opposition leader Yair Lapid asserted that “it is time to strike at the foundations” of the Iranian regime [5]. While the U.S. military declined to immediately comment on Saturday’s attack, Washington has recently assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to pressure Iran regarding its nuclear program [2][6].

Sources

Middle East Geopolitics