President Trump is the most courageous commander-in-chief in modern American history. There is no question about it. What he just did is the bravest move by a president of the United States of my lifetime, bar none. The president of the United States made the unbelievably brave decision — and it was a brave decision — to move to end the chief threat against America and her allies in the Middle East — the core threat, the Iranian regime, that has been percolating, militating, killing Americans and American allies since 1979. That is the first thing to recognize about what President Trump did. President Trump is doing so because he understands what it means for America to get rid of long-standing enemies. He understands that the use of force is a necessary component when it comes to America’s geopolitical position in the world. He is doing so because he understands better than any American president of my lifetime that America does not need to get bogged down in a long, prolonged war with hundreds of thousands of troops on the ground. America needs to flex her power when necessary and do the thing that is right when necessary in order to protect her core interests. One of the things you’re hearing tonight from critics of the president is that there is no direct attack on the United States, therefore, no sort of military action ought to have been undertaken with regard to Iran.  First of all, historically speaking, that’s not true. The Iranian government has been responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of Americans over the course of time, ranging from the 1983 barracks bombing in Lebanon via its proxy Hezbollah, to the death of hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq during the Iraq War. The Iranian regime has also been responsible for the murder of people abroad, ranging from Europe to South America to, obviously, the Middle East, where it has activated its proxies against American allies, not just Israel, but also including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries in the region. The Iranian government is the leading sponsor of terrorism on planet Earth. It has been for decades. The president decided to end that threat. The idea that America has never suffered a direct attack or has not recently suffered a direct attack from Iran is not true. But people say, “It wasn’t a direct attack right now. Iran didn’t attack a tower in New York.” That’s true. But that is not the only reason why you take out a regime, why you go after the leadership. What the United States is doing right now is recognizing that there was a unique opportunity presented by the situation on the ground in Iran for a change of direction in Iran, which will totally upend the politics of the Middle East, and of the world, in a tremendous way. Let’s start with geopolitics. What’s the geopolitical reason for the United States to be involved? Because geopolitics do affect Americans. America takes action abroad in order to affect its geopolitical position. This, for example, is why, if China were to threaten Taiwan, that would affect Americans because we get semiconductors from Taiwan. Also, if China continues to expand its footprint, then that means America’s economic and military interests are threatened. The current regime in Iran acts as a linkage between China and Russia. It provides enormous amounts of oil to the Chinese machine, and it gives the Russian war machine its drones. And, of course, it acts as a check and balance against the United States in the Middle East. That is what Iran has historically done. In order to understand what President Trump is doing geopolitically, you have to understand the consequences if he didn’t do it. If President Trump had left the Iranian regime in place after it murdered 32,000 of its own citizens in violation of his own red line; if the Iranian regime continued to rebuild all of its military and nuclear facilities, which is what it was doing — if it continued to do that and President Trump did nothing — the geopolitical consequences for the United States would have been disastrous. Why? Because when China looks at that, perhaps they make their move on Taiwan. When Russia looks at that, then they really up the ante in Ukraine. President Trump is the president who will not allow, under any circumstances, the threat of force to go away. He understands better than anyone that the credible threat of American military force is the thing that keeps America in the driver’s seat globally. That is what he was doing. He is pushing China off the ball with regard to Taiwan. He is pushing Russia off the ball with regard to Ukraine. And yes, of course, he is getting rid of the cancerous regime in Tehran, which has spread its terror tentacles all over the world, predominantly in the Middle East, but also in South America and in Europe, where it has pursued terrorist attacks. WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show | Special Edition | “Trump Strikes Iran” on DailyWire+ Changing out the top of the regime in Iran will have massive repercussions. There are a lot of people who think that in order for the United States to justify any military action, a threat must either be immediately imminent — meaning like they’re going to blow up a building in New York right now — or that there must have been a direct attack. Historically, blown opportunities lead to significantly worse after-effects. Bill Clinton failing to kill Osama bin Laden in the late 1990s when we had him in the crosshairs led to the attack on the USS Cole and the attacks on 9/11. The unwillingness of the West to topple the Bolshevik regime in its earliest iterations in Russia — failing to sufficiently support the Whites against the Reds in Russia — led to a full century of Soviet sponsorship of mass murder. The unwillingness of the United States to help Chiang Kai-Shek fight back against the Communists in China led to the rise of the Chinese Communist Party — responsible for not only the deaths of tens of millions of its own citizens, but is now the main geopolitical threat facing America today. In other words, when you have an opportunity to effectuate serious change at relatively low cost, you do it. The United States has complete air superiority. Why? Because after the 12-Day-War last year, in which Israel essentially defenestrated the air defense systems in Iran, the United States essentially had clear airways to go and take out huge numbers of Iranian regime targets. The opportunity was there. Not only that, but the opportunity became even greater because the Iranian people were tired of living under this regime. The Iranian rial (IRR) right now is so dirt cheap, it would take 1 million Iranian rials to amount to 0.75 cents in the United States. And so, the Iranian people were tired of it, which is why they rose up in December of last year and started mass protesting in the streets. So the opportunity is for the people to take charge of their future with the help of the United States from above. And that’s what President Trump is saying: We’re not going to put hundreds of thousands of troops on the ground and just effectuate a regime change. We are going to take out the people who are most threatening.  Now, go take control of your own country.

Covering global conflict is my job as The Daily Wire’s foreign affairs correspondent. But from Friday at sundown until Saturday night — roughly 25 hours each week — I step away completely. I’m an Orthodox Jew, and each week on Shabbat, I don’t use any electricity, including my phone. At sundown tonight, I logged on to find a very different reality in the Middle East than I left. If you’ve been following The Daily Wire’s coverage all day, you know that, early this morning, the United States and Israel struck Iran. But if you need a refresher, here are the 7 updates that got me up to speed. 1. Operation Epic Fury Hits Hard Precision munitions rained down from land, air, and sea in the opening hours, hitting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command-and-control centers, Iranian air defenses, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields. According to U.S. Central Command, the strikes began at 1:15 a.m. ET, and CENTCOM called Operation Epic Fury the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation.   2. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei Is Dead Precision U.S. and Israeli strikes hit the Supreme Leader’s compound in the opening hours of the operation, killing Iran’s top ruler. He was 86, had led the country since 1989, and was only the second person to hold the post of supreme leader since the 1979 Iranian Revolution that brought a radical clerical regime to power. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former President Donald Trump were shown images of Khamenei’s body after it was recovered. President Trump called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history” and said his death delivered justice for the people of Iran, for all great Americans, and for those around the world who suffered under him and his “gang of bloodthirsty thugs.” Khamenei had ruled tyrannically for decades, overseeing widespread oppression, including the violent crackdown on protesters that left an estimated 32,000 dead in January. Trump added that the Supreme Leader could not evade the strike — despite any efforts to hide, highly sophisticated tracking systems, coordinated between the U.S. and Israel, made it impossible for him to escape.   3. Iranians Encouraged To Take Fate Into Their Own Hands After Khamenei was killed, President Trump called this “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country,” a moment that some Iranians appear to be marking with hope. Videos circulating on social media show cheers across Iran Saturday night following reports of the Supreme Leader’s death, including in Tehran, and videos emerging from London show members of the Iranian diaspora joining in the celebrations. Trump added that many members of the IRGC, military, and other security forces reportedly no longer want to fight and are seeking immunity. He expressed hope that the IRGC and police could peacefully merge with Iranian patriots, working together to restore the country to what he described as its deserved greatness.   4. Iran’s Retaliatory Strikes Across the Middle East In retaliation following Khamenei’s death, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks across the region: Israel: Multiple missile impacts, including in Tel Aviv. Qatar: Missiles targeted Al Udeid Air Base. United Arab Emirates (UAE): Al Dhafra Air Base struck; one person killed in Abu Dhabi. Bahrain: U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters and residential buildings targeted. Kuwait: Kuwait International Airport and Ali Al Salem Air Base were attacked. All missiles were intercepted, though a drone hit Kuwait International Airport, causing minor injuries to employees. Jordan: Muwaffaq Al-Salti Air Base targeted. Iraq: U.S. Consulate in Erbil and Erbil Airport targeted by drones, which were shot down. Saudi Arabia: Riyadh was targeted, but attacks were repelled. Oman: Spared from attacks; the country had mediated nuclear negotiations as recently as Thursday. 5. The U.S. and Israel Are Operating in Full Coordination The strikes on Iran were part of a coordinated military campaign between the United States and Israel. Strategic analysts at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) note that the United States designated its part of the operation “Operation Epic Fury,” while Israel called its portion “Operation Lion’s Roar,” reflecting a division of labor that plays to each side’s strengths: Israel focusing on regime leadership and intelligence targets, and the United States using its superior firepower to strike missile silos and major military sites. The level of coordination was clear in advance. In the days leading up to the strikes, American refueling tankers were stationed at Ben Gurion Airport, while combat fighter jets were on the runway in Israel for offensive operations for the first time.   6. Top Iranian Officials Reportedly Killed In addition to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Israel claims several high-ranking Iranian figures were killed in the strikes, including: Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s defense minister Ali Shamkhani, head of the Iranian Security Council Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Saleh Asadi, intelligence official Hossein Jabal Amelian and Reza Mozaffari-Nia, research officials Mohammed Shirazi, longtime defense liaison   7. Trump Says Bombing Will Continue President Trump warned that the air campaign in Iran isn’t ending anytime soon, saying heavy and precise strikes will keep going “throughout the week or as long as necessary” to achieve what he described as peace across the Middle East and beyond. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed that stance, saying the United States will not tolerate missiles aimed at Americans and vowing that the Iranian navy “will be destroyed.”

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the joint U.S.–Israeli military operation launched overnight against Iran. “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump suggested that American intelligence was able to locate him and target him during the operation. “He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” Trump said. At the same time, Trump encouraged Khamenei’s military forces to lay down their weapons and surrender. “We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!’ Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves. That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated,” Trump said. The president added that U.S. military would continue its operation against Iran for the rest of the week. “The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!” Trump said. Earlier this month, Trump said that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.” “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking, and in the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk,” Trump said. “Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off — this has been going on for a long time. So let’s see what happens.”

The world tilted on its axis Saturday as President Donald J. Trump sat locked in at Mar-a-Lago, eyes fixed, jaw set, while U.S. forces unleashed what the White House dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran — a day nearly 37 years in the making since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took power as Iran’s supreme leader in 1989. The images are historic. Inside a darkened room at Mar-a-Lago, transformed into a working situation room, heavy black curtains block out the Florida sunlight. A large operations map stands behind the president, marked with strategic indicators. Secure phones sit within arm’s reach. Briefing folders are spread across the table. Trump sits at the head, wearing a white USA cap, leaning slightly forward as updates come in. President Donald J. Trump Monitors U.S. Military Operations in Iran: Operation Epic Fury, February 28, 2026 pic.twitter.com/OfnMkmBZ8G — The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026 Around him, senior advisors are tightly packed, some clasping their hands, others focused on intelligence screens out of frame. Aides line the wall, arms folded, listening. No one is smiling. No one looks relaxed. It is command in motion. February 28, 2026 unfolded rapidly. U.S. military strikes targeted Iranian regime infrastructure in coordination with Israeli military actions. Explosions were reported in multiple locations across Iran as sites tied to the regime’s security and military apparatus were hit. President Donald J. Trump Monitors U.S. Military Operations in Iran: Operation Epic Fury, February 28, 2026 pic.twitter.com/st88hbLrpY — The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026 Then came the development that sent shockwaves around the globe. Israeli officials said the body of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been located following the strikes and that he was confirmed dead. U.S. officials indicated they were aware of the reports and were assessing the intelligence as information continued to come in. If confirmed, Khamenei’s death would mark the most consequential leadership rupture in the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution. Since assuming power in 1989, he has overseen Iran’s nuclear ambitions, its regional proxy network, and its decades-long confrontation with the United States and Israel. Vice President JD Vance and Cabinet Secretaries in the Situation Room, February 28, 2026 pic.twitter.com/x3AFYv3fyH — The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026 Inside the Mar-a-Lago situation room, the imagery captures a president monitoring every development as the day intensified. Advisors studied maps. Secure lines remained active. The atmosphere appears disciplined but heavy — the kind of quiet intensity that accompanies irreversible decisions. Iranian state media had not publicly confirmed Khamenei’s death as of publication. Regional tensions remain elevated as governments worldwide assess the fallout and military forces reposition across the Middle East. Operation Epic Fury now stands as one of the most aggressive direct military actions against the Iranian regime in modern history. What follows could redefine the balance of power in the region — and close a chapter that has shaped global politics for nearly four decades.

Democrat lawmakers are demanding a vote to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers following the United States’ strikes against Iran. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) promised to compel a vote on the War Powers Resolution introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). “The framers of the United States Constitution gave Congress the sole power to declare war as the branch of government closest to the American people,” Jeffries said in a statement. He added that Iran is a “bad actor” that must be “aggressively confronted for its human rights violations,” but said the Trump administration should have sought congressional approval. The War Powers Resolution would prohibit U.S. hostilities in Iran without the approval of Congress. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement on X that “Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home.” The minority leader added that the administration must answer many questions about the scope of this operation, and said President Trump’s “fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.” “The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act,” Schumer concluded. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said the administration is at risk of repeating “mistakes of the past.” “Iran’s leadership has long supported terrorism across the region, undermined regional stability, continued to advance its nuclear ambitions, and brutally repressed its own people,” Warner said in a statement. “But acknowledging those realities does not relieve any president of the responsibility to act within the law, with a clear strategy, and with Congress.” Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) called the attack “illegal and unconstitutional” and pushed for a vote on a War Powers Resolution in the Senate. “A diplomatic solution remains the best way to permanently and verifiably prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon,” Markey said. “No more war with Iran.” Follow The Daily Wire’s live-blog coverage of the U.S. strikes on Iran. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who co-sponsored the Iran War Powers Resolution in the Senate, called the strikes “a colossal mistake.” “The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. special forces in hostilities against Iran,” Kaine said in a statement. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) agreed with Kaine. “Strikes are underway and Congress hasn’t voted,” Gallego said. “No President gets to drag working-class Americans into another war without authorization. Bring the Senate back. Take the vote.” Like the resolution in the House, Kaine’s Iran War Powers Resolution would prohibit any U.S. participation in hostilities against Iran unless authorized by Congress. A similar resolution was introduced and defeated last June after the Trump administration obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities. In addition to various politicians coming out against the strikes, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin released a statement condemning Trump’s actions. “Overnight and without congressional approval, Donald Trump initiated major combat operations against Iran,” the statement begins. “Trump sold voters on a ‘pro-peace’ vision of himself as an America First candidate, yet in under 13 months, he has ordered strikes on seven foreign nations and plunged our country into more open-ended conflict using taxpayer dollars.” Martin added that while Iran sanctions terrorism and undermines human rights, “our nation deserves better than a government that shoots first and asks questions later.” Some Democrats, like Sen. Jon Fetterman (D-PA), have broken with their party to praise the strikes. “President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region,” Fetterman said in a post on X. “God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”