Oman - the only Gulf Cooperation Council nation that has not taken a missile hit this morning from Iran's counterstrikes - has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Bahrain has taken multiple missile and drone hits, including at least one at the U.S. 5th Fleet base they host.

Saudi Arabia has declared "full solidarity" with the UAE in the wake of Iranian missile strikes.

Qatar's early warning radar system has been damaged by an Iranian attack, with the northern portion of the system apparently now inoperable.

Oil tankers have ceased transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The Trump administration briefed the so-called "gang of eight", that is, the Democrats, as well as the Republican leadership, in both the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the US Congress and the Senate.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 11:38 am: Edit

More and more countries are condemning Iran. They ignored Iranian calls for Moslem nations to stand together against the US. There is one vague report that the Saudis are activating their intelligence assets inside Iran to overthrow the theocracy.

Israeli intelligence had detected a planned meeting of senior Iranian leaders and convinced Trump to launch the attack during that meeting so they could kill many Iranian big shots in one strike.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 11:58 am: Edit

Iranian missile attacks are now coming in waves of a dozen, making interception harder. Debris from destroyed missiles is raining on Israeli cities.

Iran refused to accept what amounted to a surrender and total reversal of their national policy. Can you imagine them being so unreasonable? ;)

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 12:06 pm: Edit

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting in about four hours (21:00 GMT).

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 12:07 pm: Edit

Israel is mobilizing 70,000 reservists, many from air defense, missile defense, and fighter units.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 03:18 pm: Edit

Is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dead?

Nothing confirmed yet - but rumours/comments seem to swiling arounnd that the Israeli's got him??

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 03:42 pm: Edit

Israel tried very hard to get him. If he’s alive you can bet he’s in no hurry to say so, but eventually he will have to if he wants to stay in power.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 04:16 pm: Edit

Fox just confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by an Israeli air strike. How they confirmed this is unclear. It might or might not be true, but seems likely. The source was a senior Israel official. In theory he might be replaced by someone willing to deal.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 08:35 pm: Edit

The Iranian Tasnim and Fars news agencies are confirming the death of Khamenei, as well as his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 08:48 pm: Edit

As to who follows Khamenei: there is a process in the Iranian constitution in the case of the death of what they term the Supreme Leader.

Under that process, there’s a council of three people, including the Iranian president, head of the judiciary and one cleric from the Guardian Council, who take control of the country.

But there has been a flurry of reports about authorities being given to Ali Larijani. He is not in any of the groups that would comprise that triumvirate described above...and more to the point, was explicitly barred from a presidential run in 2021 and again in 2024 by the Guardian Council. He's a special kind of brutal - a former member of the Revolutionary Guard, the current secretary of Iran's National Security Council, and the mastermind of last month's brutal crackdowns. He's not well liked by Iranians, and gives not a single fig about that, because he turns the jackboots on whoever complains about him. He's a hardcore ideologue; if he winds up in charge, it will be for Iran the equivalent of Trotsky gaining control of the USSR after Lenin's death instead of Stalin.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 09:56 pm: Edit

I suspect that will be enough to provoke the revolution.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 10:30 pm: Edit

If it is not, just wait until the Israelis get a bead on h….uh, err, that might not be politically correct.

Let us just say that recent history seems to indicate that the life expectancy of Iranian Supreme Leader job holders is not very long, and getting shorter…

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 11:16 pm: Edit

He's probably still alive, "as far as I know". :-)

--Mike

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 11:30 pm: Edit

List of Iranian leaders confirmed
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
top security adviser Ali Shamkhani
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour
Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh
Khamenei's chief military secretary Mohammad Shirazi
Head of Iranian military intelligence Saleh Asadi
Chairman of the SPND (Iran's nuclear weapons research organization) Hossein Jabal Amelian
Former SPND chairman Reza Mozaffari-Nia

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 11:32 pm: Edit

There is no truth to the rumor that extraterrestrial spacecraft took part in the attack on Iran.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 11:39 pm: Edit

I worry about how many potential Iranian "Irregulars" (Terrorists) may already be in place around the world (including, but not limited to, the United States and US Friendly European nations) and how quickly they may be activated.

Biggest worry? They won't engage in immediate action; they'll wait until people around the world think they're "Safe."


Another thought...

Many of the reports I've heard/read speak of Iranian Ex-Pats around the world celebrating the death of Khameni. While undoubtedly many are, how do the majority of Iranians still living in Iran feel? Even among those who protested, it may be regarded as an OUTSIDER attacking.

Please remember that we here in the United States were sharply divided, with the majority being opposet to going to war in Europe back in 1941. After Pearl Harbor? We almost completely unified in our war drive.

Will this "Assassination" be a unifying catalyst in Iran in support of their regime?

I hope not, but "Hoping" is what people who don't plan do...

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 12:39 am: Edit

Khameni was widely hated inside Iran. Demonstrations are celebrating his death.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 01:46 am: Edit

He will be replaced by another.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 04:59 am: Edit

Some people loved him.... some people hated him.

In Pakistan, it appears he was 'loved' - as the US Consul in Karachi was stormed by civilians - 9 confirmed dead so far.

As we found in Iraq and Libya -if you remove the current leader..... will that naionn and the world get a better one?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 08:43 am: Edit

The US has conducted 900 strikes (sorties and missiles) in 12 hours hitting 500 targets.

41 top Iranian leaders are confirmed dead.

Yesterday Iran fired 150 missiles at Israel and over 100 at other countries including two missiles targeted on British bases on Cyprus.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 09:00 am: Edit

The Brits suffer the consequences from guilt by association, I suppose.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 09:44 am: Edit

It is the reciprocal of the Arab phrase “the enemy of my enemy, is my friend”, becomes “The friend of my enemy, is my enemy”.

Obviously, whoever is controlling the target selection for Iran is not current with President Trumps relationship with PM Keir Starmer.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 10:29 am: Edit

Although UK forces have not taken any offensive actions against Iran - UK forces have* been used defensively.

* - PM Starmer did say UK was comitted to help defend allies.

There was two areas where the UK may have helped defend allies - and Cyprus (the wtow missiles was probabably not targeted at Cyprus, but was close enough to be a concern) and Iraq was mentioned (UK Forces shot down an Iranian Drone over Iraq) plus Tyhpoons are also in Qatar.

From Iranian TV reports, it does seem to indicate they feel their counterattacks are generally succesful, which overall does not seem true.

(1 Iranian missile did seem to breach the Isreali defences and it seems 9 people have died from that 1 attack).

Other aspects about the timing of the attack is coming out - Israel has stated the operation was plannned several months ago (whcih begs the question, was the various 'peace talks', just a delaying tactic??) but it seems the Israeli's/US found out a meeting with all the senior Iranian memmbers was about to happen - and so the initial attack took place during day light - rather than night.

It was also mentioned taking place during Ramadan was unusual - as this might concern allied Muslim nations - and during Shabbat - so the specific timing of the attack seemed to outweigh these normal relgions observations.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 11:12 am: Edit

CENTCOM Update: As of 9:30 am ET, March 1, three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury. Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions - and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Sunday, March 01, 2026 - 11:35 am: Edit

>> Israel has stated the operation was plannned several months ago (whcih begs the question, was the various 'peace talks', just a delaying tactic??)

It certainly takes some time to assemble a detailed plan based upon the most recent intelligence, and move all the needed military assets into position. I don't think it's very realistic to wait until peace talks collapse before beginning military preparations. Iran is a pretty big country, geographically, and my sense is attack plans are going to be complex and lengthy.

And, given the demands by the US on Iran (complete elimination of all nuclear and ballistic missile programs, if reports are correct), realistically there was little chance of a deal. The Iranian regime couldn't really accept it as it was contrary to their core objectives. And in the minds of their leadership it would undermine their own national legitimacy and agency. It would be a humiliating step down that I don't think they could ever accept.

So here we are.

--Mike