LONDON: The war that generations of diplomats, generals and spies had tried to avoid began on Saturday morning, when waves of US and Israeli aircraft and missiles struck targets across Iran, including in Kermanshah, Qom, Isfahan, Tabriz and Karaj, in what President Donald Trump called a “massive and ongoing” campaign. For nearly half a century, the US and Iran have circled each other through covert action, proxy wars, sanctions and sporadic clashes, but never tipping into open conflict. That balance has now collapsed.

President Donald Trump has confirmed U.S. involvement in Israeli strikes across Iran, including Tehran on Saturday (28 February), in a “preventative attack”. In an eight-minute…

US and Israel conduct airstrikes inside Iran as Trump tells Iranians to take over their government