February 28

Trump claims Iran ICBM threat is imminent; intelligence says timeline is 2035

As strikes began, President Trump told the American public that Iran could soon strike the United States with long-range missiles, citing the threat as a primary justification for Operation Epic Fury. A Defense Intelligence Agency assessment cited by CNN and confirmed by two intelligence officials contradicted the claim, projecting Iran could develop a militarily viable ICBM by 2035 only if it decided to pursue the capability — a decade away and contingent on a decision Iran had not made.

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Trump starts Iran war without congressional authorization, citing Article II

President Trump launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran without seeking or obtaining congressional authorization, invoking his Article II commander-in-chief authority. Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed seven of eight Gang of Eight members after strikes began; rank-and-file lawmakers from both parties said they had received no information or legal rationale before the operation. Trump said he did not need congressional approval for the conflict.

Congress holds emergency meeting as Iran strikes begin without member briefing

Rank-and-file members of Congress convened emergency sessions after learning of Operation Epic Fury strikes through news reports rather than White House notification. Secretary Rubio reached seven of eight Gang of Eight members after the operation began; Armed Services Committee chairs were notified after strikes were underway. Democrats and several Republicans demanded war powers votes while House and Senate leaders scrambled to assess the legal and constitutional posture.

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Only eight lawmakers briefed on Iran strikes; Congress got no legal rationale

The White House provided advance briefing only to seven of the eight Gang of Eight congressional leaders before Operation Epic Fury began; the eighth could not be reached. No other members of Congress received notification before strikes started, and no legal authorization or War Powers Resolution briefing was provided to Armed Services or Foreign Affairs committees. Rank-and-file lawmakers from both parties said they learned of the war from news coverage.

Gulf states targeted by Iran retaliation despite refusing U.S. base access

Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes on US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE — the same Gulf states that had refused to permit US forces to use their territory to attack Iran. The strikes targeted US installations including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US base outside the continental United States. Gulf states that had tried to stay neutral by denying base access became combatants by hosting US forces that were already present.

Oil majors suspend Strait of Hormuz shipments as Iran warns commercial vessels

Iranian naval forces began hailing commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz after Operation Epic Fury began, declaring the waterway closed to shipping. Major trading houses and container shipping companies including Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd suspended Hormuz transits. The Strait carries approximately one-fifth of all globally traded oil; its disruption triggered the largest single-day US gas price spike since Hurricane Katrina, surpassed only by the spike recorded three days later on March 3.

Trump orders U.S. military strikes on Iran, launching air campaign against missile and naval sites

U.S. and Israeli forces conduct coordinated precision strikes against targets inside Iran, including ballistic missile storage sites, maritime mining facilities, air defense systems, and command-and-control infrastructure. President Trump announces the strikes in a pre-dawn address, saying the operation aims to destroy Iran's ability to threaten U.S. forces, Israel, and commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf. The 60-day clock under the War Powers Resolution starts on Feb. 28, 2026, setting a May 1 deadline for Congress. (AP, Feb. 28, 2026)

Operation Epic Fury launched US and Israel begin full-scale military campaign against Iran

At 3:38 PM EST on February 27, Trump gives the order aboard Air Force One. On February 28, US and Israeli forces launch nearly 900 strikes in the first 12 hours. The opening Israeli salvo at 06:45 UTC kills Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and family members/officials at three separate meetings struck within 30 seconds of each other. US assets include B-2 stealth bombers, B-1 Lancers, B-52s, Tomahawk missiles, and additional GBU-57 bunker busters on nuclear sites. Israel deploys 200 fighter aircraft hitting approximately 500 targets. Only the Gang of Eight in Congress is notified before the strikes. This is the largest single military operation against a state target in 21st-century US history.

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Trump blacklists Anthropic, OpenAI immediately steps in to sign Pentagon AI deal

The Trump administration officially places Anthropic on a defense procurement blacklist after the company refuses to remove AI safety restrictions on lethal targeting assistance. Within hours, OpenAI announces it has signed a new Pentagon contract to provide AI services — including for applications Anthropic declined. Sam Altman, who had previously called for AI regulation, now offers GPT models without the autonomous weapons guardrails Anthropic maintained. Critics note OpenAI's decision reverses its own earlier safety commitments. Dario Amodei says Anthropic's limits "are not negotiable."

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Operation Epic Fury launches as U.S. and Israel strike Iran

U.S. and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, striking nearly 900 targets in Iran in the first 12 hours of the campaign. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial wave of strikes. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper later testified to Congress that the campaign rolled back what he described as 40 years of Iranian military investment. Trump notified Congress of the hostilities on March 2, 2026, starting the War Powers Resolution's 60-day clock.

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Trump authorizes Operation Epic Fury against Iran without congressional approval

President Donald Trump authorized U.S. Central Command to launch Operation Epic Fury, a sustained military campaign against Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, without seeking prior congressional authorization. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper oversaw the operation, which began with airstrikes on Iranian enrichment facilities. The War Powers Resolution's 60-day clock began running on February 28, requiring congressional authorization or troop withdrawal by April 29, 2026 — a deadline Congress allowed to pass without acting.

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Trump blacklists Anthropic; OpenAI steps in with Pentagon AI deal

The Department of Defense formally designated Anthropic a national security supply-chain risk after the company refused to remove contractual restrictions on autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance uses of its Claude AI system. Within 24 hours, OpenAI announced a Pentagon deal that accepted the same lawful-use framing the Pentagon demanded, framing its protections as commitments to comply with applicable law rather than contractual prohibitions that could not be waived by a lawful order.

Senate Democrats invoke War Powers Resolution to stall Iran military action

Democratic senators led by Tim Kaine and Chuck Schumer introduce a War Powers Resolution to halt military operations against Iran authorized by President Trump but lacking explicit congressional authorization. The resolution claims Operation Epic Fury violates the War Powers Resolution and requires congressional approval for continued military action. The resolution gains bipartisan support but fails to achieve the necessary votes in the Republican-controlled Senate. The vote is 47-53, with Sen. Rand Paul being the only Republican voting in favor and Sen. John Fetterman being the only Democrat voting against. The failed resolution nonetheless highlights congressional divisions over executive war powers and the Iran conflict.

U.S. and Israel launch Operation Epic Fury against Iran, Supreme Leader Khamenei killed

The United States and Israel launch coordinated airstrikes against Iranian military targets in Operation Epic Fury. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is killed in the initial strikes, along with senior IRGC commanders. Trump notifies Congress after the operation begins, relying on the War Powers Resolution''s 48-hour reporting requirement. The administration does not cite any existing congressional authorization, instead invoking the president''s inherent Article II authority as commander-in-chief and arguing the strikes are acts of self-defense against Iranian proxies. The killing of a sitting head of state — a foreign government official not involved in active hostilities against U.S. forces — raises immediate questions about targeted killing legal standards and the scope of the president''s claimed authority.

Trump orders U.S. military strikes against Iran, launching Operation Epic Fury

President Trump ordered air strikes on Iranian military and missile sites Feb. 28, initiating what became known as Operation Epic Fury. The strikes marked the opening of a two-month campaign that would ultimately cost $25 billion and become central to debates over executive war powers. Trump did not seek congressional authorization before ordering the strikes. (AP, Mar. 2, 2026)

Trump announces major U.S. combat operations against Iran

Trump said that the United States was carrying out major combat operations against Iran. The announcement marked a shift from threats and diplomacy to active war, triggering congressional challenges under the War Powers Resolution.

Jeffries says Trump bypassed Congress with Iran strikes

Hakeem Jeffries responded to Trump administration strikes on Iran by arguing that Congress had been bypassed. The statement framed the war as a constitutional issue, not just a foreign-policy dispute.

Thune backs U.S. airstrikes in Iran

Senate Republican Leader John Thune issued a statement supporting U.S. airstrikes in Iran. The response showed Republican leadership aligning with the administration’s national-security framing as Democrats pressed for congressional authorization.

IRGC bars U.S.- and Israel-linked ships from Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued orders on February 28, 2026, barring vessels linked to the United States or Israel from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of global oil supply passes. The IRGC boarded and attacked merchant ships and began laying sea mines in the strait. Tanker traffic dropped by approximately 70 percent within days as shipping firms suspended operations. Iran did not formally invoke legal closure but the IRGC's physical interdictions produced a de facto blockade.

U.S. missile strike destroys Minab girls school, killing at least 156

A U.S. Tomahawk missile destroyed the Shajareh Tayyibeh Elementary School in Minab, Hormozgan province, southern Iran on February 28, 2026, during Operation Epic Fury's opening hours. At least 156 people were killed, including approximately 120 schoolgirls, teachers, and staff, making it the deadliest single civilian strike of the war. CNN and Time magazine later confirmed the US origin of the missile through independent forensic analysis; the Pentagon said the strike used outdated Defense Intelligence Agency target coordinates for an adjacent IRGC facility.

CFPB shutdown battle continues as D.C. Circuit weighs ruling

Four days after the February 24 en banc hearing, the CFPB shutdown litigation remained unresolved as the full D.C. Circuit deliberated, with experts predicting the union would prevail given the court's composition and the case likely heading to the Supreme Court. The injunction blocking the layoffs of up to 1,400 CFPB staff remained in place, preserving the bureau's limited operations while the administration continued pressing for authorization to dismantle it. Legal analysts noted the case would test whether executive stop-work orders and funding cuts could serve as a de facto repeal of a statute without congressional action.

U.S. and Israeli airstrikes target Iranian nuclear and military sites following intelligence assessment of weapons development

Following intelligence assessments indicating accelerated Iranian progress toward nuclear weapons capability, the United States and Israel launch coordinated airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and military command centers. The strikes target Natanz, Isfahan uranium conversion facility, and IRGC command structures. Casualties are reported among military personnel. The operation is presented as a defensive measure to prevent imminent weapons development. The strikes shock the international community and dramatically elevate tensions. Both Washington and Tehran face a critical moment: whether to escalate further toward conflict or to use the crisis as an impetus for urgent negotiations.