Sirens Force Israelis into Shelters as Iran Fires Dozens of Missiles

Sirens blared across Israel on Saturday morning, Feb. 28, as civilians raced into bomb shelters after Iran launched a wave of ballistic missiles and Israel activated its air defenses to intercept incoming threats. Iranian media said 30 missiles were sent toward northern Israel, while international outlets described the barrage as “dozens” of missiles; no independent count has been confirmed.

The warnings began roughly two hours after the United States and Israel began launching strikes against Iran, CNN reported. At 10:08 a.m., Israel’s defense minister declared a “special state” under the Civil Defense Law for 48 hours, citing a “high probability of attacks on civilians,” Kurdistan24 said. The Home Front Command pushed cell-phone alerts warning that alerts were expected in the area “in a few minutes” and instructed people to prepare to enter protected spaces, CNN reported. Its app showed the entire country highlighted in “red,” defined by SundayGuardianLive as a “confirmed ballistic missile threat,” directing residents to move immediately to safe rooms.

The Israeli Defence Forces confirmed detection of launches and said air-defense systems were activated to intercept. SundayGuardianLive reported that the Israeli Air Force and IDF said they were “actively intercepting threats and launching counter-measures as required,” and that the country’s multi-layered air-defense network was fully operational. CNN’s team in Tel Aviv reported one explosion but cautioned, “It is unclear if the explosion was an intercept by Israel’s air defense systems or something else.”

Civilians described abrupt disruption of daily life across multiple regions. NBC and AFP images showed people running to shelters in Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, beaches emptying in Tel Aviv, runners stopping mid-route and surfers in Haifa leaving the water as sirens sounded. One woman told a reporter, “Oh, I did not miss this sound.” Authorities ordered essential activity only across the country, CNN said, and photos captured families crammed into public shelters.

The launches came amid a larger escalation: President Donald Trump posted a Truth Social video saying the United States had begun “major combat operations in Iran,” Kurdistan24 reported, and NBC said he urged Iranians to “take over your government.” Israeli officials emphasized that military strikes focused on weapons systems. NBC quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging Israelis to “stand together” and warning that Iran must not be allowed to gain nuclear arms.

The military and civilian alarms triggered regional disruptions. Israeli airspace was shut, Kurdistan24 reported, while Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization spokesperson Majid Akhavan said Iran’s entire airspace had been closed under a NOTAM. Iraq cleared and then closed its airspace; Erbil International Airport suspended flights, and a warning siren was heard inside the Erbil consulate compound, Kurdistan24 said. Qatar’s national alert system sent messages urging people to seek shelter, CNN reported.

Immediate economic effects include halted flights, disrupted regional logistics and heightened uncertainty for energy and financial markets exposed to Middle East risk. Defense spending and insurance claims for interrupted trade are likely to rise if the confrontation persists, and investors will monitor oil, shipping routes and Israeli market indices for volatility as officials release more operational details.

Authorities have not provided independently verified missile counts, impact locations or casualty figures in the reporting compiled so far. Officials in Israel, the United States and Iran were expected to issue further statements as the situation develops and airspace restrictions remain in effect.