February 27, 2026, may go down in world history as the day United States President Donald Trump declared war on Iran — a nation backed by global powers including Russia and China.

The move marks a dramatic new chapter in global tensions, opening another major front in the Middle East.

It comes four years after Russia’s war with Ukraine erupted in Eastern Europe — a conflict that triggered worldwide economic shocks and soaring prices. In countries like Rwanda, for example, the cost of basic commodities surged sharply in 2023.

The United States, alongside Israel, launched coordinated strikes against Iran, which is supported by China, Russia, North Korea, and several regional allies. The confrontation follows months of escalating tensions and military preparations on both sides.

As American missiles struck targets inside Iran early Saturday morning, President Trump addressed the nation, saying U.S. forces had begun “large-scale military operations” aimed at defending American citizens from what he described as threat by Iran’s leadership.

Trump accuses Iran’s rulers of being “top-level terrorists” who have threatened the United States and its Middle East allies for decades.

He argued that Iran’s leadership has long boasted of hostility toward America and blamed them for the deaths of numerous U.S. citizens and service members across different regions, as well as tens of thousands of Iranians.

According to Trump, the objective is to severely destroy Iran’s military infrastructure and ultimately remove its ruling establishment.

He claimed that such action would allow the Iranian people to be freed from what he described as oppression and violence under their current leaders.

The U.S. president also declared that Washington would not permit what he called a “terrorist regime” to possess nuclear weapons, pledging that any such capabilities would be completely dismantled.

Trump urged Iranian civilians to remain in their homes and called on members of Iran’s military and police forces to lay down their arms, warning that failure to do so could result in deadly consequences.

Reports indicate that the residences of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were destroyed during the strikes, and both leaders were reportedly moved to undisclosed locations.

Meanwhile, Iran has instructed its citizens living in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan to leave immediately, signaling plans to target U.S. military bases in those countries.

China is also reported to have supplied Iran with advanced offensive and defense systems, including HQ-16 and HQ-17AE missiles.

Within hours of the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes, Iran retaliated. Its first wave of missiles reportedly reached Israeli territory after traveling approximately 2,000 kilometers in just 12 minutes — and were said to have gone undetected before impact.