On February 28, 2026, Haifa — Israel’s key northern port city — came under intense Iranian missile and drone attack in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Tehran, marking a sharp escalation in the widening conflict. Air raid sirens blared across Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv as families rushed into shelters while explosions shook northern districts and smoke plumes rose over the skyline. While Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow defense systems intercepted several incoming projectiles, some missiles reportedly evaded defenses, with impacts near critical infrastructure including military installations and possibly the port area. Emergency teams treated civilians injured by shrapnel and battled multiple fires as dramatic videos captured residents huddled underground amid the chaos. The strikes coincided with Iranian attacks on U.S. assets in Gulf states such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait, underscoring the regional scale of the retaliation. A second wave of missiles kept sirens wailing in Haifa, and although Hezbollah has not yet joined the assault, Israel’s northern border remains on high alert as fears grow that the escalation could continue.
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