2026 Iran Conflict

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2026 Iran Conflict
Date 28 February 2026 - Present Location Status Ongoing • U.S. and Israel assassinate Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials. • Closure of the Strait of Hormuz. • Iran counterattacks against various U.S. and Israeli targets across the region. • Israel invades Lebanon, capturing minimal territory.
Belligerents
United States Israel	Iran
Support: Bahrain Canada France Greece Germany Jordan Kuwait Qatar Saudi Arabia Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom	Support: Ansar Allah Hezbollah Popular Mobilization Forces

The 2026 Iran War began with a coordinated military attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran launched by the United States and the Zionist Entity on February 28, 2026. The operation was codenamed Roaring Lion by the Zionist Entity, and Operation Epic Fury by the U.S., and was followed by Iranian retaliation codenamed Operation True Promise IV. U.S. President Donald Trump described the attacks as "major combat operations," marking a significant escalation in the imperialist war against the Axis of Resistance.

The US-Israeli aggression began with strikes on several Iranian cities, and resulted in the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with dozens of senior Iranian officials. In response, Iran initiated a massive regional response, targeting U.S. military assets across the Middle East. Iran later announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting oil and gas shipments worldwide.

As in other cases of Western aggression against Iran, the U.S. and Israel justified the attacks by claiming it was an attempt to prevent the Iranians from obtaining nuclear weapons, despite both countries saying that Iran's nuclear capabilities were supposedly "destroyed" in the aftermath of the Twelve-Day War. Initially, the U.S. declared that the conflict could last "several days", but this was later prolonged into "4 - 5 weeks" in the aftermath of the massive Iranian retaliation that destroyed many military assets across the region, with some U.S. officials suggesting it may take even more than that.

Background

The attack came amidst ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the U.S. in Geneva, mediated by Oman, which had shown signs of progress. In the days leading up to the assault, the US had escalated its military posture in the region, deploying 12 F-22 fighter jets to an Israeli air base in southern Israel, which arrived just days before the strike. This military buildup coincided with Iran conducting defensive military exercises, including a drill by the IRGC Ground Force in southern Iran and on Persian Gulf islands.

Tensions had been high since the summer of 2025, when the US and Israel had previously bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in an operation called "Operation Midnight Hammer". Despite subsequent talks, the US and Israel maintained a policy of maximum pressure and threats of "regime change".

The attack

In the early hours of February 28, 2026, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Israel had carried out a "preemptive strike" against Iran "to eliminate threats against the State of Israel." Shortly after, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States had begun "major combat operations" in Iran, announcing the operation on his Truth Social platform.

Trump, joined at his Mar-a-Lago estate by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, oversaw the launch of the campaign . The operation was named "Operation Epic Fury" by the US Department of War.

Satellite imagery obtained by media outlets showed significant damage to the compound of Iran's Supreme Leader in Tehran, including blackened buildings, debris, and columns of smoke. "Israeli" Channel 12 reported that 30 bombs were dropped on Khamenei's compound during the initial strikes.

Numerous videos show evidence of U.S. and "Israeli" bombs targeting schools with precise strikes that violate international law.

Assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

The Compound of Ali Khamenei after the Missiles from the Imperial Armies Hit

In a major escalation of the conflict, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iranian state media officially announced his death in the early hours of February 28, 2026.

The 86-year-old Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was reportedly at his Tehran compound when it was struck by multiple precision-guided munitions. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency reported his death, without initially elaborating on the exact cause. The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier stated that Khamenei was among those killed in the operation.

According to reports from Israeli officials cited by multiple news agencies, Khamenei's body was found following the strike on his compound. An intelligence source and a military source told CBS News that around 40 Iranian officials were killed in the strikes, including Khamenei, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the defense minister.

The compound in Tehran suffered massive damage, with satellite images showing it had been "almost completely obliterated." Israeli journalist Amit Segal reported that Khamenei was "almost certainly dead" and that his relatives had also been killed. Subsequent reports from Iranian media confirmed that Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild were also killed in the attacks.

Iran announced forty days of national mourning following the confirmation of Khamenei's death. His assassination marks the first time a Iranian Supreme Leader has been killed in office and represents a seismic shift in the Islamic Republic's political landscape.

Missile and drone barrages on "Israel"

Iran launched multiple waves of missiles and drones toward Israel throughout the day. The Israeli military reported that Iran fired "dozens" of missiles at Israel, with many intercepted by air defense systems. Sirens blared across the country, with impacts and falling debris reported in Jerusalem, the Haifa District, the Tel Aviv area, and other locations.

The first confirmed fatality in Israel occurred when a woman in the Tel Aviv area died from injuries sustained in an Iranian missile attack. Emergency services reported treating at least 90 people for minor injuries, with one man seriously injured.

Iranian barrage toward "Israel"

Iran sent a barrage of missiles towards "Israel" hitting non-civilian targets unlike the United States and Israel's purposeful targeting of civilians.

The Israeli military reported that Iran fired "dozens" of missiles at Israel, with many intercepted by air defense systems. Sirens blared across the country, with impacts and falling debris reported in Jerusalem, the Haifa District, the Tel Aviv area, and other locations.

The first confirmed fatality in Israel occurred when a woman in the Tel Aviv area died from injuries sustained in an Iranian missile attack. Emergency services reported treating at least 90 people for minor injuries, with one man seriously injured.

Strikes on U.S. bases across the region

The IRGC confirmed that its strikes targeted U.S. military facilities across the region, inflicting significant damage:

• Qatar: Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. base in the region, was hit, with Iranian forces claiming to have destroyed an advanced U.S. early warning radar system. Explosions were reported in Doha.
• Bahrain: The U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama was targeted, with three buildings damaged in the capital and Muharraq city by drone strikes and debris from intercepted missiles.
• United Arab Emirates: Strikes were reported at Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi and Dubai's Jabal Ali port. Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest, confirmed that four people were injured in a ballistic missile attack. The UAE later reported intercepting 137 ballistic missiles and 209 drones, with 14 drones falling within its territory.
• Kuwait: A drone targeted the main international airport, injuring several employees. Three troops were reported injured by shrapnel from strikes on Ali Al Salem air base.
• Iraq and Jordan: Both countries reported dealing with incoming missiles and drones, with Jordan stating it "dealt with" 49 drones and ballistic missiles.

Massacre at Minab Girls' School

See main article: Minab School Massacre

The deadliest single attack of the conflict was on a girls' elementary school in Minab County, in southern Iran. According to the county prosecutor, at least 108 students were killed and dozens more injured in the strike, an act of mass murder of children that laid bare the barbarism of the imperialist operation.

The school, located approximately 600 meters from an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base, was hit by U.S. or Israeli munitions. Numerous videos circulating on social media, verified by international media, show evidence of bombs targeting the school with precise strikes that constitute flagrant violations of international law. The BBC confirmed clips showing the aftermath of the explosion at the school.

Iran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, condemned the attack at an emergency Security Council session, stating: "The number of innocent civilians continues to rise. This is not only an act of aggression, it is a war crime and a crime against humanity."

Attacks on Iranian infrastructure

From the night of March 7 to the dawn of March 8, oil facilities in Iran were bombarded. The explosions at oil storage tanks around Tehran released large amounts of toxic gas and smoke into the air, darkening the sky and making the air hazardous to breathe, as well as resulting in contaminated rain. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on social media: "The US-Israeli criminal war against the Iranian nation has entered a dangerous new phase with deliberate strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure. These attacks on fuel storage facilities amount to nothing less than intentional chemical warfare against the Iranian citizens." On social media, historian Assal Rad commented on the attack saying, "On top of everything else, Israel and the U.S. have unleashed an environmental disaster in Tehran. How many ways can they show you they have no regard for human life."

International reactions

United Nations

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes for violating Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity and international law, while also condemning Iran's retaliatory attacks for violating the sovereignty of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. He warned: "The alternative is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability."

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on February 28 to discuss the escalating situation.

China

China's UN envoy, Fu Cong, expressed deep concern over the strikes, stating: "At all times, the red line for protecting civilians in armed conflict must not be crossed, and the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable." He called for an immediate cessation of military action and reaffirmed China's readiness to work for peace and stability in the Middle East.

Russia

Russia requested an emergency special session of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors regarding "matters related to military strikes of the United States and Israel against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran that started in the morning of 28 February 2026, preceded by repeated open threats of such action, including against nuclear facilities under the IAEA safeguards."

Arab League

The Arab League stated that the strikes represent "a moment when the Arab-Israeli conflict has expanded into a full-scale regional war." Maged Abdelaziz, the league's UN observer, accused Israel of using the conflict to evade ending its occupation of Palestinian territories and to impose its "hegemony on the Middle East by using military means."

U.S. Allies

• United Kingdom, France, and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iran to refrain from further strikes and give up its weapons programs.
• Canada expressed support for U.S. actions.
• Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated: "We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from threatening international peace and security."

Regional Responses

• UAE condemned the Iranian attacks on its territory as a "violation of national sovereignty and international law" and a "cowardly act."
• Syria's new government, under its post-Assad leadership, condemned "the Iranian attacks that targeted the sovereignty and security" of Gulf monarchies, reflecting a dramatic shift in regional alignments.

IAEA Emergency Session

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors convened a special session at its Vienna headquarters on March 2, 2026, following Russia's request. Iran called for the meeting to address "baseless claims, vicious threats and wrongful acts of aggressors against Iran's peaceful nuclear program."  The IAEA reported that it had seen "no evidence of radiological impact" from the strikes on Iranian facilities.

Human Casualties

U.S. Missiles murder 61+ elementary school students in Iran.

The human cost of the US-Israeli aggression was immediate and severe.

• Iran: The deadliest single attack was on a girls' elementary school in Minab County, in southern Iran. At least 51 students were killed and 60 injured in the strike, an act of mass murder of children that laid bare the barbarism of the imperialist operation. Initial reports from Iran's state-run IRNA news agency put the death toll at the school at 40, though the toll later rose.

Other Casualties

• UAE: One civilian was killed in Abu Dhabi by falling debris from the Iranian retaliation.
• US: The IRGC claimed over 200 US personnel were killed or injured in the retaliatory strikes on its bases. This figure could not be independently verified due to the US military's control of information.
• Israel: Several Israelis were reported injured while running to shelters, but no direct fatalities were reported in the initial hours . Damage to property was reported.