2026IranWar

Summary of Summary

On 28 February 2026, Israel and the United States launched surprise airstrikes on multiple sites and cities across Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials. The operation, codenamed Operation Epic Fury by the US and Operation Roaring Lion by Israel, was the largest combat sortie in Israeli Air Force history, involving approximately 200 fighter jets striking 500 military targets.

Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against Israel, US bases, and US-allied countries in the region in an operation named True Promise IV. Targets included US military bases in Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Oman. Britain's Akrotiri military base on Cyprus was also struck.

Background

The conflict followed years of escalating tensions between Iran, the US, and Israel, including the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, the 2024 missile exchanges, and the Twelve-Day War of June 2025 which included US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. In late 2025 and early 2026, massive anti-government protests erupted across Iran, becoming the largest since the 1979 revolution.

In February 2026, the US undertook its largest military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Indirect nuclear negotiations were underway in Oman and Geneva, with Oman's Foreign Minister reporting a "breakthrough" had been reached just before the strikes began.

Key Events

- **28 February 2026**: US and Israeli strikes begin at approximately 9:45 AM IRST. Ali Khamenei's compound destroyed. Israeli Air Force strikes 500 targets using 200 fighter jets and over 1,200 bombs in 24 hours.

- **28 February 2026**: Iran launches Operation True Promise IV — hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles targeting Israel and US bases across the region.

- **28 February 2026**: Cyberattacks cause near-total internet blackout in Iran lasting 60+ hours, dropping connectivity to 1-4% of normal.

- **Post-strikes**: Iran forces closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks energy facilities, disrupting global oil and gas shipments.

- **Hezbollah**: Opens fire on Israel, resuming fighting in southern Lebanon.

International Response

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several countries condemned the US-Israeli strikes. The UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning Iran's retaliatory strikes on Gulf states. Legal experts described the initial attacks as a violation of Iran's sovereignty under international law.

The conflict caused immediate surges in oil and gas prices, widespread disruptions in aviation and tourism, and heightened volatility in financial markets.

US Stated Objectives

President Trump cited multiple objectives: warding off an imminent Iranian threat, destroying Iran's missile and military capabilities, preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, securing natural resources, and achieving regime change. Iran and the US Pentagon rejected claims that Iran had been preparing an attack. The IAEA stated there was no evidence of a structured nuclear weapons program at the time of the strikes.