The U.S. and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in late February 2026. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. facilities in Gulf states.
Over 3,000 people have been killed across the Middle East in the war. In Iran, Israeli and American strikes have killed more than 1,900 people according to Iran's deputy health minister. Human Rights Activists in Iran reported 3,220 people killed in Iran as of 20 March, including 1,165 military personnel and 1,398 civilians. Almost 3,600 people, including at least 1,665 civilians, have been killed so far by the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that began on February 28 according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
At least 175 students were killed by a reported U.S. strike on an Iranian elementary school. Iran accused the U.S. and Israel of attacking a girls' school near an IRGC base, killing 168 people including around 110 children. The bombing of a girls' school on the first day of the war left 165 civilians dead, many of them children. BBC Verify reported expert video analysis shows a U.S. Tomahawk missile hit a military base near the school. A preliminary Pentagon assessment found the U.S. was at fault for the attack on the Minab Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school.
The U.S. said it was investigating the school incident. Israel said it was 'not aware' of any military operations in the area of the school incident.
The Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed by Iran, impacting global oil supply. Israel said it killed IRGC naval chief Alireza Tangsiri, who oversaw blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has allegedly begun charging ships for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The war has caused a global energy shock, prompting the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels from its strategic reserve. Germany and Poland took steps to curb oil prices due to climbing energy costs linked to the war.
Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed in combat, with two more dying of noncombat causes. Eight U.S. service members were killed according to CFR.
President Trump declared the aim of the attack on Iran was regime change. The U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran cannot be legally justified under international law according to Professor Susan M. Akram.
President Trump insists Iran is negotiating despite Tehran's public denials. Pakistan's top diplomat said 'indirect talks are taking place' between the U.S. and Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said 'we do not plan on any negotiations'.
U.S. service members are increasingly looking for ways to leave the military early rather than participate in President Donald Trump's Iran war. The number of conscientious objector applications from U.S. military personnel has increased sharply since the war began. Many soldiers have taken to calling the 24-hour GI Rights Hotline run by the nonprofit Center on Conscience and War to express their concerns and frustration.
The Center on Conscience and War typically sees about 50 conscientious objector applications per year, but has fielded hundreds of calls since the war started. In March alone, the Center on Conscience and War took on more than 80 new clients, almost twice as many as in an average year. The busiest single day saw 12 new clients join the Center on Conscience and War.
Many callers cited the U.S. bombing of the Minab Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school as a breaking point. Military members are citing the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran as a motivator for wanting to leave.
As a result of the discontent, some are choosing to retire early or opt out of reenlisting when their contracts are up, while others are applying for medical separation or are simply breaking their contracts with little regard for the consequences. Still others are seeking advice about becoming conscientious objectors, a point of inquiry that has spiked 1,000 percent since the start of the war.
Conscientious objection in the U.S. is legally recognized for deeply held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs opposing war in any form. The Supreme Court has extended conscientious objector protections to deeply held moral and ethical beliefs, not just religious ones. Opposition to a particular war does not qualify for conscientious objector status under U.S. law. Applying to become a recognized objector to a war on moral grounds is a protracted process that requires a written statement, a psychological evaluation, an interview with a military chaplain and an investigating officer assigned to each case. Entering the conscientious objector process is enough for an active-duty recruit to be removed from duties to which they object with immediate effect.
Veterans for Peace has run billboard campaigns near military installations reminding service members of their duty to refuse illegal orders. Navy officer Hani Nofal submitted paperwork to become a conscientious objector on Nov. 29, 2023, due to civilian casualties in Gaza.
Rumors that U.S. soldiers were openly refusing deployment orders to Iran via social media videos are unverified, with no reputable evidence found. Recruitment in the U.S. military rebounded in 2024 prior to President Trump's reelection, and all five branches hit recruitment targets in December.
A number of other commonly cited issues raised by callers predate the Iran war, including Trump's deployment of the National Guard to cities, deadly attacks on alleged drug trafficking boats, U.S. support for Israel's actions in Gaza, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's anti-woke purges.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Mojtaba Khamenei was injured and 'likely disfigured'.