The operation, described by President Trump as 'a massive and ongoing' campaign called Operation Epic Fury, followed an earlier incident in which the U.S. military seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, according to Trump. Iran and Pentagon officials rejected claims that Iran had been preparing an attack, according to reports. This initial seizure, reported by major media, added to tensions but was disputed by Iranian and U.S. defense officials as a justification for hostilities.
The US attack involved two aircraft carrier strike groups and advanced aircraft, alongside the Israeli air force, according to multiple reports. According to multiple reports, the strikes targeted Iran's missile infrastructure, military sites, leadership, nuclear program sites, and key oil and gas facilities such as Kharg Island and South Pars. Up to two hundred senior military and civilian figures were killed in the decapitation strike against Khamenei, according to reports, and other high-ranking Iranian officials killed include Ali Larijani, Esmail Khatib, and Gholamreza Soleimani, according to reports.
In the immediate aftermath, Iran faced a leadership crisis, with Mojtaba Khamenei named as the successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reports. However, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Mojtaba Khamenei was injured and 'likely disfigured', a statement Iran denied, according to reports. The Assembly of Experts is working to select Khamenei's replacement, according to reports, but the current status and condition of Mojtaba Khamenei remain unclear.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and US bases in the region, according to reports. Iranian forces launched missiles and armed drones against Israel and US military facilities in all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, according to reports. Iranian missiles caused serious damage in Israel, killing and injuring scores of people, according to reports, and as of 19 March, Israeli authorities said 15 civilians were killed by Iranian missile fire. Reports indicate casualties may be higher than Tel Aviv claims, with waves of ballistic missiles continuing to target Israeli cities.
Iran accused the US and Israel of attacking a girls' school near an IRGC base on 28 February, killing 168 people including around 110 children, according to reports. The US said it was investigating the school incident, while Israel stated it was 'not aware' of any military operations in the area, according to reports. Expert video analysis shows a US Tomahawk missile hit a military base near the school, according to reports.
An Iranian warship was sunk by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka on 4 March, killing at least 87 people, according to reports. In a separate maritime incident, Iran's navy captured an oil tanker (St. Nikolas/Suez Rajan) in the Gulf of Oman, citing a court order related to an earlier oil seizure, according to reports. Empire Navigation, the tanker's operator, stated they had no knowledge of a court order or seizure and had not been contacted, according to reports.
The US and Israeli strikes are 'unprovoked, illegal and illegitimate'.
Israeli authorities reported 15 civilian deaths as of mid-March from Iranian strikes, according to reports. Iranian missiles have inflicted serious harm, though the precise number of total casualties across all affected countries is difficult to ascertain due to conflicting reports.
In the first two days of fighting, at least three US jets were shot down, according to reports. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense stated 'several' US warplanes crashed over their territory, but the US claims the jets were shot down by friendly fire, according to reports.
Iran's strategy is to exact a cost against the US and Israel to secure a durable peace, according to reports. The war is being run by the Supreme National Security Council chaired by Ali Larijani, with a Provisional Leadership Council convened, according to reports. Iran has received MiG-29 Su-35 fighter jets and Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters from Russia, according to reports.
Iran struck civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, including ports and airports, according to reports. The hostilities forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, causing a global energy shock that prompted the International Energy Agency to release four hundred million barrels from its strategic reserve, according to reports.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning Iran's retaliatory strikes on the Gulf states, according to reports. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several countries condemned the US-Israeli strikes, which legal analysis argues cannot be justified under international law, according to reports. The International Atomic Energy Agency said there was no evidence of a structured nuclear weapons program in Iran at the time of the strikes, according to reports.
Trump did not outline an imminent threat from Iran or a detailed plan for what comes next, according to multiple reports. According to multiple reports, Trump has issued conflicting statements on US military objectives and the trajectory of the conflict.
Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) reported 3,220 people killed in Iran as of 20 March, including 1,165 military personnel, 1,398 civilians (at least 210 children), and 657 unclassified, according to reports. In contrast, other sources indicate more than 1,800 people have been killed overall, including 8 US service members and at least 175 students killed by a reported US strike on an Iranian elementary school, according to reports.