The United States and Israel launched a military attack on Iran on February 28, 2026, according to multiple reports. Iran retaliated by attacking Israel and US bases in the region, as confirmed by research. The US attack involved two aircraft carrier strike groups and advanced aircraft, alongside the Israeli air force, multiple sources indicate. This initial exchange has set the stage for a broader regional conflict, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, causing a global energy shock, according to research.
More than 1,800 people have been killed in the conflict, including 8 US service members and at least 175 students in a reported US strike on an Iranian elementary school, multiple reports show. At least three US jets have been shot down in the first two days of fighting, with the US claiming they were downed by friendly fire, according to research. The human toll underscores the conflict's intensity, with casualties mounting rapidly amid the ongoing military operations.
Iran's Assembly of Experts appointed Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father as supreme leader, multiple reports indicate. However, Iran's Supreme National Security Council, chaired by Ali Larijani, is running the war after Khamenei's death, with a Provisional Leadership Council convened, according to research. Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since his father's death and reportedly suffered injuries including a fractured foot on the first day of the bombardment, a source familiar with the situation said.
Regionally, Iran has received military support from Russia, including MiG-29 and Su-35 fighter jets, multiple reports show. Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed 10 drones in recent hours, according to its Ministry of Defense. The US Central Command announced that the assault ship USS Tripoli, with 3,500 soldiers on board, has arrived in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command reported. The US has deployed additional troops to the Middle East, including about 3,500 soldiers with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to CENTCOM.
The Pentagon is preparing for limited ground operations in Iran, potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz, according to United States officials quoted by The Washington Post. Troops are expected to carry out raids against Iranian special operations forces and infantry troops, major media reports. Earlier in the week, sources have stated to several American media that the US is considering sending an additional 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East, in addition to those already in the region, sources said.
Diplomatically, Pakistan is mediating between the US and Iran, hosting talks with foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt. On Sunday, four states are meeting for peace negotiations in the mediator country Pakistan, in addition to the host country, foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt are participating, major media reports. Neither the US, Israel, nor Iran is participating in the talks in Islamabad, according to major media.
The US-Israeli attacks lack legal justification under international law, according to experts. The IAEA said there was no evidence of a structured nuclear weapons program in Iran at the time of the strikes, but lacked access to ensure the program was peaceful, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported. Trump administration officials have offered conflicting explanations for starting the war, such as regime change, destroying Iran's missile capabilities, or preventing nuclear weapons development, multiple reports indicate. The White House has since the start of the war oscillated between threats of escalation and promises that the war will soon end, major media reports.
It is unclear whether President Trump will approve the new phase of the war, according to sources. President Trump has advocated for a diplomatic end to the war, major media reports. The president postponed his deadline for attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, according to major media. His administration has proposed a 15-point plan to the Iranian regime, major media reports.
Iran accuses the US of secretly planning a ground invasion, Iran said. Tehran continues to deny that it is negotiating with Washington, Tehran reported. In a public speech, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian parliament speaker, stated that the enemy signals negotiation in public while plotting a ground attack in secret.
Economically, the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed, causing a global energy shock, according to research. Iran's internet has been under a nationwide blackout for 30 days, multiple reports indicate.
Historically, the conflict escalated from previous tensions, including missile strikes in 2024 and the Twelve-Day War in June 2025, multiple reports show.